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Management

Getting Started

This guide is specially designed to align with assignments in BUSMGT 325 and is organized by your course's seven deliverables.

Top 3 Most Important Resources
While there are many potential resources, these 3 will likely be the most valuable during this project:

  • Country Commercial Guides - Produced by embassy employees working in the country, these extensive guides provide details relevant to all aspects of your deliverables. This resource does not require access through the library.
  • OECD iLibrary / Economic Surveys - The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is an intergovernmental organization that produces country specific reports and data. The most current Economic Survey for your country will include extensive information about the current economic climate. Access this resource through the library's Articles and Databases.
  • ABI/INFORM Collection / Business Source Premier - For general articles on your industry or country, international marketing or advertising, and other broad business subjects, use these article databases. Access these resources through the library's Articles and Databases.

It is impossible to include every resource that might be useful for all products/services and countries. Email me directly at heathergrevatt@boisestate.edu for additional help!

Deliverable Specific Resources

Start Here

You will need to identify many elements of your product/service and country in this step.  Use resources recommended across all 7 module tabs to locate information. Here are some general tips:

  • If your product/service is available online, it may be very difficult to determine whether it is already being sold in the country you select.
  • The library does not have a good source for international sales data at the product level. Most information is done by broad industry categories.
  • International business research can get very complicated, very fast. Try to keep your topic simple and focused.
  • Give yourself enough time. International business research can be difficult and slow when trying to navigate large government and NGO websites.

Risk Assessment

The links below are from the Charting Economy series available in ABI/INFORM Collection. They provide simple overviews of key economic indicators such as international trade rates, economic freedom, and competitiveness.

Selecting a Product and Country

Need some help getting started? This article provides examples of companies that successfully expanded internationally.

In module 2, you will learn about Starbucks' disastrous introduction in Australia. This is one of many failed international company debuts. Use Cultural Practices, Products, and Perspectives  to think through how practices and perspectives will influence appropriate products/services.

  • Perspectives and practices may come from culture, religion, class structure, or history and may vary across heterogeneous societies.
  • You should not choose a product or service without knowing the perspectives and practices of your potential customers.

For example - In the case of Starbucks in Australia, a good statement might have identified that: many Australians consider coffee a vehicle for meetings with friends and family in a comfortable environment also known as cafe culture, which was introduced by Greek and Italian immigrants (perspective). They develop relationships with known, trusted baristas and barista competitions are common (practice). Australians like wide menus with many sophisticated espresso options and dislike large, sugary drinks (product).

What does your product need?

When selecting a country, be sure to think through what your product needs to work well.  For example:

  • Roads - When Ford introduced the Taurus to Japan in the 1980's they initially failed to move the steering-wheel to adjust for Japanese drivers using the opposite side of the road. Will your product or service need to be redesigned to work in the country?
  • Water - Nestle and others have faced a boycott that continues to this day in part because of their allegedly aggressive marketing of baby formula in countries that do not have the safe drinking water necessary to prepare the product. Does your product or service require other products or services to function?
  • Homes -Airbnb failed to take off in China because the idea of allowing strangers to stay in your home, or using a stranger's home, was not part of their culture. Does your product or service rely on consumers to provide the inventory?

Start Here

In this module you will need to compare two disparate cultures, then conduct a market analysis. 

Start with the Country Commercial Guide for each country, then use the additional resources if you need more information.

Culture Comparison

The guides below provide broad generalizations about national cultures. If your product or service will be marketed to a specific demographic you may need to conduct additional research specific to that group.

International Market

Resources for international market information may vary depending on your industry. If you do not find good information in the resources below, reach out for topic specific help.

  • Country Commercial Guide - Especially the Leading Sectors for US Exports and Investments heading.
  • OECD Economic Survey
  • First Research Industry Profiles via ABI/INFORM - These reports are North American focused, but may still provide valuable direction on where to look for more information within your own country.

Additional Resources

The Global Market Finder and Market Diversification tools can be excellent ways to identify new markets, but they are difficult to use. You will need to locate your Schedule B Commodity Code then use this to locate your Harmonized Systems Code in order to use these tools.

Identify Domestic and International Companies

Mergent Intellect is the best library resource for building a list of similar companies. Use the steps below:

  • Identify your own company's NAICS code.
  • Use the Mergent Intellect handout to build a company search.
    • Be sure to select "Include International Companies" and/or "Include Canada Companies"
  • You may need to add additional criteria like size or revenue to ensure companies are comparable.

Start Here

In this module, you will continue to use the Commisceo guides. In addition, return to the Country Commercial Guides, in particular the Doing Business In and Business Travel sections.

Additional Resources

Need more? In addition to these resources you can try:

  • Official government or tourism websites for your country
  • Travel guides or travel magazines (a better selection will be available via your local public library)
  • Organizational websites for specific populations (such as the Aboriginal Heritage Office in Australia)

Start Here

Researching government policies and regulations can be challenging if you do not have a legal background or fluency in the country's primary language.

Use your Country Commercial Guide - Customs, Regulations, & Standards to find out more about labeling/marketing requirements, prohibited or restricted imports, national standards for testing or accreditation, and licensing requirements for professional services.

Use databases like ABI/INFORM or Business Source Premier to look for articles analyzing the role of the government in the country's business environment. These will be more accessible than official government sites.

Legal Databases

The library's primary legal databases are HeinOnline and Westlaw Campus Research.  However, these are likely more than you need for this project. I would only recommend using the law databases to research specific issues or circumstances you have already located through other resources.

Organizational Structure

You will mostly rely on your textbook for this section, but ABI/INFORM, Business Source Premier, or Emerald may be helpful in locating articles related to the organizational structure you choose. Use online articles, like the Forbes example below, carefully. These can be a helpful start, but you will mostly use more formal research to support your decisions.

Start Here

This may be your most difficult module to research! Many resources related to startup costs, information systems, or personnel are not readily available and instead require you to get a quote because they are based on your company's number of employees, revenue, complexity of needs, etc. You may have to rely on educated estimates based on related industries or similar companies.

Startup Costs

Explore Funding Options

Databases and Information Systems

Searching using your preferred search engine will likely be more helpful than library databases for this subject, though you may also find some resources in ABI/INFORM, Business Source Premier, Emerald, or ACM.  Keep these general tips in mind:

  • Try to use third-party sites, like Forbes or TechRadar, that recommend multiple services before using the product's own website to find out more.
  • It will be easier to search for the specific system type, such as CRM, HR, accounting, etc., than to search for "information systems" or "databases" in general.
  • You may have to approach the topic backwards - rather than finding out how much systems cost, identify how much your company can spend.

Personnel

Both the open web and library databases can provide good information on this topic. Here are some general tips:

  • Staffing or recruitment will usually return articles about hiring and maintaining your workforce.
  • Personnel will usually return articles about existing hires' training or development.
  • Pay attention to the sample population; many staffing articles are specific to a single country or region

Compare to other companies

It may be helpful to use Mergent Intellect to search for similar companies or use company websites. Review their organizational structure and positions to think about which positions you will need.

Reducing Global Risk

Use the risk assessment you conducted in Module 1 to know which risks you will need to mitigate. Search library databases for the specific risk or mitigation strategy to locate relevant articles.

Start Here

In this module you have a lot to cover, including product or service attributes, distribution channels, advertising, and pricing strategies.

Use sub-headings under Selling US Products and Services on your Country Commercial Guide for information on distribution, pricing, and even advertising strategies.

Product or Service Attributes

Use ABI/INFORM, Business Source Premier, or ScienceDirect to locate articles on "product attributes" or "service attributes" and how changes to those attributes impact sales. You may not be able to locate articles on your specific product or even narrow product category. Instead, look for more general articles like the examples below.

Distribution Channels

Useful for publicly traded companies. Search for your company, then select "Long Business Description" for some distribution information.

OECD Library Freight Resources

The links below all direct to resources within the OECD Library related to freight and goods transportation. If available, select your country for specific information on how goods usually enter the country.

Advertising and Media

Start by reviewing Selling Factors and Techniques under Selling US Products and Services in your Country Commercial Guide.

Pricing Strategies

Some Country Commercial Guides will include Pricing information in the Selling Factors and Techniques section, but not all do. When this happens, you may need to use a search engine to locate pricing laws for your country.

This search may result in many articles about Transfer Pricing. Transfer Pricing is the practice of one division, subsidiary, or holding company within a company charging a different group within the same parent company. Many countries have laws regulating this practice to prevent tax evasion. If your company does not or will not do this, these articles are not relevant for you.

Start Here

In this module you will need to identify KPIs and decide how you will present them to your stakeholders. Use library databases to find articles about the specific KPIs you would like to use. 

ABI/INFORM, Business Source Premier, or Emerald will likely be helpful for most products and services.

If your product or service involves manufacturing, ScienceDirect or IEEE may also be useful.

KPIs

General Tips:

  • It is okay to use KPI for a keyword search. Most articles about KPIs will include this acronym.
  • If you are using a subject search, you will need to check the database thesaurus to find the correct term. Some databases use "performance indicators," "business metrics," "performance evaluation," "analytics," or other related words as the preferred subject terms for this topic.
  • Your in-class AI chatbot is a great resource for brainstorming potential KPIs for your specific topic!

Data Collection Methods and Reporting Plans

The ebooks below may be helpful in deciding how to gather and present the data for your KPIs.

What's Missing?

Did you receive feedback about gaps in your research during a previous module? Don't forget to address this issue before completing your final presentation!

Use the subject guides below to help format your citations correctly:

The resources on the Presentations tab of the Business Communication subject guide can help you set up an interesting and visually compelling presentation: