research on entering international market with Germany

Draft 1

Nationalistic Orientation

Is your target nation currently a member of the G20, UN, WHO, or WTO? If so, give examples of its recent participation with these global institutions and if not, why not?

What is the current level of economic development of your target nation and what is its growth rate of GDP? Do you forecast a significant change in GDP during the next three years? Why or why not?

What are your target nation’s political, economic and legal systems, and what is its level of corruption relative to the nations with which it most frequently trades?

Culture, Ethics, and Corporate Responsibility

What are your target nation’s cultural characteristics, including power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and short-term versus long-term orientation?

Does your target nation actively promote ethical standards such as employment rights, human rights, and social justice? If not, why not, and if so, cite examples.

Does your target nation actively promote environmental sustainability standards? If not, why not, and if so, cite examples.

Draft 2

Government Policy

What are the most influential determinants of your target nation’s national competitive advantage according to Porter’s Diamond?

What is your target nation’s current balance of trade, and does it offer subsidies or impose tariffs, quotas, or local content requirements?

What are your target nation’s current levels of FDI inflows and outflows, and do you forecast a change in FDI during the next three years?

Regional Economic Integration and Foreign Direct Investment

What is your target nation’s current level of economic integration, and is it a member of any trading blocs or regional trade agreements?

What are your target nation’s monetary and fiscal policies, is it currently experiencing inflation, and do you forecast a change in its inflation rate during the next three years? If so, why, and if not, why not?

Is your target nation’s currency easily convertible, and what is your exchange rate forecast for the next three years relative to major global currencies?

Draft 3

Monetary System and Capital Markets

What is your target nation’s exchange rate regime, and has its major currencies index strengthened or weakened over the last three years relative to the currencies of nations with which it most frequently trades?

Is there easy access to capital for innovation and entrepreneurship for companies operating your target nation, and does capital investment in companies operating your target nation carry significant foreign exchange risk? Why or why not?

For U.S. companies considering expansion into your target nation’s market, what is your recommendation for using a global standardization, localization, transnational, or international approach to launch new products and why?

Market Entry Strategy

How high is your target nation’s level of foreign product diversity and sales of foreign products within its market?

For U.S. companies considering expansion into your target nation’s market, what is your recommendation for entry mode and why?

For U.S. companies considering expansion into your target nation’s market, what are your recommendations for timing and scale of entry and why?

Final Draft*

Supply Chain, Marketing, and Business Analytics

For U.S. companies considering expansion into your target nation’s market, what are your recommendations regarding importing, exporting, and location selection based on factor endowments and why?

Does your target nation pose supply chain or logistics constraints? If not, why not, and if so, cite examples.

Does your target nation’s market offer product mixes from global producers, and what do you think are your target nation’s market’s most viable segments and why?

Human Resources and Finance

For U.S. companies considering expansion into your target nation’s market, do you recommend an ethnocentric, polycentric, or geocentric staffing policy, and what cultural, language, or practical training do you recommend for expatriate managers moving from the U.S. to your target nation?

What is your target nation’s current state of labor relations with trade or industry unions? If labor unions currently exist, cite examples, and if labor unions are not common, why not?

For U.S. companies considering expansion into your target nation’s market, what are the financial implications of political, economic and currency risk these companies will likely face, and what are the primary drivers of this risk?