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Abstract As a part of the strategic planning process a company has to formulate a marketing strategy before entering a new market. For global marketers, formulation of a global marketing strategy is of big importance since it contributes benefits, including raising the efficacy of new-products launches, cost reduction and improving product quality and market share performance. India is a fast growing subcontinent and it is predicted to be among the top five economies in the world by the year 2025. The driving force in the Indian economy is the growing number of people from the middle class, which currently consists of over 300 million Indians. They are consuming progressively more western brands and more and more foreign companies are establishing in the country. The purpose of this thesis is to get a better understanding of the Indian market in order to formulate a strategy for this market. The thesis aim to identify how a business to business company, with baby products aimed for the upper class segment, should formulate their marketing strategy. To be able to answer our research question we have conducted a number of qualitative interviews, including a focus group interview with potential Indian consumers. The result of our interviews, empirical data along with our collected theory shows that the Indian market is fragmented and diverse. This thesis tells us that a company offering exclusive products should focus on consumers living in urban areas of India. A company should considerate on important aspects when formulating a marketing strategy for the Indian market: Assessment and adjustment of core strategy (choice of competitive strategy), formulation of a global strategy (choice of competitive strategy, choice of segment, marketing in India, the purchase process, culture) and development of global marketing program (degree of standardization).

<p>Abstract</p><p>As a part of the strategic planning process a company has to formulate a marketing strategy before entering a new market. For global marketers, formulation of a global marketing strategy is of big importance since it contributes benefits, including raising the efficacy of new-products launches, cost reduction and improving product quality and market share performance. India is a fast growing subcontinent and it is predicted to be among the top five economies in the world by the year 2025. The driving force in the Indian economy is the growing number of people from the middle class, which currently consists of over 300 million Indians. They are consuming progressively more western brands and more and more foreign companies are establishing in the country.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to get a better understanding of the Indian market in order to formulate a strategy for this market. The thesis aim to identify how a business to business company, with baby products aimed for the upper class segment, should formulate their marketing strategy. To be able to answer our research question we have conducted a number of qualitative interviews, including a focus group interview with potential Indian consumers. The result of our interviews, empirical data along with our collected theory shows that the Indian market is fragmented and diverse. This thesis tells us that a company offering exclusive products should focus on consumers living in urban areas of India. A company should considerate on important aspects when formulating a marketing strategy for the Indian market: Assessment and adjustment of core strategy (choice of competitive strategy), formulation of a global strategy (choice of competitive strategy, choice of segment, marketing in India, the purchase process, culture) and development of global marketing program (degree of standardization).</p>

Research Summary: This paper argues for, and contributes to, a stronger integration of research on finance and international business/global strategy. We perform bibliometric analysis of journal publications between 2010 and 2016 and show that papers published in the two domains relate to very different underlying literatures which, so far, have had a limited overlap. We further argue based on a qualitative review of the literature that both fields offer substantial novel perspectives, models, and theories to each other that have the potential to enrich our theoretical understanding of relevant research questions in both domains. We map various pathways for further integration of international business/global strategy and finance fields and discuss different ways how to better connect the two fields and their different research perspectives and research methodologies. Managerial Summary: In this paper we, first, find that publications from the field of finance and from the area of international business/global strategy relate to very different literatures. Second, we show that both fields would indeed offer substantial and relevant novel perspectives to each other. Third, we develop various pathways for a more intense integration of both literatures. Given the relevance of both international business/global strategy and finance perspectives for business practice, we strongly believe that a more intense integration also bears substantial implications for managers. This is as much of the knowledge developed in international business/global strategy and finance did not fully transfer into the respective other field.

A globalização é um fenômeno amplamente estudado, em suas facetas econômica, social e cultural. Do ponto de vista da Administração, configura-se como ação estratégica das empresas, em busca de maior competitividade produtiva e extensão de mercados demandantes. O setor da propaganda, provedor de um serviço corporativo de apoio na cadeia de valor de empresas fabricantes ou prestadoras de serviços finais, pode ser visto tanto como reflexo quanto propulsor da globalização: se, por um lado, segue seus clientes para atendê-los além das fronteiras nacionais, por outro cria com as suas redes geograficamente pulverizadas a possibilidade de desenvolvimento de campanhas globais, incentivando outras empresas a se empenharem na internacionalização. Contudo, a complexidade das operações de comunicação integrada entre diversos países obriga as agências de propaganda a redesenharem suas estruturas organizacionais. As suas atividades, fortemente dependentes de informação, não se enquadram com facilidade nem nos modelos centralizados (que ignoram as especificidades locais de cada mercado) nem nos descentralizados (que reduzem os benefícios integradores da agência de alcance global). Este estudo descreve como duas agências de origem norte-americana que se instalaram no Brasil por meio de abertura de filiais próprias adaptam suas estruturas organizacionais para atender seus clientes internacionais. Para tanto, realizou-se um estudo de casos múltiplos, com a análise de duas agências de consolidada presença no mercado brasileiro: a McCann-Erickson (instalada no país desde 1935) e a J. Walter Thompson (a partir de 1929). A fonte principal de dados da pesquisa foram quatro entrevistas junto a executivos-chave na gestão de contas globais. A investigação empírica corroborou o modelo proposto por VARDAR e PALIWODA (1993) de que as agências de propaganda mimetizam as estruturas de coordenação global e regional de seus clientes. Este espelhamento facilita os fluxos de informação e decisão intra e inter-organizacionais, ao criar contrapartes nas agências para os principais núcleos decisórios do anunciante. Com esse objetivo, as redes de propaganda mantêm estruturas matriciais que lhes permitem espelhar simultaneamente seus múltiplos clientes. A política de negócios revelada pelos estudos de caso indica uma orientação ao mercado por parte das agências, que buscam por meio de sofisticados mecanismos adaptativos cultivar relacionamentos de longo prazo junto aos anunciantes. / Globalization is an extensively studied phenomenon, in its economic, social, and cultural dimensions. From the standpoint of Administration, it is configured as a strategical action of companies in search of better productive competitiveness and broader consumer markets. The advertising industry, caracterized as a corporate service backing up the value chain of final goods or services, may be seen either as cause as consequence of globalization: if, on one hand, it follows its clients to serve them beyond national frontiers, on the other it creates, with its geographically pulverized networks, the possibility of global campaign development, fostering the internationalization of other enterprises. However, the complexity of the operations envolved in globally integrated communication forces advertising agencies to rethink its organizational structures. Their activities, strongly information-dependent, do not fit well in centralized models (as they ignore local especificities), nor in decentralized ones (as they neutralize the integrating benefits of global networks). This essay describes how two US-based agencies with local representation in Brazil (through wholly-owned affiliates) adapt their organizational structures to serve globalized clients. Hence, the research method used was a multiple case study, analysing two agencies with strong relevance in the brazilian market: McCann-Erickson (running its local branch in Brazil since 1935) and J. Walter Thompson (sinca 1929). The main data sources were four personal interviews with key executives in the management of global accounts. The empirical investigation corroborated the hypothesis proposed by VARDAR and PALIWODA (1993), according to which advertising agencies mimic their clients global and regional coordenation structures. This mirroring effect facilitates the flow of information and decisions in and between organizations, by creating agency counterparts for every decision-making node observed in the advertisers structure. In order to achieve this, advertising networks use matricial structures which allow them to simultaneously mirror their multiple clients. The business policy revealed by the case studies indicates a market-driven strategy adopted by agencies, in search of long-term relationships with advertisers through sophisticated adaptive mecanisms.

<p>Background: The notion of IT strategies has changed during recent years, because our perspectives towards IT in the organizations have changed. We expect IT to be fulfilling business goals and lever-age business opportunities and we have strengthened the role of IT in the supply chain. Our individual view on IT, whether it is strategic or supportive, whether the infrastructure should be standard-ized or individualized etc., most likely affects how IT strategies are interpreted and conducted in the organization. This is critical in companies who have their subsidiaries on foreign land. It is not obvi-ous that managers in different countries interpret the IT strategy the same way, just because it happens to be the same company. In most large global coalitions, a common central strategy for IT is the standard. I have chosen to examine Argentinean subsidiaries to Swedish companies as an example. Eight research questions were formulated, with the purpose of finding what is included in a generic IS/IT strategy, if the perspectives of managers are in line with the theory, whether views are consistent throughout the concern, and determine the challenges of global IS/IT management.</p><p>Purpose: This paper aims at finding the generic parts in a IS/IT strategy formulation and explain how business management and IT specialists of global coalitions interpret the concept IS/IT strat-egy. A sub-purpose is to define the priorities in global IS/IT management. The analysis of the paper culminates in a model - “the interpretation of IS/IT strategies”, with the ambition to give guidelines for managers and strategy formulators in a global environment.</p><p>Method: The study is of qualitative, exploratory and explanatory type, it has a descriptive part and a theory enhancing rational. By a thorough literature study and a pre- study I wished to explore and shed light on the perplexities in IS/IT management, nationally and globally. The broad research spectrum was a conscious choice to cover the complex area of IS/IT strategy and the various people affected. By conducting interviews; through questions and observations I also aimed at describing and explaining how IS/IT strategies are interpreted in practice. As a result of my hermeneutic research approach I am drawing conclusions from the similarities and dissimilarities I found in the different perceptions and relate it to the result of previous studies. The idea is thus to combine these insights in order to enhance theory in the area.</p><p>Analysis and result: what could be determined from the analysis is:</p><p>• IS/IT strategy composed of strategic planning, alignment between business- and IT, competitive advantage, knowledge management, responsibilities, system architecture, interaction and security.</p><p>• No “generic” strategy exists. A good strategy for a global coalition is forward-looking and flexible and frequently evaluated. The strategy gives competitive advantage if leveraged; the results are related to IS paradigm view.</p><p>• IT people proves short sighted while business/strategy management have long term perspective, which contradicts Earl, (1999). The difference could be due to culture in this case. The organiza-tional structure does not determine IT architecture, which contradicts King Sethi (1999).</p><p>• Managers and IT people are generally not in agreement. Interpretations of strategy are not consistent in global firms. Managers and not IT people need to take responsibility for the formulation and realization of the strategy. This is in accordance with Axelsson, (1995).</p><p>The implications to managers are: The organizational structure chosen should not be steering the politics for architecture, moreover that IT specialists with a technical view can not be responsible for strategy work or global standards. Managers are encouraged to develop knowledge management, to include intellectual assets in the IS/IT strategy and work with culture enhancement programs.</p>

Globally operating business organizations tend to use a global strategy by using a standardized strategy as a fixed format. However, this has developed to be very ineffective for the ability to compete in the different markets worldwide. The adaptation of local preferences hence, seems to be crucial but also very complex for multinational retailers. This study therefore, determines the complexity of considerations that a shift from a global to a transnational strategy includes. The decision making of which strategy is appropriate for multinational retailers to compete on a global market can be quite puzzling, as is can be seen in the bed textile segment. Therefore this research paper investigates, within a case study of IKEA’s bed textile department, if a shift from a global to a transnational strategy is of advantage for a multinational retailer like IKEA and to what extend cultural awareness has to be considered. The methods that were used for this study include a literature review in the mentioned focus area and a collection of primary data through a qualitative research design with an open questionnaire sent to the Sales Leaders of IKEA. The research has shown that market research is an important factor when it comes to cultural related differences between the countries. Also, when dealing with the concern of adaptation of the market relevant bed textile sizes to the product range, the Sales Leaders of IKEA have perceived different concerns. Therewith a full adaptation may not be the solution for all businesses, since this depends on the product and market preferences. The cultural preferences in each country and the right degree of standardization and local preferences are a big issue for the global bed textile industry and are hence perceived as the main challenges in this concern. Possible paths for future investigations are shown by the results of this study. Thus, an inclusion of other cases could enable the possibility of a generalization of the study’s findings. Also, the same case study could be expanded by including customers input in the individual markets; this would lead to a better understanding of the customer’s preferences and a higher validity of the study. Last but not least this study has shown that there is no simple answer given whether a shift from a global towards a transnational strategy is of advantage for multinational retailers; however interesting factors concerning the shift could be identified.

Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / This study intends to develop a decision support tool for new business development units in South African consultancies. These consultancies endeavour to out‐license their technology assets. The enterprise engineering model is examined and the rules and boundaries of the Cartesian space is used to derive further functionality (susceptibility, segmentation and competence) from the various enterprise life cycles as measures for business expansion of knowledge organisations. The reader is presented with an overview of knowledge organisations, more specifically consultancy enterprises and its unique challenges and business models. These firms develop technology for specific market applications to assist them in solving industry specific problems. These technologies are easily modularised and packaged and can be transferred as technology assets to licensees. The bulk of the dissertation deals with the process phases in externally leveraging technology assets, with a focus on the intelligence phase of this process. The industrial engineering approach provides a suitable mindset for understanding the complexity of global strategy problems. Proposed global strategies are based on combinations of geographic areas that become more desirable over time. Levels of aggregation are defined, and the global eco‐socio‐political and economical systems are further investigated. Approaches to global strategy management are investigated, and the PEST framework is used in its broadest sense to conduct an external environmental analysis. Franchising as a method of out‐licensing is proposed as a mode of entry into foreign markets. The development of a decision support tool is supported by the generic system model and more specifically principles from productivity management. Multiple criteria decision modelling is discussed and efficiency and effectiveness are used as the objective and subjective variables. The Brown‐Gibson model is used to calculate a weighted evaluation, and the countries of the world are ranked according to these outcomes. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is conducted on the weighted evaluations providing the reader with graphs indicating what the long and short term focus of consulting firms should be regarding their out‐licensing endeavours on a macro environmental level. In conclusion, this study expands the enterprise engineering model for knowledge organisations (specifically consultancy enterprises) using analytical decision making methods in determining global strategy with a focus on the external environmental analysis.

A globalização é um fenômeno amplamente estudado, em suas facetas econômica, social e cultural. Do ponto de vista da Administração, configura-se como ação estratégica das empresas, em busca de maior competitividade produtiva e extensão de mercados demandantes. O setor da propaganda, provedor de um serviço corporativo de apoio na cadeia de valor de empresas fabricantes ou prestadoras de serviços finais, pode ser visto tanto como reflexo quanto propulsor da globalização: se, por um lado, segue seus clientes para atendê-los além das fronteiras nacionais, por outro cria com as suas redes geograficamente pulverizadas a possibilidade de desenvolvimento de campanhas globais, incentivando outras empresas a se empenharem na internacionalização. Contudo, a complexidade das operações de comunicação integrada entre diversos países obriga as agências de propaganda a redesenharem suas estruturas organizacionais. As suas atividades, fortemente dependentes de informação, não se enquadram com facilidade nem nos modelos centralizados (que ignoram as especificidades locais de cada mercado) nem nos descentralizados (que reduzem os benefícios integradores da agência de alcance global). Este estudo descreve como duas agências de origem norte-americana que se instalaram no Brasil por meio de abertura de filiais próprias adaptam suas estruturas organizacionais para atender seus clientes internacionais. Para tanto, realizou-se um estudo de casos múltiplos, com a análise de duas agências de consolidada presença no mercado brasileiro: a McCann-Erickson (instalada no país desde 1935) e a J. Walter Thompson (a partir de 1929). A fonte principal de dados da pesquisa foram quatro entrevistas junto a executivos-chave na gestão de contas globais. A investigação empírica corroborou o modelo proposto por VARDAR e PALIWODA (1993) de que as agências de propaganda mimetizam as estruturas de coordenação global e regional de seus clientes. Este espelhamento facilita os fluxos de informação e decisão intra e inter-organizacionais, ao criar contrapartes nas agências para os principais núcleos decisórios do anunciante. Com esse objetivo, as redes de propaganda mantêm estruturas matriciais que lhes permitem espelhar simultaneamente seus múltiplos clientes. A política de negócios revelada pelos estudos de caso indica uma orientação ao mercado por parte das agências, que buscam por meio de sofisticados mecanismos adaptativos cultivar relacionamentos de longo prazo junto aos anunciantes. / Globalization is an extensively studied phenomenon, in its economic, social, and cultural dimensions. From the standpoint of Administration, it is configured as a strategical action of companies in search of better productive competitiveness and broader consumer markets. The advertising industry, caracterized as a corporate service backing up the value chain of final goods or services, may be seen either as cause as consequence of globalization: if, on one hand, it follows its clients to serve them beyond national frontiers, on the other it creates, with its geographically pulverized networks, the possibility of global campaign development, fostering the internationalization of other enterprises. However, the complexity of the operations envolved in globally integrated communication forces advertising agencies to rethink its organizational structures. Their activities, strongly information-dependent, do not fit well in centralized models (as they ignore local especificities), nor in decentralized ones (as they neutralize the integrating benefits of global networks). This essay describes how two US-based agencies with local representation in Brazil (through wholly-owned affiliates) adapt their organizational structures to serve globalized clients. Hence, the research method used was a multiple case study, analysing two agencies with strong relevance in the brazilian market: McCann-Erickson (running its local branch in Brazil since 1935) and J. Walter Thompson (sinca 1929). The main data sources were four personal interviews with key executives in the management of global accounts. The empirical investigation corroborated the hypothesis proposed by VARDAR and PALIWODA (1993), according to which advertising agencies mimic their clients global and regional coordenation structures. This mirroring effect facilitates the flow of information and decisions in and between organizations, by creating agency counterparts for every decision-making node observed in the advertisers structure. In order to achieve this, advertising networks use matricial structures which allow them to simultaneously mirror their multiple clients. The business policy revealed by the case studies indicates a market-driven strategy adopted by agencies, in search of long-term relationships with advertisers through sophisticated adaptive mecanisms.

Background: The notion of IT strategies has changed during recent years, because our perspectives towards IT in the organizations have changed. We expect IT to be fulfilling business goals and lever-age business opportunities and we have strengthened the role of IT in the supply chain. Our individual view on IT, whether it is strategic or supportive, whether the infrastructure should be standard-ized or individualized etc., most likely affects how IT strategies are interpreted and conducted in the organization. This is critical in companies who have their subsidiaries on foreign land. It is not obvi-ous that managers in different countries interpret the IT strategy the same way, just because it happens to be the same company. In most large global coalitions, a common central strategy for IT is the standard. I have chosen to examine Argentinean subsidiaries to Swedish companies as an example. Eight research questions were formulated, with the purpose of finding what is included in a generic IS/IT strategy, if the perspectives of managers are in line with the theory, whether views are consistent throughout the concern, and determine the challenges of global IS/IT management. Purpose: This paper aims at finding the generic parts in a IS/IT strategy formulation and explain how business management and IT specialists of global coalitions interpret the concept IS/IT strat-egy. A sub-purpose is to define the priorities in global IS/IT management. The analysis of the paper culminates in a model - “the interpretation of IS/IT strategies”, with the ambition to give guidelines for managers and strategy formulators in a global environment. Method: The study is of qualitative, exploratory and explanatory type, it has a descriptive part and a theory enhancing rational. By a thorough literature study and a pre- study I wished to explore and shed light on the perplexities in IS/IT management, nationally and globally. The broad research spectrum was a conscious choice to cover the complex area of IS/IT strategy and the various people affected. By conducting interviews; through questions and observations I also aimed at describing and explaining how IS/IT strategies are interpreted in practice. As a result of my hermeneutic research approach I am drawing conclusions from the similarities and dissimilarities I found in the different perceptions and relate it to the result of previous studies. The idea is thus to combine these insights in order to enhance theory in the area. Analysis and result: what could be determined from the analysis is: • IS/IT strategy composed of strategic planning, alignment between business- and IT, competitive advantage, knowledge management, responsibilities, system architecture, interaction and security. • No “generic” strategy exists. A good strategy for a global coalition is forward-looking and flexible and frequently evaluated. The strategy gives competitive advantage if leveraged; the results are related to IS paradigm view. • IT people proves short sighted while business/strategy management have long term perspective, which contradicts Earl, (1999). The difference could be due to culture in this case. The organiza-tional structure does not determine IT architecture, which contradicts King Sethi (1999). • Managers and IT people are generally not in agreement. Interpretations of strategy are not consistent in global firms. Managers and not IT people need to take responsibility for the formulation and realization of the strategy. This is in accordance with Axelsson, (1995). The implications to managers are: The organizational structure chosen should not be steering the politics for architecture, moreover that IT specialists with a technical view can not be responsible for strategy work or global standards. Managers are encouraged to develop knowledge management, to include intellectual assets in the IS/IT strategy and work with culture enhancement programs.