Whether it is internationalisation or globalisation, many South African firms are under constant pressure to enter and compete in foreign markets. For some firms, the decision to internationalise is crucial to the sustainability of the firm and in some instances requires a re-evaluation of the strategic intentions and objectives of the firm. Firms in the civil engineering consultant industry are no different, with many having no logical choice of expansion and growth except to enter foreign markets. For the civil engineering consultant, the acquisition of international projects is somewhat different from domestic projects in that key role players and operational norms in the international arena are relatively unknown and often misunderstood. Many firms attempting to enter foreign markets simply do not undertake the necessary analysis to understand the international environment and fail to formulate a sustainable international strategy. The objective of this dissertation is to analyse those factors contributing to the successful identification and formulation of an international strategy. Whilst the dissertation has a bias to civil engineering consultants it is believed that many of the points and issues highlighted can be used by any firm attempting to breach international markets. In order to provide a suitable conclusion to this dissertation, a case study is analysed. The case in point is the international strategy identification and formulation of Goba Moahloli Keeve Steyn (Pty) Ltd, a multi-disciplinary engineering firm whose aims are to acquire and manage large engineering projects beyond national borders. It is evident from this study that in order to be effective in foreign markets, it is extremely important for consulting engineering firms to have a thorough understanding of the market and to ensure that the most sustainable markets are chosen for possible operation. The design, delivery and implementation of services may have to be tailored to suit the environment within which the firm chooses to operate. The main recommendation of the study is that the consultant engineering firm needs to develop and formulate an international strategy that is consistent with the firm's goals and is one that can be easily adapted to a changing environment. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/3863 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Sankar, N. |
| Contributors | Thomson, Elza. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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