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What is the importance of international trade
What is the importance of international trade
Importance of international trade
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Scott Szwast’s speech entitled, “Scott Szwast: The global business next door” was an informative look into international trade in America and the effects thereof to a business’s growth potential. Szwast used this speech to dispel the idea held by many American’s, which is that global trade is a market for large corporations. According to Szwast, many business owners don’t take advantage of the business opportunities across the world because of “self-imposed borders”, which are doubt, uncertainty, and fear.
Success Among Businesses – International Trade
The most important aspect of the Ted speech presented by Swartz is that it provides business owners and future entrepreneurs with a different perspective as to how to grow their company’s
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wealth. As mentioned by Swartz in his speech, there is a common misconception that the global business is a market for large corporations and small businesses can’t possibly contend with them. However, the truth is that 90% of exporters are small businesses, many of which have only one location or fewer than 20 employees. The small and medium business owners that have learned how to successfully leverage their company across global markets. They are successful and are realizing financial growth, consequently, earning the business owner millions in profits. Proving that if small business opens themselves up for international trade they can grow their wealth quickly. Even when a business owner is equipped with this potentially life changing information, he/she may still be limited by the self-imposed borders mentioned earlier. Self-Imposed Borders There are three factors that contribute to a stagnant or failing business which are: (1) Doubt, (2) Uncertainty, (3) Fear.
Many business owners and entrepreneurs are doubtful about the global opportunities available to their business. In other words, business owners don’t give consideration to the world markets, instead they tend think locally in terms of gaining customers. This doubt however is unfounded. The international trade commission reported that 70% of the world’s purchasing power and 95% of the world’s consumers are located outside of the United States, which means that there is a massive market that is currently untapped by 99% of business in America. In addition to doubt, there is the uncertainty about exporting to other countries, this uncertainty may stem from lack of knowledge about foreign trade and the international laws. A business owner may be uncertain about how, when, where, and to whom it is legal to ship their products. Although, this uncertainty is understandable it is not required for businesses that are conducting business legally within the United States, business owners should remain mindful of this so that they can push their uncertainties aside. The last factor that deters businesses from international trade is Fear. Fear that there will be unforeseen and uncontrollable issues with transporting goods such as: theft, loss, damages, diversions, and/or regulatory penalties that may be imposed on the business. Although, there is a …show more content…
possibility of damages, theft, or loss it is important to know that the risk of doing business in a confined local market is higher than when operating both locally and internationally. As explained by Swartz, companies that export have more growth opportunity and are nearly 8.5% less likely to go out of business. The New Millionaire The face of the “Millionaire Next Door” as labeled by Scott Szwast is changing as more and more small businesses engage in exportation of goods. The “millionaires club” is no longer exclusive to the Founders and CEOs of the Fortune 100 or 500 companies, now it encompasses the small and medium business owners that have gained financial growth through international trade. It should also be mentioned that 98% of international trade in America is done by small and medium businesses; many of the business owners are female which is also a change to the norms. Less mom and pop shops are opening and more mother and daughter business are beginning to expand. Fostering a New Perspective on Business. As a business owner there will always be fear, uncertainty, and doubt considering that business involves taking risks, however, the main purpose of being in business is to generate profits, so one should not let these self-imposed borders obstruct the progress of their business whether it be in relation to local or global trade.
The numbers presented about trade outside of the united states is impressive. What is even more impressive is that there are less than 1% of companies in the U.S. that export, which is the lowest level of active exporters in the industrialized world and 70% of the world’s purchasing power exists outside of the U.S. This means that export in America is virtually an untapped market and many businesses are overlooking the opportunity to service a majority of their consumers. There is no reason to let fear, uncertainty, and doubt prevent a business from growth. Knowledge is the most useful resource to any individual and business, therefore if knowledge is obtained regarding the matters that bring about fear, uncertainty, and doubt it can easily be determined whether these thought are substantiated or not. Prior to watching this video, I too believed that in order to be successful in the global markets a company had to reach the level of becoming a large, reputable corporation, however, now that I have been equipped with this knowledge I have a new perspective on the growth of a business’s finances and organization. As Scott Szwast stated “In
today’s market the WORLD is our neighbor.
The strength of Northwest and Americans’ global culture can be compared by evaluating how well they “facilitate performance”(2,546). Both of the corporation’s employees, it may be argued, have the common goal of wanting their company to expand and continue to grow in the global market. It could also be argued that the companies differ, in significant ways, when it comes to the motivating effect this common goal has. Northwest seems to be better motivated in obtaining this goal. Examples of this motivated corporate culture are illustrated by the fact that they were “pioneers in global alliances”(3) and in the fact that they have committed major investments, in the form of hub cities, in both Tokyo and Amsterdam. American, on the other hand, does not seem to be as motivated by the goal of expansion in the global market. Although they have alliances with several international carriers, the number of alliances is not as large as Northwest’s. The recent acquisition of TWA, by American (4), may help to expand their global culture, due to the greater foothold this acquired asset has in the global market. In addition the financial investment that Northwest has shown in the global market is lacking in American. The only hub, questionably, outside of the U.S. is in San Juan, Puerto Rico (4). American seems to concentrate its strength inside the U.S., which may have a stifling effect on globaliza...
He uses successful companies from the 80’s to today such as Microsoft, Apple, and Google. He explains that “they share a strategy that is becoming standard for success.” (Zakaria 462). Global business or taking business outside of the United States counts for a large sum of corporation’s revenue. Zakaria describes that technology itself is the reasoning behind why the U.S. economy has shifted. He elaborates on this shift, and says “Technology and globalization are working together at warp speed” (Zakaria 463) alluding to the futuristic television series “Star Trek”, which just so happens to parallel with him talking about the future of the economy. He brings other developing countries in to the mix saying “China and India have added literally hundreds of millions of new workers to the global labor pool, producing the same goods and services as Western workers at a fraction of the price.” (Zakaria 463). Zakaria switches his tone yet again to reflect optimism for America. Zakaria recognizes the large growth and now need for technology and globalization in America and let’s his readers know that this change and shift in our economy may have the economy down, but the shift isn’t a bad thing and it isn’t what is keeping people down. He encourages his audience to see that what has happened can’t be stopped. Then he asks a rhetorical question that is both simple and to the point. “So what is the solution?” (Zakaria
More and more people are using computers and the Internet. Dual income families have increased spending; therefore more people are ordering products over the internet at a high rate. The Internet offers customers a one stop source for global shipping. Due to this, there has been an increase in using information technology and the Internet for businesses. This has created an increase in trade and investment along with global shipping logistics and supply chain solutions. With the increase in globalization, companies have had to adapt to the diverse work force and the culture of the countries in which they are conducting business. The parcel service industry is controlled by strict regulations and federal law. For example, September 11 brought stricter laws and regulations in the parcel service industry. Operations must maintain federal approval to operate in the United States.
We say that we are heading toward a more global economy because of the fact that competition in today’s markets is global. This means that corporations in the United States can compete in foreign markets and vice versa, therefore U.S. corporations and foreign corporations become interdependent and thrive off each other. This can have a good impact on the United States because it allows U.S. corporations to seek materials and labor outside of the U.S. in countries such as China, India, and Mexico, where workers are paid a lot less money than U.S. workers, thus allowing them to sell their products for significantly cheaper than if they were produced in the U.S.; however, the tradeoff is that many American workers in the industrial sector lose jobs due to this shift of labor to overseas. In the long run this will be beneficial for the U.S. and although some percentage of workers are losing work, new jobs in the services sector, in fields such as computer technology, telecommunications, and language skills are opening up and experiencing growth because of this change.
Investing or venturing into the international market involves critical analysis of the internal and external environment in which the company operates. Usually, a company will decide to venture internationally due to a saturated market or fierce competition in the current country of operation. The demand for a company’s products may have diminished as a result of an economic crisis thus the company will target a foreign market to sustain its sales. In other words, the firms expand internationally to seek new customers for its products. For example, the current Euro zone crisis led to low demand in Europe and many companies extended their businesses to emerging markets where demand was high. A company may also venture in the international market to enhance the cost-effectiveness of its operations especially for manufacturing companies that will benefit from low costs of production in developing world. Global expansion is a long term project as it involves demanding logistics to be successful. Thorough research must be undertaken to ensure that the expansion will create value for share...
During the 1990s, Japan has been exposed to one of the most difficult structural transition periods in its post-war history, in terms of social and economic conditions. There have been two major changes: one is a substantial decline in economic growth in real terms, and the other is a changing social structure characterized by the declining birth rate and the ageing population. Under the pressure of changes in the economic environment caused by globalization and innovations in information technology, Japanese business corporations are forced to adapt to the new situation. While companies faced with fierce international competition, it became more critical to understand the basic knowledge of complicated legal, cultural, economic, and social issues. Engaging in international trade also requires attention to international regulations, international business planning, international market research, funding, distribution and other areas that must be considered separately from domestic business issues. The paper suggests some of the basic tools that can apply to solve the problem or to bring the business opportunity to fruition in today's Japanese business environment
15. Hill, Charles W.L. International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. New York : McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Our economic development will forever be defined as our ability to succeed internationally. PwC forecasts India’s real annual GDP growth until 2050 at 8.9 percent, Vietnam’s at 8.8 percent, and China’s at 5.9 percent. The list of fast-growing emerging markets goes on and on. The U.S. forecast is a meager 2.4 percent, comparable with most Western economies. The domestic companies that are likely to see incremental growth in the coming decades are those that are not only doing business internationally, but that are developing the strategic skill set to master doing business across cultures. Cross-cultural core competence is at the crux of today’s sustainable competitive advantage. For example, political environment will tell us, as to how and why political leaders control, whether and how of international business. Legal environment, both national and international will tell us about many kinds of laws by which business firms must work. The cultural environment will tell us about attitudes, beliefs and opinions important to business people. Economic environment will tell us about the economic system being followed by the host country, which may or may not be different from home country. It will also explain the variables such as level of development, human resources, Gross Domestic Per Capita and consumption patterns that determine a firm’s ability to do business. Geography will tell us about location, quantity, and quality of the world’s resources.
The book, The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman draws attention to some very good points concerning globalization and the world economy today. Friedman emphasizes the status of America today in relation to the other countries of the world. As I looked at the things in which he warned about or highlighted, I realized the importance of this issue. He talks about a few aspects in which need to be kept competitive in order for America to retain their current standing in the world market.
“Red is a positive color in Denmark, but represents witchcraft and death in many African countries,” (Understand and heed, 1991, p.1). Simple understandings, such as this one, can make the difference in a business’ success or failure in a foreign country. Various countries have different customs and beliefs that need to be accustomed to when business are to be successful. American businesses especially have difficulties with this concept. “At times in the past, Americans have not had a good track record of being sensitive to cultural distinctions,” (Understand and heed, 1991, p.3). Perhaps this is because America is made up of so many different cultures that American people have become so used to easily adjusting to each other’s differences that they forget that other cultures are not as flexible. Today, more American’s are becoming more sensitive to the differences of other cultures. This sensitivity and understanding has come with a price, after a long string of business failures. It is not until a business fails miserably in another country that they see the adjustments that should have been made in order for their success to be a possibility. With an understanding and sensitivity to the customs and beliefs of other cultures, it is possible for successful businesses that have originated in western cultures to also be successful in foreign countries as well.
Reflected in its policies and attitudes toward business are a government's idea of how best to promote the national interest, considering its own resources and political philosophy. A government controls and restricts a company's activities by encouraging and offering support or by discouraging and banning or restricting its activities depending on the government. Here are steps in international law. International law recognizes the right of nations to grant or withhold permission to do business within its political boundaries and control its citizens when it comes to conducting business. Thus, political environment of countries is a critical concern for the international marketer and he should examine the salient political features of global markets they plan to enter.
With the advent of the Internet, decreased shipping costs, and the removal of trade barriers, the world market has shrunk in such a way that everyone can be a player. While many businesses thrive solely on serving a small local area, a globalized company has the benefits of increased customer markets, gross production, and brand awareness. Take for example Coca-Cola; this multi-national corporation offers products in countries all over the world, operates in over 200 of those countries with the help of its franchisees, and is the most well-known beverage companies. It is interesting to note however, that as positive as globalization may seem, there are many negative ramifications and a large population of detractors to this movement. While increased product availability is good for profits, if a local market is inundated with imported products, locally grown or manufactured items may be squeezed out, to the detriment of the local economy. Although it is cost effective to have your product produced in another country with low wages, you are essentially taking away jobs from the people of your own country, negatively impacting your national economy. However, if you manufacture your products in a country with higher wages, you must increase your products’ prices which may be harmful to your profits. While maximizing your companies profits is always of great importance, it is essential that you weigh the pros and cons of globalization and its effects on not only your company, but the areas in which you wish to spread.
Globalization can not only affect a company opening an office in another country but it can affect a small local business as well. As the internet brings the world closer together it becomes far more likely that a business that opened with no intention of selling internationally will have customers form different parts of the world asking for their product. For instance a steel company located in Pennsylvania may suddenly find orders coming in from South American factories. How the steel plant chooses to handle this new international customer could mean ...
Labor laws, wage disparities, intense competition and fluctuating currency values are the challenges that are making organizations worldwide to compete in marketplace with products requiring a great deal of labor, and it is now getting harder for some of these organizations to maintain employees abroad. As Mello (p. 610) mentioned that a greater percentage of United States workforces are moving their operations abroad to developing nations like China and leaving an increasing number of United States domestic workers without employment. The foreign markets for the products and services are not the only things enticing these organizations to enter these global marketplaces. There are other reasons these companies are joining the global market arenas. For example, the foreign labor markets, this has attracted interest in many organizations to expand globally (Gersten, 1991). The labor force growth rates in developing nations alone will continue expanding by approximately 700 million people by the year 2010, while the United States labor force will continue to grow by only 25 million. This shows that United States’ growth rate will drop and the opportunities for productivity growth rate will increase in developing countries.
Stonehouse, G., Campbell, D., Hamill, J. & Purdie, T. (2004). Global and Transnational Business (2nd ed.). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.