International Business

Lean Six Sigma Improve Phase Tollgate Templates are a guide to Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Projects. Lean Six Sigma Practitioners use the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) Phases. The Lean Six Sigma Improve Phase Tollgate Templates include the most common tools used in the Improve Phase. There are Backup Slides that include the tools and templates of Optional or less often tools. There are guidelines in the notes section. These templates are used to document Lean Six Sigma Projects as they are executed. There are checklists and guides to ensure the Improve Phase is completed and approved before moving to the next process improvement phase. I wish you well on your projects. Steven Bonacorsi, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

The solar photovoltaics (PV) industry would not exist without government policies. Governments around the world have implemented  policies to support consumption  of solar energy and production of solar PV products. These policies have  varied  across countries  and  across time, thus contributing  to
regulatory uncertainty. This  article addresses two related questions. First, how does regulatory  uncertainty  in the solar PV industry shape  firms’ market and non-market strategies? Second, how might firms’ responses to this public-policy environment affect technolog- ical development and the locus of manufacturing? Government policies on solar PV, and firms’ strategies to over-come regulatory uncertainty, may have unintended consequences. Firms’ decisions on location and
technology development  may result in loss of employment  and national competitiveness for developed countries; and firms’ market strategies may increase regulatory uncertainty if they do
not involve non-market stakeholders. (Keywords: Government  and Business, Energy Policy, Public Policy, Green Manufacturing, Regulation, Corporate Strategy)

Americans were once appalled to hear and see countries in Africa or Asia or Latin America and elsewhere around the globe descent into political chaos because of the tribal, dysfunctional political system and identity politics. Today the same phenomena that once bewildered them are slowly but steadily itching into the social and cultural fabric that once made America a great nation. Ever since the election of Donald J. Trump in November 2016, the political Left or radical Left to be precise, i.e., the Social Justice Warriors, the Moral Crusaders of Hollywood, the overtly Bias Media Establishment and the Disgruntled Never Trumpers, though on the fences as of late, have unleashed an ideological and cultural war, that if left unchecked, will bring down the American Republic. The Justice Kavanaugh’s hearings have shown that the majority of Democrats and their radical supporters have not come to grips with the loss of the elections in November 2016. The resistance to accept the reality coupled with the personal hatred against President Trump have gone from sheer political disagreements and policy outcomes to pure betrayal of the political principles that have kept America glued by its institutions of law such as the Supreme Court of Justice and the United States Congress. That said, no matter what the political ideologies or inclinations of both parties may be, the personal hatred towards the President and the use of the identity politics as the means to divide and categorize Americans are stoking division and tearing the country apart.

A tanulmány az egyes finanszírozási szerződéseket elemzi a nemzetközi és az összehasonlító jog tükrében, amelyeknek legelterjedtebb formái: (i) pénzfinanszírozás (tőkejuttatás) – hitel, kölcsön; (ii) dologi finanszírozás – lízing; (iii) követelésfinanszírozás – faktoring.

Dear Colleagues,‎

We are proud to bring to you the latest edition of the FORTNIGHTLY, a review of Middle East ‎business, developments and news, for the period ending 2 October 2019.‎

Some highlights of this issue include the following:‎

‎2.3  Cox Automotive Begins Israel Auto-Tech Operations

‎3.3  Dubai's Retail Sector Undergoing a Major Transformation Due to e-Commerce

‎8.3  Strauss Group Reduces Sugar in Its Milk Chocolate by 30% with No Artificial Substitutes

‎9.8  US Defense Innovation Unit Selects D-Fend Solutions' Counter Drone System

‎10.1  Israel Ranked 38th in the World for Economic Freedom

‎11.4  EGYPT:  Israel to Start Exporting Natural Gas to Egypt as Last Obstacle Is Removed

In addition, if you would like to bring to our attention any relevant Middle Eastern regional ‎development of interest, please notify me at: [email protected].‎

This book chapter addresses the decision-making processes that international hotel corporations engage in during their expansion procedures, and focusses on the entry and presence of these corporations in Bulgaria. Our findings show that country- and firm-specific factors play little role in the presence of these organisations in the country. On the contrary, it appears that potential tokenism exists in the selection of Bulgaria as a host destination, with major hotel corporations each being represented by only one or two affiliated properties in the country. This raises the question as to whether these corporations enter Bulgaria in search of expansion opportunities and to offer a greater choice of destinations for their customers, or because they are pursuing their own globalization agenda for achieving wide geographic presence regardless of the destinations entered. This chapter also shows that the chains and their partners have a strong preference for non-equity entry modes (fra...

Airbnb’s remarkable growth is applauded, but there is certainly room for expansion in the Korean market. In this study, the authors conducted a background analysis of Airbnb, studying the strengths and weaknesses of the firm and devising strategies for further success in Korea.
In regards to price, the authors decided the price strategy currently held is applicable in Korea as well. There is no need for change in that aspect. The authors did observe the need for a premium service centered on business travelers, those who travel most frequently. The premium service would have an annual fee, but it would provide benefits to customers in the form of additional services and exclusive deals.
Brand awareness is relatively low in South Korea. To inform the Korean audience, who are potential guests and hosts, there is the need to adopt widely used Korea online platforms, including Kakaotalk and Naver. Not only does this widen Airbnb’s footing in the market, but it also establishes new ground for which promotions can take place.
Airbnb stands at an advantage due to the ubiquity of Internet and mobile phone users in a highly technologized country. Numerous network platforms are ready to accept Airbnb’s entrance into its user base, and upon entrance, Airbnb will already be ahead of competitors in claiming South Korea’s market for room accommodations.

There are more types of borders today than ever before in history. Borders of all kinds define every aspect of social life in the twenty-first century. From the biometric data that divides the smallest aspects of our bodies to the aerial drones that patrol the immense expanse of our domestic and international airspace, we are defined by borders. They can no longer simply be understood as the geographical divisions between nation-states. Today, their form and function has become too complex, too hybrid. What we need now is a theory of the border that can make sense of this hybridity across multiple domains of social life.

Rather than viewing borders as the result or outcome of pre-established social entities like states, Thomas Nail reinterprets social history from the perspective of the continual and constitutive movement of the borders that organize and divide society in the first place. Societies and states are the products of bordering, Nail argues, not the other way around. Applying his original movement-oriented theoretical framework "kinopolitics" to several major historical border regimes (fences, walls, cells, and checkpoints), Theory of the Border pioneers a new methodology of "critical limology," that provides fresh tools for the analysis of contemporary border politics.

A B S T R A C T This study seeks to review the literature on the exporting challenges and problems of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in this era of globalization. Besides, we identify gaps in the literature and provide directions for future research. This review would serve as a basis to understand the research gaps, opportunities, and undertake new research projects based on the propositions and the future research agenda outlined. We synthesize the findings and analyze different dimensions, which in turn would facilitate further research as well as the growth of small firms in the long run.

The Drakkar was the Viking war ship, the Dromon that of the Byzantine world.  The Vikings and Byzantines collided, cooperated, fought for and against each other. 

Since the Dromon (and other galleys in the Med) was rowed standing up, perhaps a look at the Drakkar or other Viking style ship did also.

The Dromon went on as galleys up to the 1700's while the Drakkar got fat and short and became the head of long line of sailing ships.

With the proliferation of the internet, coupled with the growing acceptance of the digital lifestyle and the
world becoming increasingly addicted to e-business, the trend of cash transactions is now giving way
to electronic payment system. Considering the rapid spread in the adoption of electronic banking as a
channel for performing various bank transactions among banks in Nigeria, this study investigated the
roles e-banking adoption has played in the performance of organizations using a case study of
commercial banks in Nigeria. Hence the objective of the study was to determine the role of e-banking
on the operational efficiency of commercial banks in Nigeria. In pursuance of this objective, primary
data were obtained by administering questionnaires to staff of four purposively selected banks
(Ecobank, UBA, GTB and First bank). Pearson correlation was used to analyse the results obtained
using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and it was observed that banks’ operational
efficiency in Nigeria since the adoption of electronic banking has improved compared to the era of
traditional banking. This improvement was noticed in the strength of banks, revenue and capital bases,
as well as in customers’ loyalty. It was concluded that the introduction of new channels into their ebanking
operations drastically increased bank performances, since the more active customers are with
their electronic transactions the more profitable it is for the banks.

This case examines the rise and fall of WeWork—a company that experienced one of the most dramatic changes of fortune in technology company history. For several years, WeWork was a Silicon Valley darling, growing at breakneck speed with visionary Adam Neumann at the helm. By some estimates, Neumann’s company was worth USD 47 billion in January of 2019. But when the company filed paperwork in preparation for going public later that year, investors balked at the details revealed in the documents: billions of dollars in losses and lots of questionable behavior on the part of Neumann (including numerous conflicts of interest involving his personal business dealings). The initial public offering was postponed and later withdrawn; Neumann was forced to step down as CEO; and by May of 2020 the company’s valuation had dropped to USD 3 billion. Exploring this recent history will provide an opportunity to ask what lessons can be drawn from the rise and fall of WeWork, and from the economic and social context that enabled its growth.

Globalization and virtual economy are external factors that drive companies to approach the global market from start up, giving birth to new studies on internationalization strategy, which represent an evolution of the classical stage models. According to the stage approach, companies start selling products in their home markets and then they sequentially look at new countries. Many firms do not follow incremental stage approach but is often reported that they start their international activities from their birth: they enter different country at once, approaching new markets for both exporting and sourcing. Debate in literature is still trying to define if the born global perspective is a new concept or a new label to indicate an old phenomenon. The study will go through a review and an analysis of the literature on market entry and sourcing strategy. The purpose of this paper is therefore to identify and categorize factors that drive companies’ choice towards the global approach instead of the stage approach.

Apple Inc is the global leading American multinational that focuses in manufacturing, designing and also selling of iPad tablets, iPhone, Mcbook computers, ecosystem among other technology enabled products. This makes Apple to be among the most innovative companies in the world. In United Kingdom whereby Apple Inc has the second largest retail market, consumers have responded well in regard to the firm sale of iPad tablets in the industry.
The market opportunities that can be deduced are; increased technology innovation and the fast growing tablets industry. The threats are economy downfall, extensive competition and rise of substitutes for iPad tablets. Apple Inc (UK) strengths are; increased innovation, superior quality of tablets, superior branding and well organised retail strategy. However, Apple Inc (UK) faces one major weakness in that their iPad are highly priced. Apple Inc (UK) specific, measurable, Attainable, relevant and time based objectives outline the manner in which the company will strategize in the UK tablets industry in order to realise competitive advantage.
Under the market segmentation Apple Inc needs to  offer of iPad tablets with increased sleek design, high exterior performance and price. There is also need to work on the Apple Inc market targeting in order to evaluate the right and attractive venture for its iPad business segments. Consequently, Apple Inc market positioning needs to be strengthened by core market drivers such as iPad distinctive features that include HDMI port, 3Gwireless system, iPad sleek size and video call application. Finally, Apple Inc (UK) recommendable marketing strategies and programmes are perfectly captured through price, product, promotion, people, process, place and physical evidence.

This paper examines the idea that commercial law has the capacity to evolve spontaneously in the absence of a clear state authority because of its unique nature. I argue that the manner of interaction implied by commerce plays a crucial role in this ability as it involves a high degree of overall engagement. This I term “high engagement,” which I divide into two elements: repetition and the creation of clear cycles of interaction. Together they produce identifiable legal norms and subsequent compliance. Game theorists have long recognized the importance of repeated interaction in inducing cooperation; however, how the manner of commercial interaction itself facilitates this process has been left largely unexamined. Part I presents a brief overview of the concept of reciprocity and spontaneous law theory. In Part II, a more detailed explanation of the notion of high engagement is offered. Here I set out exactly how high engagement is instrumental in the emergence of legal norms. Finally, the paper concludes that the element of high engagement indeed plays a decisive role in commercial law’s ability to evolve and function in a decentralized, spontaneous fashion—an important insight in terms of the future international development of the modern law merchant as it emerges in the absence of a single legislative authority.

Abstract:
Capital flows have emerged during the past two decades as one of the new
economic phenomena in the economic performance of the countries. The foreign
direct investment (FDI) one of the most important forms of capital flows, which
occupied a large place in theoretical explanations. This role of foreign direct
investment was reflected in increased economic growth, creation of employment
opportunities, technology transfer, and increase competitive strength.
The test of this paper the relationship between foreign direct investment and
economic growth, using the curriculum standard, and the study found that foreign
direct investment has effect positive and significant economic growth in Egypt,
and study highlighted the importance of attention to the element of human capital
and increase process export, and seek to attract more investment flows foreign
Direct to Egypt and especially productive, and remove all the obstacles that lie
ahead.

This part will try to clarify the links between legal and administrative rules and business, to develop a new perspective that would be helpful to managers and lawyers.  The relationship between the legal discipline and business problems can be better understood by an examination of the appropriate analogies between the business law and the everyday business problems encountered in production, finance and human resource management.  People spend very little time thinking about how to make a decision. This is a classic and common symptom of the failure. Knowing what should be done, but not actually doing it. There are three generic mistakes which characterise many of the failed decisions. These are making premature commitments, spending money on the wrong things and using failure-prone decision making processes. If the decision-making processes are effective, they will prevent premature commitment. In this respect, legal and administrative rules would have a crucial role to orient the business organisations to follow an effective and correct decision making process.

While still fragmented, we are witnessing the emergence of a global commercial legal order independent of any one national legal system. This process is unfolding both on the macro-level of state actors as well as that of private individuals and organizations. On the macro-level, the sources of this legal order are complex international agreements; on the micro-level, private contracts employing commercial customary practices and arbitration are driving this process forward. Yet there is no comparable evolution occurring (in any substantial sense) in non-commercial areas of law such as criminal, tort, or family law. There is an overall asymmetry in the development of transnational legal order. But why is this happening? This paper argues that the emergence of a global commercial legal order may be partially attributed to the unique structural nature of trade. The paper gives a structuralist account, positing that unlike legal order of a non-commercial nature, commercial legal order has built-in mechanisms that make it particularly suited to evolve in a transnational context—i.e. to evolve and sustain itself in the absence of a central legislative or coercive authority. The paper identifies and explores these built-in mechanisms. The paper concludes that because commercial legal order is uniquely predisposed to emerge without the State, we should expect this asymmetry to not only continue, but likely grow even more extreme.

This case study examines Zara’s current retail strategy and digital transformation. It details Zara’s current in-store and eCommerce retail strategy, the impact of digital on the retail environment and customer experience, and the growth opportunity provided by eCommerce. By providing a competitive analysis of the current market, this paper presents key opportunities, strategic questions, and possible solutions for retail brands to improve their digital strategy.

This paper received First Class Honors in the Digital Marketing Strategy course at Trinity Business School.

This paper explains why so much soft law is widely adopted and followed despite lacking legal and coercive force. It argues that legal standards are susceptible to network effects. Network effects occur when the value of a standard to a user increases as the number of other agents using the same standard grows, which in turn draws more users to the standard. This can trigger a spontaneous coalescence around a standard in a " snowball effect " fashion. The paper argues that many areas of soft law exhibit strong network effects, rendering such soft law uniquely calibrated to induce voluntary adoption and even compliance. The model helps explain why certain soft law gains traction, and has important implications for international governance. Finally, the paper argues that policy-makers can strategically harness this dynamic to stimulate legal harmonization, but cautions that policy-makers must also remain mindful of the negative consequences that network effects can generate.

This Paper explores and summarises the Director's Duties of the UK Companies Act 2006 with emphasis on "the duty to promote the success of the company.

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This article analyses the research problem of price-setting strategies for product innovations in the medtech industry. It is based on the conceptual framework of price-setting practices, strategies, and models. A multiple case study research is then performed on six medical technology companies, focusing on how they set their initial product price for a new technology solution to either existing medical conditions or technology limitations. The research results show that medtech companies opt for competition-informed price practices and buy pricing models. The pricing strategies vary between skimming and market-based pricing strategies. Price innovations are limited due to regulation and financial considerations.

This study examines the internationalization of high-tech start-up firms (HSF) from small and open economies (SMOPEC). It explores how HSF may differ in their speed of internationalization relying on information collected via interviews with the CEOs or founders of 32 HSF that operate internationally. It uses a comparative cross-national multiple case study research design to answer the research questions. The findings provide the basis for developing propositions for further comparative analyses of the early and fast internationalization of HSF based in emerging and developed markets. The study contributes to the literature on networks, internationalization and international entrepreneurship.

Samsung Group is one of the biggest group of companies in the world. This is beyond intriguing to inspect the strategies and business models it used in order to become one of the largest conglomerates. More specifically, however, this is an in depth analysis about Samsung Electronics, the principal subsidiary of Samsung Group which is also the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.

All students in the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies at Kansai University are required to study abroad for approximately ten months during their second year. One daunting aspect for students abroad may be how to deal with financial problems. This paper analyses the stressful but ultimately successful email negotiation by Mariko Tanaka (pseudonym) to get her funds returned by John Solo at Inhabil Bank (both pseudonyms). After using a schematic Move analysis, this paper discusses the strategies used by the client and the bank, and highlights the essential Moves that led to the successful conclusion of negotiation. The implications are then discussed from two perspectives. First, I suggest ways that the bank can improve customer service through improved communication and a proactive problem-solving approach. Second, I look at the perspective of the clients (in particular, students from Japan) by discussing how knowledge of cultural differences, the banking system and email communication can help them to deal with this type of problem.

In a ‘dawn raid’ on the London Stock Exchange on 7 September 1981, the premiere British rubber and oil palm conglomerate in Malaysia, the Guthrie Corporation Limited, was taken into local control in less than four hours. This was the most dramatic Malaysian acquisition of a foreign company during the restructuring of the country's post-colonial economy during the 1970s and 1980s, and the Guthrie Dawn Raid remains a celebrated but, at the same time, contested juncture in contemporary Malaysian memory. Drawing upon a variety of sources—including original interviews and correspondence with key participants in, and observers of, the Guthrie Dawn Raid, as well as newly released British documents related to the Anglo-Malaysian events of September 1981—this article presents a new interpretation of the origins of this most iconic of Malaysian corporate takeovers. In particular, it stresses the long-term aspirations of a key (but often overlooked) figure within the late and post-colonial...

We combine data on international trade linkages with network methods to examine the global trading system as an interdependent complex network. We map the topology of the international trade network and suggest new network based measures of international economic integration, at both a global system-wide level and a local country-level. We develop network based measures that incorporate not only the

Singapore's status as a trading hub is probably as old as the settlement itself. In earlier times its history was tightly knit to the development and prosperity of its port. Today's global trading hub, however, is broadly conditioned by its position within a global communications regime that includes various modes of transportation by sea, land and air, as well as electronic forms of communication such as telephony and the internet. Transport and telecommunications infrastructure are certainly prerequisites for success, but Singapore's rapid rise in becoming a global trading hub cannot be explained by these factors alone: the hub is backed by an array of industries that directly or indirectly support transport and trade at large, ranging from warehousing to finance and trade. All these activities, moreover, are regulated and driven by policies that have been carefully formulated and put into place over the past five decades. Then there is Singapore's greatest asset today: its people. In the context of this introduction, it is of course impossible to give a detailed or even comprehensive overview of the historical developments that have evolved and today underpin the global trading hub. What is possible, however, is to single out some of the developmental highlights as well as explain their historic relevance and interdependence. In the following sections I shall do so with an eye cast on history and chronological development as well as moving from the larger picture to the particular. As the SG50 celebrations move into the past, the Republic will begin to look toward 2019, the bicentennial of the British colonial settlement's founding. Like SG50, the bicentennial will offer a unique opportunity to look back and take stock, though the time horizon taken on during the bicentennial will be rolled back well beyond 1965 to the beginning of the 19 th century or perhaps even before. There will be a fresh, vigorous debate about what makes Singapore a special place. One question is likely to feature prominently: Just how much of Singapore's historic success is locationally pre-conditioned?

This article presents the results of research into contract-making and implementation between Russian and foreign companies. International contract-making is regarded as an element of cross-cultural collaboration, which inevitably reveals the cultural background of the parties. The article is based on a case study of three international companies conducting business in
Russia. To comprehend the empirical material critically, the analysis applies concepts relating to cross-cultural collaboration and experiences of contracting in the sociological and anthropological literature. The ambiguities in the practice of contracting, which is rigid in form but flexible in execution,
allow us to better understand the role of the codified and informal
rules regulating business in contemporary Russia.

https://www.researchmoz.us/suncare-uk-december-2013-report.html

The rise in the population of the eldest demographics poses challenges as well as opportunities, as although the over-55s are the most knowledgeable when it comes to the dangers of the sun, they are least likely to use sun protection and self-tanning products. However, as they continue to seek tans and the rate of malignant melanoma rises in this group, this offers opportunities both for the sun protection and self-tanning segments.