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Chapter
14 Outline
Critical Discussion Questions
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Review Merrill Lynch's 1997 reentry into the Japanese
private client market (see the opening case for details). Pay close
attention to the timing and scale of entry and the nature of the strategic
commitments Merrill Lynch is making in Japan. What are the potential
benefits associated with this strategy? What are the costs and risks?
Do you think the trade-off between benefits and risks and costs makes
sense? Why?
- Licensing proprietary technology to foreign competitors
is the best way to give up a firm's competitive advantage. Discuss.
- What kinds of companies stand to gain the most from entering
into strategic alliances with potential competitors? Why?
- Discuss how the need for control over foreign operations
varies with firms' strategies and core competencies. What are the implications
for the choice of entry mode?
- A small Canadian firm that has developed some valuable
new medical products using its unique biotechnology know-how
is trying to decide how best to serve the European Community market.
Its choices are:
- Manufacture the product at home and let foreign sales
agents handle marketing.
- Manufacture the products at home and set up a wholly
owned subsidiary in Europe to handle marketing.
- Enter into a strategic alliance with a large European
pharmaceutical firm. The product would be manufactured in Europe
by the 50/50 joint venture and marketed by the European firm.
The cost of investment in manufacturing facilities will be a major
one for the Canadian firm, but it is not outside its reach. If these
are the firm's only options, which one would you advise it to choose?
Why?
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