Trading Blocks Concept in International Economics

The post-second World War period has seen a growing interest in integrating national economies at regional levels. The efforts to form regional groupings, trade blocks and treaties have often floundered due to political differences and unforeseen economic hurdles.   The motivation arises out of the realization of the limitations imposed by national frontiers and the expected benefits of a wider market, consisting of several national economies. Regional trade agreements represent an attempt by a group of countries to increase the flow of trade and investment by reducing direct and indirect trade barriers between them, as well as implement similar trade policies vis-à-vis outsiders. Multinational trade blocks are a major global trend. Most of these blocks are formed by geographically close countries, and revolve around a small group of larger economies. This is further testament to the importance of closeness and proximity in establishing network structures. Proximity in this case refers Continue reading

How Do Firms Internationalize?

The simple facts remains that firm internationalize for many reasons or the other; be it, profit motive, the expansion to new horizon, exploring and tapping new markets or for reasons less known, that is to say for competitive advantage or labor mobilization and last but not the least, the cost factors. Moreover, by going international, firm can also take center stage to reaps the benefits of global exposure, and the opportunity cost that can be reaped from international business is also rather more in a sense that diversity is also exemplified, plus the means that internationalization provides towards new markets beyond national boundaries is also what’s excites and interest organizations in going international. Add to it, supply chain and its management is also more broadened when firm indulge themselves in international business. Thus, the above mentioned facts in brief list some of the factors and the notion as to why Continue reading

Analysis of Joseph Schumpeter’s ‘Theories of Economic Development’

At the turn of the century, a period of strengthening the role of monopolies, increasing property differentiation of the population and the deepening of cyclical crises appeared the concept of an Austrian economist and sociologist Joseph Schumpeter. Joseph Schumpeter was an economist and sociologist, he came into the history of economic science as a profound scholar of theoretical problems of entrepreneurship and evolution of socio-economic systems, as the historian of economic theory. His broad vision of the evolution of socio-economic processes still has influence on modern economic thought. He presented his understanding of the subject of economics and tried to combine economic theory, economic sociology and the history of economic analysis. He tried to create a coherent system of believes that explains new phenomena and processes. According to his theoretical views, J. Schumpeter does not belong to any known economic schools. He was involved in many issues, focusing on the Continue reading

Important Features of Japanese Management

The culture of Japanese management is generally limited to Japan’s large corporations. These flagships of the Japanese economy provide their workers with excellent salaries and working conditions and secure employment. These companies and their employees represent the business elite of Japan: qualification for employment is limited to the men and the few women who graduate from the top thirty colleges and universities in Japan. Placement and advancement of Japanese workers is heavily based on educational background. The students, who are not admitted to the most highly rated colleges, rarely have the chance to work for a large company; instead, they have to seek positions in small and medium-sized firms that cannot offer comparable benefits and prestige. The quality of one’s education and, more important, the college attended, play a decisive roles in a person’s career. The problem is that few Japanese attend graduate school, and graduate training in business per Continue reading

Role of Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) Agents in Exports

Shipping is the most commonly used method of  dispatching  goods to a foreign country. Under shipment, one shall cover all the procedural aspects from the time the product meant for export leaves the factory site till it is loaded on board the ship and the relevant documents are collected from the shipping company. Since the type of work involved is somewhat  specialized   it is usually entrusted to the clearing and forwarding agents. This section focus on role of clearing and  forwarding agents in export assignment. 1. Customs Formalities Goods can be shipped out of India only after obtaining the customs clearance. To obtain the customs clearance, the clearing and forwarding agent should submit a shipping bill in the prescribed form. The shipping bill is to be prepared in quadruplicate. The shipping bills should be accompanied by the following documents. Contract with the overseas buyer in original. Invoice for the Continue reading

Standardization and Adaptation of International Business

By the growth of business when companies starts their operations in other countries they are called global or international companies, at that time of growth their business strategies that being used in their home countries are no more effective, since global business dynamics are different from local business environment and local business objectives are different from global business objectives, there is a need to have a global business strategy that is not able to achieve global business objectives but also able to make the organization perform in home country, at the same time that strategy should be able to meet short term and long term goals of the organization, while looking at goals shorts term goals can be managing cash flows, revenue targets, market share and cost management and long term goals can be having sustainable competitive advantage and brand building leading to continued profits and growth. While looking at Continue reading