While Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) has traditionally been concentrated in developed markets, new interest has been sparked by the so-called “emerging” capital markets. The emerging markets have at least three attractive qualities, two of which are their high average returns and their low correlations with developed markets. Diversification into these markets in expected to give higher expected returns and lower overall volatility. Many individual investors, as well as portfolio and pension fund managers, are reexamining their basic investment strategies. In the last decade, fund managers realized that significant performance gains could be obtained by diversifying into high-quality global equity markets. These gains are limited, however, by the fairly high cross-correlations returns in these markets. The resulting investment strategy reflects current information. In terms of portfolio theory, adding low-correlation portfolios to an optimized investment portfolio, enhances the reward-to-risk profile by shifting the mean-variance frontier to the left. The portfolio optimization problem Continue reading
International Business Management
Modes of Entry into International Markets
A foreign market mode of entry is a channel which enables the enterprise’s product, human skills, management, technology or other resources, to enter into a foreign country. The choice of market entry mode is a vital strategic decision for firms intending to carry out business overseas. A number of definitions of different modes of entry exist. The major modes of international entry is classified as indirect export, direct export and alternatives to export. Most models of foreign market mode of entry is due to limited resources, therefore enterprises initially penetrate a foreign market through indirect export methods. Indirect paths to internationalization are those whereby small firms are involved in exporting, sourcing or distribution agreements with intermediary companies who manage, on their behalf, the transaction, sale or service with overseas companies. Export intermediaries play an important middleman role in international trade, linking individuals and organizations that would otherwise not have been Continue reading
Business Organizations in a Global Context
In the recent past, businesses have seen a change in the economic setting. The domestic market is no longer able to meet the demands of the globalized people. Businesses have developed to ensure it thrives in the age of globalization. This development has made many domestic businesses become a household name worldwide. Besides globalization, an improved communication technology has also been a key factor in the success of these globally operating organizations. This allows efficient communication and swift access to global markets. However, in order to operate globally, an organization faces many challenges which include HR issues, financial problems, cultural differences and legal issues. In order to succeed, a multinational firm is expected to comply with the host country’s laws, regulations, policies, customer preferences and business practices. Management of operations globally across different cultures and varying market requirements is both challenging and full of opportunities. In the wake of increasing Continue reading
Different Challenges Faced by the Multinational Companies (MNC’s)
A multinational company (MNC) is an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. There are some challenges faced by MNC’s that transact business in international markets which can hinder its competitiveness hence its controversies and these are as follows; Market Imperfections It may seem strange that a corporation has decided to do business in a different country, where it doesn’t know the laws, local customs or business practices of such a country is likely to face some challenges that can reduce the manager’s ability to forecast business conditions. The additional costs caused by the entrance in foreign markets are of less interest for the local enterprise. Firms can also in their own market be isolated from competition by transportation costs and other tariff and non-tariff barriers which can force them to competition and will reduce their profits. The firms can maximize their joint income by Continue reading
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – An Overview
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a program that was created by the United Nations. Its aim is to achieve an all-round development globally through having the desire to achieve such factors as; hunger and poverty reduction, having many people access both clean and affordable energy, improvement and provision of proper health services, industrialization, innovation and both economic and infrastructural development and many more objectives totaling to seventeen. In other words, it offers a sincerely comprehensive apparition of the future. These sustainable development goals were created and adopted in 2015 September, after the period for which the achievements of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were terminated in 2015. However, some of the objectives were substantially met. Nevertheless, some remain unfinished business, to enable the overall global sustainability and prosperity for all by the year 2030. The achievement of these development goals will involve many stakeholders, including the public sector, Continue reading
Family Businesses: Growth Stages and Challenges Faced
Family business can be describe when business own by one or more families members directly or indirectly and have significant ownership and commitment toward the business well being. Family business can be consist of numerous combination of family members such as husband and wife, parents and child, extended family and also multiple generations such as grandfather, father and son. These family members also play roles as stakeholder, board members, working partners, adviser and employees for the company. Generally there are three different stages of family business had gone through in order for the business to growth from inception to maturity. Different skills are required in each stage and family issues might happen when the business moving from one stage to another stage. The first stage is called as start up stage where the business is still new and varies from 1st to 5th year after the company started to venture Continue reading