Unit 3.3.3 - How does a company
decide which countries to target?
Location
Factors
Infrastructure
Exchange Rates
Consumer Profiles
Language/Culture
Labour market and
technological
capabilities
Natural Resources
and Commodity
Prices
Ease of setting up a business
Government
Policy
Level of
Economic
Development
Legal Framework
Political
Stability/Corruption
Levels
Demographic
Attributes
Corporate Policy
Key
Terms
Human Development
Index (HDI)
Constructed by the United
Nations Development Program
Provides a measure of
development based on access
to healthcare and education, as
well as national income
Commodities
Raw materials or
semi-manufactured products
that are traded in bulk and
aren't recognisably
originating from any
particular business
E.g. Iron ore and oil
Infrastructure
All transport and communication facilities as
well as the provision of basic services such as
energy and water supplies
E.g. telephone systems, roads, drains, etc
Specialisation
People/Economy making the most of
their skills by concentrating on what
they do best. As an appropriately
skilled person produces more, output
per head rises.
This only works when people or economies are in a position to
trade their output for thing they need but do not produce
Absolute Advantage
Exists when the real resource
cost of a product is lower in one
country than another
Comparative
Advantage
If two countries each specialise in the product with the lowest opportunity
cost, and then trade, real incomes will increase for both countries
Human Development
Index (HDI)
Usefulness
For a business seeking new markets or a place to manufacture
Access to education is an important indicator for
businesses which want to hire skilled labour
Can indicate the existence of potential markets for the product/service
Products/Services could be adapted to
suit the level of development
Legal System
Legal Framework
Businesses rely on a
sound legal framework to
protect their interests
Including IPR (Intellectual
Property Rights) as well as being
able to use the law to enforce
contacts and payments
If some of the law
enforcement agencies
are corrupt, the
system may fail to
protect foreign
investors' interests
No adequate legal
safeguards - businesses more
reluctant to invest
Government Policy
Tax regime can be an important factor (attitude of a government to
businesses can have a big influence on where they locate)
Degree of protectionism can be important - high tariffs (import duties) can be a
deterrent as it can make potential export markets unattractive
Political Stability & Corruption
Businesses need a stable political situation
and no wars or civil unrest
Countries that have a history of political unrest
tend not to attract businesses, unless they really
do need to be there (e.g. oil companies)
Corruption can also be a problem and is
endemic in many developing countries (this
may affect ethically motivated companies)
Business
Start-ups
Ease of setting up a
business
Ease of doing business index;
dealing with permits/regulations, cost
& time needed to export/import, tax
payable as a share of gross profit,
time/cost/minimum capital needed to
open a business and ease of
hiring/firing employees
Easiest to do
business is
Singapore/Denmark
Natural Resources
and Commodity Prices
For some businesses, expansion overseas is all about finding
new sources of resources that they can exploit
Mining and oil companies go to where the resources are
and then export them to where there is demand for them
The inexorable rise of China has increased the demand for raw materials and commodities
generally - More incentive to seek out new sources for businesses due to price rise
Demographic
Attributes
Structure of the population may influence companies
selling to a particular demographic market segment
Socioeconomic factors such as age, income, occupation are
taken into account when deciding location
Segmenting a population into demographic groups allows
companies to assess the size of a potential market and also whether
their products/services are likely to succeed
Fast good companies were especially keen to enter the Indian market because of
its high amount of young people (a key market segment for their products)
Comparative Advantage
Identify products with
lowest opportunity cost
Specialise in this area
Exchange surplus with another country in
exchange for its lowest opportunity cost product
Can lead to over-reliance on
one area of the economy
Over-specialisation
can lead to severe
structural
unemployment if
demand falls
Comparative advantage
can move elsewhere
Reliance on
imports for
other goods
and services
Fluctuating commodity
prices can be a problem
Emerging economies
often rely heavily on
one commodity product
Corporate Policy
Some businesses want to diversify in order to reduce risks, some
want growth, some may go for inorganic growth by buying up
appropriate businesses abroad, others look to cut costs and cheap
labour and others grow organically by setting up their own factories
Language and Culture
Clear and accurate communication is vital for business success
India & Egypt have been successful in attracting Western FDI
due to the high amount of English speakers there