International Business, Global Edition

Book Preface

This textbook is one of the best-selling international business textbooks in both the United States and the rest of the world. Widely used in both undergraduate and MBA level courses, this text has had authorized translations into Spanish, Chinese, Thai, and Russian, and it will soon be in Albanian, Korean, and Macedonian as well. This textbook set the global standard for studying the environments and operations of international business. The elements of success that have driven this performance anchor our efforts to make this edition the best version yet. We believe these efforts result in a textbook that provides you and your students the best possible understanding of what is happening and is likely to happen in the world of business.

Authoritative, Relevant, Current

Students, faculty, and managers praise this book for its compelling balance between rigorous, authoritative theory and meaningful practice within the context of a fresh, current analysis of the international business environment. Indeed, this book not only describes the ideas of international business but also uses contemporary examples, scenarios, and cases to make sense of what managers do and should do. We include multiple insights and real-world examples, which we base on our research, discussions with managers and other stakeholders, opinions of students and professors, and observations from traveling the world. Since 2010, the authors have traveled individually to more than 45 countries, only a few of which overlapped. We traveled to every region and nearly every continent, which provided significant insights we were able to use in this edition. We believe no other textbook comes close to successfully blending a comprehensive review of international business theory with exhaustive attention to what happens in the many parts of the global market. We are confident that this new edition, by making international business ideas and practices more meaningful than ever before, will give students a comprehensive, current view of international business in the twenty-first century.

Relevant Materials That Engage Students

Author-Written Cases

An enduring strength of this text is its in-depth case profiles of cutting-edge issues in international business. This edition introduces new cases and updates and revises the remaining. All 40 cases are unique and, with few exceptions, are personally researched and written by the text’s authors. As such, we believe they set the standard for integration of theory and practice in an international business textbook on the following three levels:

1. Level of Analysis: Cases engage an extensive range of topics from environmental, institutional, country, industry, company, and individual perspectives. No one perspective dominates; all are represented and, hence, create a meaningful representation of the world of international business.

2. Scope of Geographic Coverage: Cases cover topics in settings that span the globe; no region is unaddressed, no major market is neglected.

3. Scope of Company Coverage: Cases look at various issues from a range of company perspectives, notably companies headquartered in all regions of the world, from large MNEs to small exporters, from old-line manufacturers to emergent cyber businesses, from companies that make products to those that deliver services.

Opening Case Each chapter starts with a provocative case written to set the stage for the major issues covered in the chapter. Designed to grab the student’s attention, these cases look at fascinating issues in a way that makes students want to understand the ideas and concepts of international business. These cases, by variously taking the point of view of individuals, companies, governments, and institutions, give a great sense of the richness of the ensuing chapter. Material from the opening cases is then integrated with chapter discussions that we highlight in the text.

Closing Case Each chapter closes with a rich, elaborate case that integrates the ideas and tools presented in the chapter. The closing cases aim to put the student into a situation that asks, given certain circumstances, what should be done. Called on to analyze issues and decisions for which the chapter prepares them, students can then grapple with many of the opportunities and challenges of international business.