Course: INTB20121 International Business Environment
Tutor: Mumin Abubakre
Date: 28\1\2013
Introduction
International business is a term derived from international trade and used to describe all forms of business transactions that take place between two or more countries. Either these business transactions can be private based, semi-government based or government based. International trade involves the establishment of production facilities by producers in foreign countries (Buckley, 2005). It also incorporates all small firms that import or export very small quantities to only a single country as well as big global companies with strategic alliances and integrated operations all over the world.
International business has experienced growth from early twentieth century and this has been attributed by the liberalization of both investment and trade in the international market. Trade liberalization came about because of the introduction of the General Agreement on Tariffs, Trade (GATT), and World Trade Organization (WTO). Advanced technology has allowed the transfer of money electronically and made transport and communication efficient hence playing a big role in the liberalization of international business (Daniels & Radebaugh, 1997)
South Africa is one of the countries in the world that provides the best environment for international business. This is attributed by the country’s good infrastructure, good health care services, advanced technology and other factors that attract foreign investors. The country has entered into trade agreements with the U.S, European Union and other countries all over the world to ensure that the products entering the country are duty free or are charged lower rates (Kauser & Shaw 2004).
Various Theories of International Business
A number of theories have been formulated to explain various issues concerning international
Bibliography: Aswathappa, K. 2010. International business, New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Education. Buckley, P. 2005. What is International Business? Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Czinkota, M. 2008. Fundamentals of international business. N.Y: Wessex Press. Daniels, J & Radebaugh, H. 1997. International Business: Environments and Operations. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Ehud, M. & Amit, M. 2007. International business, London: SAGE. Feenstra, R. 2004. Advanced international trade: theory and evidence Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press. Heckscher, E. & Flanders, J. 1991. Heckscher-Ohlin trade theory, Cambridge: Mass Press, cop. Kauser, S. & Shaw, V. 2004. "The Influence of Behavioural and Organisational Characteristics on the Success of International Strategic Alliances." International Marketing Review, Vol. 21(1) page 17–52. Laszlo, T. & Timothy, D. 2012. Torben Pedersen Institutional theory in international business and management, U.K: Emerald. London, T. & Hart, S. 2004. "Reinventing Strategies for Emerging Markets: Beyond the Transnational Model." Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 35(5), page 350– 370. Maneschi, A. 1998. Comparative advantage in international trade: a historical perspective Cheltenham: Elgar. Monir, T. 2000. International business: theories, policies, and practices, New York: Pearson Education. Punnett, B. & Ricks, D. 1997. International Business. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers. Riad, A. 2006. International business: theory and practice, N.Y: Sharpe Pub. Vaghefi, S. & Paulson, K. 1991. International business: theory and practice New York: Taylor & Francis. Welch, C. & Wilkinson, I. 2004. "The Political Embeddedness of International Business Networks." International Marketing Review, Vol. 21(2), page 216–231.