 |
Center for International Business Education and Research C I B E R N E W S |
|
|
Center for International Business Education and Research C I B E R N E W S |
27 October, 1997 Volume 8, Number 3
| Did you know? Michigan ranks third among U.S. states exporting to Mexico. Mexico is Michigan's second biggest export destination after Canada. |
Chavez Speaks to Forum on Doing Business In Mexico
On October 14, Dr. Manuel Chavez, Associate Director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Professor in the Department of Resource Development at Michigan State University, spoke to members of the Greater Lansing International Business Forum on "Economic Stability in Mexico: Options and Strategies for Michigan Businesses." Dr. Chavez began his presentation with an overview of the Mexican economy. According to Chavez, the U.S. trades $2 billion a week with Mexico, its third largest trading partner. And despite the 1995 economic crisis in Mexico (when the peso exchange rate dropped from 3/$1 to 6.5/$1, reducing Mexican buying power for U.S. goods), two-way trading between the nations increased by 59% from 1993-96. Chavez says this is good news for Michigan, which ranks third among U.S. states exporting to Mexico. He pointed out that in 1996 , Michigan exports to Mexico were $3.2 billion, of which automobiles only accounted for 55-60%. Large increases in Michigan exports to Mexico can be seen in agricultural products, electronics, apparel and printing, he said. After outlining the present political situation in Mexico, Chavez offered some recommendations for Michigan businesses hoping to increase trade with Mexico. He suggested U.S. firms participate in trade missions, and work with organizations such as the Michigan Jobs commission. He also cautioned companies to identify and recognize the importance of regionalism in Mexico, and to prepare for cross-cultural challenges. Chavez believes that the future holds "the vertical integration of the U.S. with the rest of Latin America." He hopes to prepare Michigan businesses to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead in trade with Mexico, and his presentation was a step in the right direction. International Business Forum luncheon presentations feature speakers of interest to the international business community, and are held the second Tuesday of every month at the Michigan Athletic Club. Reservations can be made by contacting Linda Peterson at (517) 487-6340. CIBER News is published to promote news and upcoming events of interest to the international business community. If you have information you would like publicized, please contact editor Cynthia Hitchcock at (517) 353-4336. |
This spring, several opportunities exist for MSU business students to participate in study abroad tours for shorter (two - week) time periods before graduation or summer internships. These tours are available in Turkey, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe.
MBA students and faculty will have the opportunity to study "Turkey: An Emerging market" for one week prior to leaving on a study tour to Istanbul scheduled for May 16-26. The program includes visits to Turkish joint ventures and multinational company sites, briefings by executives, government leaders and educators, and cultural/social events.
Students will receive 3 course credits in either International Markets/Emerging Markets. An optional vacation tour is available at the end of the program. For more information, contact Tolga Tanguler at (517) 336-3626.
Undergraduate students will be able to participate in the "International Business Management in Europe" study tour to be held May 23-June 8. Proposed country visits include Hungary, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
In cooperation with CIBER, the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management offers this unique opportunity for students to learn firsthand about international business operations through field study visits to multinational companies. Specific areas of analysis include international supply chain management, automation and advanced manufacturing technologies, and empowerment of workers.
Students in this program will also attend preparation sessions on-campus before beginning the tour. For more information, contact Program Director Dr. Vastag at (517) 353-6381.
Finally, MSU business students are invited to take part in the "Retail Distribution Systems in Russia and Poland" study abroad tour being offered for the first time by the Department of Human Environment and Design.
The two-week program will be held May 16-29, with one week in St. Petersburg and one week in Warsaw. The focus of this program will be on the organizational structure of firms in post-command economies and the privatization of state-owned firms. Site visits to international corporations and local retailers will be included.
Students wishing to obtain more information about the retail distribution tour should contact Program Director Dr. Huddleston at (517) 353-9907.
Several faculty and doctoral candidates were instrumental to the success of the annual meeting of the Academy of International Business held last week in Monterrey, Mexico. MSU CIBER was responsible for planning the Faculty Consortium held in conjunction with the AIB meetings.
Serving as consortium faculty were: Gunter Dufey (University of Michigan), J. Myles Shaver (New York University), Nakiye Boyacigiller (San Jose State University), in addition to MSU’s S. Tamer Cavusgil, who chaired the consortium.
Dr. Cavusgil also chaired a plenary session on the Internationalization of Business Schools.
Serving on this panel were: Jeffrey Arpan, AIB President (University of South Carolina), Andrew Blair (University of Pittsburgh), Robert May (University of Texas at Austin), Jaime Alonso Gomez (ITESM-Monterrey, Mexico), and Jorge Talavera (Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola-Lima, Peru).
Additionally, several MSU faculty and doctoral candidates made presentations at the AIB sessions. Discussions were also held with ITESM faculty on the use of MSU-developed decision support systems for international business professionals. Finally, MSU CIBER was responsible for this year’s CIBER Directors meeting held after the AIB Conference.
MSU CIBER’s executive monitoring program, the International Business Academy, is a 12-month program of speakers, workshops and hands-on exercises designed to help managers develop the skills necessary to excel in international business.
Graduates of the program go on to assist their companies in areas such as evaluating future venture partners, analyzing the effects of international standards on markets, and managing competitive intelligence functions. The feedback from the program has been great, evidenced by the following excerpt of a recent letter we received from past participant Lance Jenkins.
As a recent graduate of the MSU International Business Academy, I wanted to share some of my successes in the real world. Armed with the knowledge needed to compete in the competitive international business environment, I am happy to report that I have secured lucrative production contracts in two different regions of the world, Singapore and South Africa.
If you have a competitive niche in the U.S. and you want to go international, you must commit time, money and human resources to the effort. The MSU international business program provided a key ingredient my company couldn’t--knowledge.
How and why did I meet with success?
1. Participation in trade shows
2. Strong niche product
3. Technology
4. Knowledge of letters of credit
5. Dedicated international effort
6. Visits to international customers
I would like to thank all of the professors, classmates, and valuable guest speakers for helping me acquire the knowledge to compete and win on the international field of play. To those companies with export aspirations, I highly recommend MSU’s program. A small investment of your time will produce superior returns in the long run.
Thanks again,
Lance Jenkins
|
The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management International Business CenterMichigan State University Eppley Center 645 N. Shaw Ln Rm 7 East Lansing, MI 48824-1121 USA Exec Director's Office N356 North Business Complex Tel (517) 432-4320 FAX (517) 432-4222 IBC Office Eppley Center 645 N. Shaw Ln Rm 7 East Lansing, MI 48824-1121 Tel (517) 353-4336 FAX (517) 423-1009 http://ciber.bus.msu.edu |
UPCOMING EVENTS
|
Contact MSU-CIBER