Question 1: Identify at least 3 significant potential "supply chain risks" which a multinational company might face in today's physical and political environment, and briefly describe a meaningful action that could be taken to reduce the "risk" or provide protection.
Question 2: If you are part of a team assigned to negotiate a significant contract with parties from a distinctively different national or ethnic culture (as opposed to an "organizational culture"), what are four of the key factors which you would try to study about that culture before beginning the negotiations?
Question 3:
A. Describe the concept of using "economic development clusters" of businesses as a framework or conceptual basis for economic development. Why do M. Porter and others feel such clusters are especially useful or successful?
B. Explain briefly why such "clusters" might become mostly irrelevant or fail because of evolving developments in technology or socio-political relationships.
Question 4:
Innovation is thought by many to be crucial to global competitiveness for both companies and countries.
Describe two ways in which "global innovation" can be fostered or managed in a large MNCompany for improved performance. Please include an indication of what advantage could be expected from each mechanism or "way" that would more than offset the cost/investment.