Case Study:
The Empire of the Zon may be read as an allegory for the world we live in. Many of the issues that policy makers, organizations and managers face in their day-to-day operations appear, albeit in highly stylized form in the pages of the novel. However, the allegorical world of the novel allows us to explore a much wider range of factors that shape decisions. These go beyond the purely rational objectives of policy (e.g., the maximization of societal welfare) or businesses (the maximization of shareholder or stakeholder value). These include very human impulses - positive (loyalty, patriotism, love, dedication), negative (jealousy, lust, greed, bigotry) and somewhere in between (ambition, the desire for power, the pursuit of profit).
With this in mind, address the following questions. Respond to each question in about a paragraph or two.
1. The relationship between Hildegard, the Queen of the Zon and the Trading Guild is similar to the relationship between the U.S. President and major U.S. corporations.
(a) Do politicians need the support of the business leaders more than the other way round? Do political leaders like the Queen Empress of the Zon, or the President of the United States mainly serve business interests?
(b) To what extent do Hildegard's personal views and desires influence her policy making? Can you think of parallels in the real world?
[Hint: Hildegard despises Vivia for her actions, yet she knows she needs the capabilities of her business to maintain the strength of the Zon Sisterhood. How might a U.S. President feel about the CEO of a major U.S. corporation like Boeing setting up high technology operations in China?]
2. Do business leaders, like Vivia Pragarina, High Mistress of the Zon Trading Guild, always serve their country's interests? What personal motivations underlie her business decisions in selling weapons to the enemy? How might such motivations play out in a major real world MNE like General Electric, say in terms of selling jet engines to a foreign power?
3. Analyze the Zon Trading Guild (e.g., pp.265-273) as a multinational enterprise (MNE), using the perspective of international business. List the activities undertaken by Pragarina Enterprises that are similar to those undertaken by a modern MNE.
[Hint: Consider the activities undertaken by a major U.S. MNE like Caterpillar. Consider the list of activities in undertakes and compare and contrast them to the activities undertaken by the Zon Trading Guild through its network of Guild forts.]
https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Zon-ebook/dp/B00EW5KAM2/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377991802&sr=1-2 keywords=The+Empire+of+the+Zon