Assignment:
1. Identify three major countries with which Starbucks operates. Preferably, the three countries are in different continents.
2. Are these three countries members of the IMF, the World Bank, and WTO?
3. Do you believe that these three countries actively follow guidelines of these three major international institutions?
4. Compare the institutional structure of these three countries to determine if they promote globalization, i.e.,
(a) are their political institutions transparent and
(b) do they have a functioning judiciary system?
5. Do you believe that the three countries under consideration practice policies that promote globalization? For example, what are those countries' policies toward
(a) governance,
(b) competitive markets,
(c) property rights, and
(d) corruption?
6. Determine whether Starbucks is a producer of goods or services. What are the major products and/ or services provided by Starbucks? Are those outputs sold only domestically or are they also exported?
7. Do these products and services face tariff or non-tariff barriers in the target export markets? What are the tariff rates or non-tariff barriers imposed on these items?
8. Identify regional trading blocs with which Starbucks operates as well as the benefits Starbucks gains because it is part of those trading blocs.
9. Would Starbucks be better off under a system of multilateral trade liberalization like the WTO, or with bilateral or regional trading blocs?
10. If you were visiting a foreign country to negotiate a transaction on behalf of Starbucks, what cultural knowledge would you need to gain before the visit? How and from where would you get the information?