17.12.13

International Orientations



            The degree to which an organisation does of international business is called as international orientations.  Wing, Douglas and Perimutter have clearly worked out the different degrees of international orientation of organisation towards International business.  It is called as EPRG scheme.  It is as follows:

1.  Ethnocentrism (home country orientation)
2.  Polycentrism (host country orientation)
3.  Regiocentrism (Regional orientation)
4.  Geocentrism (World orientation)


1.  Ethnocentric orientation:
            In the ethnocentric company, overseas operations in only secondary to domestic operations.  The top management in ethnocentric companies view their personnel and techniques as superior to foreign companies.  In ethnocentric companies overseas operations are conducted from home country base and there is a strong reliance on export agents.

            Some companies with ethnocentric orientation tend to neglect the opportunities outside the home country.  Such companies are called as domestic companies.  Ethnocentric companies that conducts business outside the home country can be described as international companies.  These companies have a strong opinion that the products that succeed in the home country are superior and therefore can be sold every where without adaptation.

            The ethnocentric orientation are usually shown by companies which are new to international operations.

            Because of the ethnocentric thinking of these companies they are easily prone to do big flounders/ mistakes abroad.  Here are few examples.

a.      Hallmark cards bombed when they were introduced in France.  The French people dislike sentiments and prefer writing their own cards.
b.      Philips began to earn a profit in Japan only after it had reduced the size of the coffee makers to fit into the smaller Japanese hands. 
c.      Coca – Cola had to withdraw the two-titre bottle in spain after discovering that only few Spanish homes owned refrigerators with large compartments.
d.      General Foods Tang initially failed in France because it was positioned as a substitute of orange juice at break fast.  The French drink little orange Juice and almost none at breakfast.
e.      Johnson’s wax floor polish initially failed in Japan.  The wax made the floors too slippery and Johnson had overlooked the fact that Japanese do not wear shoes in their homes.
2.  Polycentric Orientation:
            Multi-national orientation is called as polycentric orientation.  According to this polycentric thinking, local personal and techniques are best suited to operate only in the local markets conditions.  To work in international environment, the companies must establish many subsidiaries abroad.  (A small unit controlled by a large unit) These subsidiaries work independently and have their own marketing strategies.  In polycentric Orientation, a very great emphasis in put on local laws, customs and culture and great care in given to local way of doing business.  Thus in short, polycentrism in exactly opposite of ethnocentrism.

            All multinational corporations are polycentric companies.  The important merit of polycentrism is the adaptation of the business strategies to the local conditions.

3.  Regiocentric and geocentric orientation:
            The Regiocentric company views different regions as different marketing.  A particular region with certain important common marketing characteristics in regarded as a single market, ignoring national boundaries.  The Geocentric company views the entire world as a single market.  These companies are good at producing a standardard product with uniform marketing mix for the global market.

Chapter II CORPORATE STRATEGY

Our principles: We recognize that we must integrate our business values and operations to meet the expectations of our stakeholders. They ...