TOPIC 3

Question 3.1
What aspects of participation in international networks can be quantified,
documented and calculated in order to track, monitor and estimate
participation costs?
It can be difficult to attribute dollar value to some of the costs and to the returns from
networking. Some effort should be made, however, to determine whether the networking are
efficient and effective and whether the value to the business is in line with the effort put in to
the networking process. There are costs associated with participation in networks, whether or
not they are formal and require membership payments. You can identify networking costs in
their own cost category or include them in miscellaneous expenses. It is not easy to determine
the value of making active contributions in the form of passing on information, making
referrals, providing advice to network contacts and making sure that your interactions are
frequent and useful. Your time, though, can and should be quantified, recorded and calculated
in terms of dollars spent-costs.

Question 3.2
Explain why it is difficult to analyse, quantify, document and compare the value
of outcomes derived from participation in international business networks with
the costs of participation?
While many of the costs of participation can be quantifies, recorded and documented, they
cannot be compared directly with the value of the outcomes derived from participation in
international networks-the costs can be recorded as a separate entity (i.e. not included in
miscellaneous costs) but the results of networking, in most instances, cannot. There cannot be,
therefore a direct comparison. The value of networking might be seen in an increase in
customer activity and in the organization’s bottom line but it is difficult to separate out
increases that are a direct result of networking from normal organizational activities,
promotions and sales and marketing processes.

Question 3.3
List the values (the returns) and opportunities that are attributable to
participation in international networks.
 Learning about best practice
 Sharing and discussing ideas with a network of peers
 Sharing knowledge
 Being able to view business situations from the perspective of other people
  Learning how to avoid business pitfalls
 Bring the organization to the notice of a large number of new people and organizations-
increasing your visibility
 Accessing new ideas
 Increasing your skill set
 Developing partnerships
 Sharing resources
 Getting new clients or customers
 Accessing new suppliers
 Identifying new markets
 Identifying the target markets and opening up new avenues for growth
 Developing your profile as a resource for others
 Understanding the cultural values of people at a B2B level and those to whom you
supply products and services (target market)
 Learning how to behave and how to communicate in culturally appropriate ways with
networking partners and with suppliers, customers/consumers
 Learning how to manage and accommodate cultural differences in relation to
employees and contractors in the overseas countries in which you operate.

Question 3.4
What sort of decisions could you make and implement as a result of the review
process?
Not all your networks will provide the same value or returns. You might find, after the review
that it is only worthwhile to maintain frequent contact with a few of your network partners.
A review might indicate that you:

 should spend more time and provide more input into all of your networks
 should focus on only a few of your network partners because you are spending too
much time trying to accommodate too many partnerships or affiliations
 are expending too much money for too little return
 are not focusing your attention in the correct areas
 need to make more effort to build appropriate relationships
 need to identify new, potential networking contacts and expand your focus
 have successfully built sufficient, valuable relationships