Direction: The following questions should be answered comprehensively and completely.

1. What are the five major factors to consider when building an international
information systems portfolio? Briefly discuss each of them.

Computer hardware
This is the information-using physical technology. Hardware can range in size from
a pocket-sized smartphone to a supercomputer that takes up a whole building.
Additionally, hardware includes computer peripherals like keyboards, routers, and
external hard drives. Sensors that communicate with computers are becoming
more commonplace as a result of the Internet of Things, which will enable anything
from home appliances to cars to clothing to be able to receive and transmit data.

Computer Software
The function of software is to instruct the hardware on what to do. System software
and application software are the two categories into which software can be
separated. The operating system, such as Windows or iOS, is the main component
of the system software that controls how the hardware functions. Application
software is made to perform particular activities, such managing a spreadsheet,
writing a document, or developing a website.

Telecommunications
This element creates a network by coupling the hardware together. Wire
connections, such Ethernet cables or fiber optic connections, are also possible, as
are wireless connections, like Wi-Fi. Through a local area network, a network can
be created to connect computers in a particular space, like an office or a school
(LAN). A wide area network is one where computers are more widely spaced apart
(WAN). You may think of the Internet as a network of networks.

Data warehouses and databases

The "stuff" that the other components use to function is housed in this component.
A database is a collection of data that can be accessed by performing a query
using one or more specific criteria. All of the data is contained in a data warehouse
in any format a business requires. With the rise of "big data," a phrase for the
genuinely vast volumes of data that can be collected and analyzed, databases and
data warehouses have gained an even greater significance in information systems.

Human Resource and Procedures

The last, and arguably most crucial, element of information systems is the human
element: the people required to operate the system and the procedures they
adhere to in order for the knowledge contained in the enormous databases and
 data warehouses to be transformed into learning that can interpret what has
happened in the past and direct future action.

2. Describe the five general cultural factors leading toward growth in global business
and the four specific business factors. Describe the interconnection among these
factors.

There are general cultural factors and specific business factors to consider. The
growth of cheap international communication and transportation has created a
world culture with stable expectations or norms. Political stability and a growing
global knowledge base that is widely shared contribute also to the world culture.
These general factors create the conditions for global markets, global production,
coordination, distribution, and global economies of scale. There are four basic
international strategies: domestic exporter, multinational, franchiser, and
transnational. In a transnational strategy, all factors of production are coordinated
on a global scale. However, the choice of strategy is a function of the type of
business and product.

3. What are the major challenges to the development of global systems? Discuss or
explain each of these challenges.

Global information systems pose challenges because cultural, political, and

language diversity magnifies differences in organizational culture and business
processes and encourages proliferation of disparate local information systems that
are difficult to integrate. Businesses may have to struggle to find the right global
business strategy. Management solutions include identifying a common set of user
requirements for the entire global enterprise; coordinating applications
development and software releases; and using legitimacy and cooptation to enlist
user support in the change process .

4. What are the major management issues in developing international systems?

Explain the said management issues.

Implementing a global system requires an implementation strategy that considers

both business design and technology platforms. Typically, global systems have
evolved without a conscious plan. The remedy is to define a small subset of core
business processes and focus on building systems that could support these
processes.

The main hardware and telecommunications issues are systems integration and
connectivity. The choices for integration are to go either with a proprietary
architecture or with open systems technology. Global networks are extremely
difficult to build and operate. Firms can build their own global networks or they can
 create global networks based on the Internet (intranets or virtual private networks).
The main software issue concerns building interfaces to existing systems and
selecting applications that can work with multiple cultural, language, and
organizational frameworks.

5. What are the latest technological changes facilitating international business? What
impact do they have on how business is conducted? Discuss briefly.

Technology has completely changed how businesses operate by allowing smaller

enterprises to compete on an equal footing with larger ones.

Effect on Operational Costs

The use of technology can help small business owners cut costs. A company may
automate back office tasks like record keeping, accounting, and payroll thanks to
basic business software. Field representatives and home offices can communicate
live thanks to mobile technology. For instance, field representatives can utilize
mobile apps to record daily expenses as they occur and have them connect with
accounting software at the office immediately.

Protecting Sensitive Data

Business owners can use technology to build secure environments for storing
delicate customer or business data. Many forms of business technology and
software are user-friendly, enabling business owners with only rudimentary
knowledge of information technology to make the most of their resources.

Enhanced Worker Productivity

Utilizing technology, small firms can boost staff productivity. Employees can
typically process more information using computer programs and business
software than they can manually. Business owners can also use technology to
streamline operations and cut back on personnel costs. This enables small firms
to save money on both employee benefits and labor costs.

6. What are the major reasons why an increasing number of industries develop from
multi-domestic to global? Explain.

"Going global" is frequently explained in terms of incremental growth, which is a

more or less progressive process that begins with increasing exports or global
sourcing, is followed by a modest international presence, develops into a
multinational company, and finally becomes a worldwide posture.
Historically, a lot of businesses have concentrated on their native markets and
avoided becoming global. They have a greater understanding of their domestic
 markets and realize that in order to compete worldwide, they must make significant
changes to the way they operate.

7. What are the basic convictions underlying marketing orientation? Why are they
important for international business success? Explain.

When a corporation is marketing-oriented, it means that its resources are focused

on addressing the requirements and wishes of its customers. A business with a
marketing emphasis is aware of all facets of its markets and what drives customers
to purchase its goods or services.

They are important in the following areas:

a.Market orientation boosts customer loyalty and satisfaction
Customer service improves loyalty and generates repeat business. Customers that
are loyal to your brand are less likely to be lured away by rivals who may be offering
lower prices or exclusive initial offers.

Customers will make larger repeat purchases when a firm shows them that they
value their business by offering high-quality goods at competitive pricing. The
attention that customers feel they deserve in exchange for their money is
something that buyers prefer to know a business is paying attention to.

b. Customer-focused marketing encourages new product development

Customer needs and wants should be prioritized in both directions. The business
hears from its customers about improvements they would want to see while also
listening to what they want.

8. What is the basic distinction between multinational and global marketing? What
are the consequences of each of the two perspectives to a firm?
The term "international marketing" describes marketing plans, methods, and
techniques developed specifically for a given overseas market. For instance, some
businesses employ international marketing strategies by rebranding and changing
the color of their packaging for specific nations. International research specialists
make executive judgments to rebrand the color and shape of their packaging to
match the desire of a particular market due to public perceptions, preferences, and
purchasing behavior. The choice, then, was by no means global; rather, it was
made and carried out in a specific international market based on research on
consumer purchasing patterns carried out there.
Global Marketing Global marketing on the other hand refers to marketing tactics
deployed on the public in its entirety via digital advertising methods. These tactics
are not segregated or curated by country or market, but are universally deployed
to all international markets in pursuit.
The consequences of each perspective are as follows:
Products and Services
The universalization of product and service offerings in foreign markets is a key
component of global marketing strategies. A corporation using a global marketing
strategy aims to advertise the same good or service in different nations without
changing the product or marketing message for every foreign nation.
International marketing strategies are centered on developing new products and
services that are specifically tailored to the market in a certain nation. To cater to
the specific preferences of a foreign market, it is not necessary to universalize
product and service offerings.
Advertising Efforts
With global marketing, businesses want to run television and radio spots that will
reach a global audience. The objective is to use a media with a broad audience.
In this approach, a broad audience in many different countries can hear the same
consistent message.
However, when it comes to worldwide marketing, radio and TV ads are rarely used
in numerous foreign markets. The objective is to create unique content for a given
nation while collaborating with and utilizing media outlets that will only disseminate
the message to the targeted market.