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Political Environments

FOREIGN NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

Political Environments

Foreign National Environment:

An international marketer needs information about foreign countries’ environments that may affect the
business in any way, positively or negatively. Some of the key aspects of a foreign market environment
that may affect international marketer’s business are give below;
– Political context: national leaders, national goals of leaders and governments, ideologies of the
foreign political institutions and leaders, key institutions in forming and implementing
regulations.
– Economic growth prospects, levels of economic affluence (GDP, GNP), level and extent of
industrialization, business cycle stage.
– Per capita income levels, purchasing power of the population, disposable incomes.
– End-user industry growth trends. Industrial demands are mostly derived demands and industrial
buyers by materials and machinery to fulfill the end user demands.
– Government: political and business orientation, legislation, regulation, standards, barriers to
trade.

Political systems in the world
:
There are different political systems today in various countries around the globe. The basic political
ideologies that are existing are given below;

Basic political ideologies

– Democracy
• Freedom Of Opinion, Expression, Elected Representation With Limited Terms For Elected
Political offices, individual’s rights, liberties & social freedom, independent & fair courts,
non-political bureaucracy etc.
– Quasi democracy
• Partly free - (example is an appointed governor in HK but elected parliament)
– Totalitarianism
• Decision making is restricted to one or a few individuals

Political risks in international markets:

A marketer’s firm faces numerous political risks in international markets. Major political risks in
international markets are given below;
• Direct interference in a foreign company’s business - expropriation, confiscation, nationalization
• Campaigns against foreign goods (from governments or people / publics)

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• Kidnappings, terrorist threats & other forms of violence targeted against foreign firms or foreigners.
• Civil wars have the potential to disrupt businesses in many foreign countries
• Change in policies, regulations – too often and non-consistent – affect businesses in any country
• Change in governments may also result into changing national priorities.
• Monetary & fiscal policies - inflation, currency devaluation, increased taxation, and currency
controls etc. Also affect businesses of international marketers.
• Government as business competitor – when government becomes involved in a business in its own
country then it has access to large resources, may implement such regulations that my favor its
businesses and may become a formidable competitor.
• Multilateral investment guarantee agency (miga) - a subsidiary of the World Bank provides insurance
against some political risks. International marketers may use such multilateral agency guarantees to
protect itself from political risks in international markets

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