A Primer on Basic Concepts in International Economics: Measuring and Classifying Countries and Evaluating Strategies Employed By Companies Engaged In the Global Market

Gaining an understanding of the basics of international economics plays an important part in developing an effective strategy for successfully penetrating the international or globalized market. In deciding upon an effective strategy for market penetration, a company may be constrained by the policies, laws, or other administrative or regulatory procedures which are in force in the host country. Economic considerations related to income, strategies for market penetration, development indicators, and debt will determine the readiness of countries to accept foreign investment and are critical pieces of the analysis that must be undertaken. In addition, in order to successfully compete in a globalized world, a company must navigate these delicate issues relating to sovereignty that will impact on the decision-making process.In reaching the decision to move outside national borders, a company must exercise sound judgment regarding opportunities and risks associated with the economy of the host nation in order to guaranty the success of a proposed international operation.These measurements, classifications, strategies, and development criteria important in the context of international business are often looked upon as secondary to judging financial or accounting realities. Yet, by taking into account these core definitional concepts in developing an investment strategy, businesses will assure success on a wide variety of fronts.