In an increasingly interconnected world, going global is less a choice and more a compulsion. Equally, with transnational companies operating in practically all countries, it is difficult for a company to compete even in its home market without a global mindset. How do companies globalize? What are the challenges they face? How can they cope with these challenges? These are the vital issues covered in this book. Drawing on case studies of several successful transnational corporations, this book is packed with valuable insights and practical lessons for going global:

• How and why have globalization of trade and capital evolved

• How to enter and operate in global markets

• Global value chain configuration — exploiting comparative and strategic advantages

• Global branding — what it takes

• Partnering for global competitive advantage — types and structures of alliances; how to make them work

• Global standardization, local customization — how to coordinate and balance the two

• Global marketing strategies and customer relationship management

• Knowledge management in a global corporation

• How to develop global managers

• Management styles and best practices of global companies

• Why globalization efforts fail

• The impact of the Internet on globalization.

Here then is an actionable blueprint for companies wanting to go global, a one-source reference on globalization for practising managers, business and management students and scholars. Indian companies serious about going global would find this book particularly useful.

A. V. Vedpuriswar (b. 1963) is currently Dean, ICFAI Knowledge Centre, an affiliate of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India, Hyderabad. A BTech (Hons) in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (Class of 1985), a PGDM from IIM Calcutta (Class of 1991), and CFA (Class of 1996) from ICFAI, Vedpuriswar combines nine years of industry with eight years now spent in the academia.

Vedpuriswar’s areas of interest include globalization, risk management, knowledge management, and innovation. His articles have appeared in The Hindu, The Hindu Business Line, The Economic Times, Indian Management and Smart Manager. Vedpuriswar has written and edited more than 200 cases in various areas of management, many of which are being used in leading business schools in Asia, USA and Europe. Vedpuriswar’s earlier books, The Global CEO, Enterprise Risk Management and an edited book, Strategic Financial Management have also been published by Vision Books.

Vedpuriswar’s is a remarkable writing talent. He writes superbly and is at ease with tackling subjects that are wide and vast, effortlessly moving from the big picture to the key detail.

His trilogy of books on business strategy, The Global CEO, Enterprise Risk Management and now Business Innovation Lessons from Great Companies, together form a strategy tour de force, underlying his undoubted talent as a business writer of global stature.