Internationalization strategy for Marks & Spencer

Seminar paper from the year 2013 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: B, The University of Liverpool, language: English, abstract: Marks and Spencer has had ups and downs in its efforts at overseas expansion. The company is now making another effort to grow its international business. Imagine you are a consultant hired by M&S to review its current internationalization strategy. Referring both to past and current issues with M&S internationalization, and to the current business climate, prepare a report with recommendations to senior management on whether and how it should proceed with internationalization.

Introduction

Internationalisation may be understood to be a way of expanding business or other activities beyond the domestic markets or boundaries. In other words, the growing interests of business houses in international market share and thereby their presence and involvement in markets outside the country of its origin, may be termed as ¿internationalisation.¿ Over the past couple of decades in particular, the interest in international business has grown manifold amongst business analysts, researchers, trend watchers and of course, consumers themselves. The case in question is the internationalization of Marks and Spencer, the British retail giant and its failure to make an impact inn the International retail market. If one were to trace backwards into a bit of history and a significant part at that, one would easily recognize that the intent to go beyond the company¿s present capacity ¿ whether for economic reasons or political ¿ and explore new vistas of operation, both for profit, control and to consequently impact the existing market;a case in all practicality may be the reference to the thriving British East India Company ( 17th CE ). What had started off as trade between Great Britain and India ( or rather princely states in India ) nearly three centuries ago, changed to the British Empire gaining dominion over not only India, but also almost two thirds of the world. Most certainly, such are not the current intentions of business houses since they operate independently following the regulations of mutually agreed policies of international trade between two or more countries. More so, the world political scenario has changed since the second world war and nations are in the mode of cooperation amongst themselves more than control over others through political or economic power.