1. There is a movement towards a globalization of markets, as the tastes and preferences of consumers in different nations are beginning to converge upon some global norm. The global acceptance of Coca-Cola, Levi’s jeans, Sony Walkmans, and McDonald’s hamburgers are all examples. Yet there are still significant differences – Germany still leads in per capita beer consumption, with a local pub on almost every corner and in some cities, women selling beer out of their front windows to passers by on the street. The French lead in wine consumption, and the consumption of wine is a natural part of life anywhere in France. Italians lead in pasta eaten, and these differences are unlikely to be eliminated any time soon. Hence, often there is still a need for marketing strategies and product features to be customized to local conditions.

2. There is a movement towards a globalization of production, as firms disperse parts of their production processes to different locations around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production. The examples of Boeing and Swan Optical illustrate how production is dispersed. While part of the rationale is based on costs and finding the best suppliers in the world, there are also other factors. In Boeing’s case, if it wishes to sell airliners to countries like China, these countries often demand that domestic firms be contracted to supply portions of the plane – otherwise they will find another supplier (Airbus) who is willing to support local industry.

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