POLITICAL AND LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS
Commercial Risk
Cross-Cultural Risk
Risks In International Business
Currency Risk
Country Risk
COUNTRY(POLITICAL) RISK Exposure to potential loss or adverse effects on company operations and profitability caused by developments in a countrys political or legal environments. It could be due to :
Govt. intervention, red tape, corruption Lack of legal safeguards for intellectual property rights Legislation unfavourable to foreign firms Economic failures and mismanagement Social and political unrest and instability
Criteria for measurement of risk i.e. indicators of a risky situation:
Government debt Fiscal and monetary policy Political stability Corruption index
IRAQ ZINBABWE ARGENTINA
HIGH RISK >60%
MEXICO
CHINA SOUTH AFRICA MEDIUM RISK 20-40%
SOUTH KOREA
HONG KONG
SINGAPORE
LOW RISK <20%
POLITICAL SYSTEM
A SET OF FORMAL INSTITUTIONS THAT CONSTITUTE A GOVERNMENT
PLAYERS
GOVERNMENT POLITICAL PARTIES LEGISLATIVE BODIES LOBBYING GROUPS TRADE UNIONS OTHER POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
LEGAL SYSTEM
A SYSTEM FOR INTERPRETING AND ENFORCING LAWS
PLAYERS
ENSURE ORDER IN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES RESOLVE DISPUTES PROTECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TAX ECONOMIC OUTPUT
TYPES OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS AND THEIR BUSINESS LINKAGE
TOTALITARIANISM
COMMAND/CENTRALLY PLANNED ECONOMY
SOCIALISM
MIXED ECONOMY
DEMOCRACY
MARKET ECONOMY
CUBA SUDAN TOTALITARIANISM EQUATORIAL GUINEA
SOCIALISM
CHINA EGYPT INDIA VENEZUELA ROMANIA BOLIVIA
DEMOCRACY
AUSTRALIA JAPAN USA NEW ZEALAND CANADA
FREE
POLITICAL FREEDOM
NOT FREE
ECONOMIC FREEDOM
FREE
LEGAL SYSTEM
RULE OF LAW
THE EXISTENCE OF A LEGAL SYSTEM WHERE RULES ARE CLEAR, PUBLICLY DISCLOSED, FAIRLY ENFORCED, AND WIDELY RESPECTED BY INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS AND GOVERNMENT.
COMMON LAW AUSTRALIA UK USA INDIA PAKISTAN GHANA
CIVIL LAW TURKEY JAPAN MEXICO LATIN AMERICA
RELIGIOUS LAW
MIDDLE EAST NORTH AFRICA
SOCIALIST LAW RUSSIA CHINA UKRAINE KAZAKHSTAN TAJIKSTAN
MIXED SYSTEM
PUERTO RIC THAILAND BAHRAIN QATAR VIETNAM ETHIOPIA
Who are the actors in political and legal systems
Government International organisations viz. WTO, IBRD,IMF Regional economic Blocs viz NAFTA, SAFTA EU Special interest groups viz OECD, OPEC, labour organisations, customers, minority groups Competing firms
TYPES OF COUNTRY RISKS
RISK PRODUCED BY POLITICAL SYSTEM
RISK PRODUCED BY LEGAL SYSTEM
RISK ARISING FROM HOST COUNTRY
RISK ARISING FROM HOME COUNTRY
Types of country risk produced by the political system
Government takeover of corporate assets Embargoes and sanctions Boycotts against firms and nations War, insurrection and revolution Terrorism
Types of country risk produced by legal system
Country risk arising from host country legal environment: Foreign investment laws Controls on operating forms and practices Marketing and distribution laws Laws regarding income repatriation Environmental laws Contract laws Internet and e-commerce regulations
Country risk arising from home country legal environment (extra-territoriality): Foreign corrupt practices act ,1977 Antiboycott regulations Accounting and reporting laws Transparency in financial reporting Ethical values and practices
MANAGING COUNTRY RISK
Proactive environmental scanning Strict adherence to ethical standards Allying with qualified local partners Protection through legal contracts Safeguarding intellectual property rights