All articles
31 articlesNovember 2026
7 articles on this page
Strategy & leadership10 min readWalmart in Germany: bought fast, gone after eight and a half years
For an owner weighing the purchase of an existing chain or sites abroad. Walmart entered Germany by acquisition in 1998 and left in 2006 with a write-off of about USD 1bn; this post sets the case against entry modes and the outsider's liabilities.
- Strategy & leadership10 min read
After the deal: four integration styles and how to choose
For leaders who have just bought, or are about to buy, another business. Haspeslagh and Jemison's four integration styles (absorption, preservation, symbiosis, holding), one way to choose with two questions on interdependence and autonomy, and why three public deals cannot grade any style.
- Strategy & leadership10 min read
Export, license or invest: choosing a foreign market entry mode
For an SME owner or sales director who has just had a first enquiry from abroad. The short answer: test the three OLI advantages first, then pick the mode by how much control you need and how much capital you can afford to lose.
Strategy & leadership9 min readBorn global or Uppsala steps: which path fits a Vietnamese SME?
For an SME owner or founder who already has customers abroad and is torn between moving fast and moving step by step. The short answer: it depends on whether your asset copies at almost no cost and whether your team knows the target market.
- Strategy & leadership10 min read
Cultural intelligence for leaders: the four CQ capabilities
For an owner or manager about to lead a multinational team or negotiate with a foreign partner. Cultural intelligence (CQ) has four capabilities; this shows how to pick the one to build first, and what the evidence does and does not say.
- Strategy & leadership10 min read
One number or several scenarios? Scenario planning for business owners
For owners and finance directors who must commit to next year's plan or a large investment while policy, demand or prices could go several ways. The short answer is to build a few scenarios that differ in structure, then test the decision against each.
Strategy & leadership3 min readPorter's five forces: a worked example for a Vietnamese sneaker brand
How to score Porter's five forces, shown on a hypothetical Vietnamese sneaker brand about to launch a new model. For anyone who must analyse an industry; the scores are an illustration, not market data.
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