Select two manufacturing multinational firms (one from the US, one Essay

Select two manufacturing multinational firms (one from the US, one from Europe) and select two services multinational firms (one - Essay Example The discussion shall compare and contrast the internationalization process of the both sectors by discussing representative multinationals from the continents. Internationalization is perceived to be the process of enhancing organizational involvement in the international market. Unilever is based in United Kingdom and Netherlands. Unilever has an international presence lasting for decades. The internalization of the manufacturing multinational has been driven by renowned imperatives. They include growth, knowledge, efficiency, globalization of consumers and competitors. The company has a market presence in more than 150 countries and over 220, 000 employees. The company has been labeled as both multi-local and multinational because of a heavy presence in the domestic and international markets. The internationalizations strategy involved adapting local market differences. The strategic team targeted the optimal locations for product launches and resources in the foreign markets. Unli ke the internationalization plan for Barclays which involved joint-ventures with domestic firms, Unilever embarked majorly on acquisitions to expand the sphere of influence (Edwards & Rees 2006). The management believed that the company needed to have a direct response to the customers through production of superior products (Altinay & Roper 2007). A telling example is in Latin America where Unilever used the ULA strategy. The Unilever Latin America) strategy involved implementation of common processes, innovation and leadership. This caused the multinational to become the market leader in four countries in the region. However, when it came to opening branches, the Unilever tends to have shared a similar strategy with Barclays. Unilever has head offices in every foreign market location (Hill 2002). These regional branches are semi-autonomous (Boome & Riley 2011). The top level management of the multinational has been trying to review the strategy because extreme decentralizations ha ve been counterproductive in the internalization process. The strategic team is targeting the emerging and developing markets in the internationalization plan. In manufacturing sector it is easier to develop products tailored for consumers than in service sector. Therefore, the multination has been able to target different income groups (Boome & Riley 2011). Barclay’s depended on intermediaries in many emerging markets. This means most of the branches were stationed in major urban centers, where infrastructure supported. Unilever believes that a seamless international development would be effective (Altinay & Roper 2007). This company hopes to use technology to synchronize data and automate systems. The management has been countering threats in specific domestic markets while rolling out internationalization strategy. Some of the solutions have been obtained through transplant learning. Unilever has ensures that the retail stores are close the end user. Internationalization p rocess must address the complexities that arise from ineffective supply chains (Battilossi & Cassis 2002). Banking sectors in heavily dependent of technology. Barclays has been affected be unhealthy foreign laws and extreme exchange rates. Studies show that banking sectors is subject to multiple regulations (Boome & Riley 2011). Unilever has established a rapport with consumers directly.