Opportunities and Challenges of Advanced Multinational Corporation - Coursework Example

Formative Assignment: Data Search Exercise al Affiliation Word Count 2500 (Excluding table of content, page, and references) Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 2 ONLINE DATABASES 3 Business Source Premier/Ebsco 3 Google Scholar 4 Strengths/merits 5 Disadvantages/Demerits 6 INTERNET SOURCES 7 Mintel Global Market Navigator 7 The financial Times 8 Strengths 8 Weaknesses 9 CONCLUSION 10 Reference List 12 Formative Assignment: Data Search Exercise Topic Selected: ‘Opportunities and challenges of advanced Multinational Corporation (MNCs) in entering emerging markets.’ INTRODUCTION The chosen topic will lead to a wide variety of data sources that will be used in the research process. Data diversity will help in the effective analysis of the credibility of the sources (Saunder, Lewis and Thornhill 2012). The examination process will aim at the comparison between the various data resources to come up with the best and detailed sources. The topic covers two principles (opportunities and challenges); hence, providing a broader area of research. However, the topic will be based in the form of a question to maximize the search results for the project. It will read as follows: ‘what are the opportunities and challenges faced by advanced Multinational Corporations while entering emerging markets? The preferred topic has been chosen from intense literature review that has provided principles on search methods (Saunder, Lewis, and Thornhill, 2012). Additionally, the topic also deals with current global trends in the business field; hence leading to the affluence in both past and current data sources. It also covers international styles of business operations leading to a large foundation for resource due to the difference geographical locations. The opportunities and challenges of the MNCs depend on political, legal, social and cultural of individual countries. The research will have a variety of information that surrounds these business environments. However, the issues affect the MNCs can be classified based on similar cases. For example, legal challenges may remain the same in two different countries; hence, leading simplified methods of data gathering. The resources should also reflect on the current trends; hence, the need for advanced searches to ensure the validity of the data. ONLINE DATABASES The online sources contain documentation of information based on the topics to make them have quick accesses to the present library gateways. Most sources are categorized by topics of discussion. However, there are online platforms that combine data from various online sources and journals and feed them to a quick access search engine. The single website serves as a host; hence, saving time and resources because the individual can access all the data in one place. The Business Source Premier/Ebsco serves as host for online journals and articles. Primarily, the first step is to contact the site by initially accessing the school library website. Business Source Premier/Ebsco The main host is Ebsco that provides information on various study fields. The Business Source Premier is the preferred source because it provides more information on the business related fields. It also contains sources of publication from various countries hence increasing the probability of obtaining detailed data on the topic. Additionally, there are various reasons to prefer the site in research processes. It has a customized search button that makes sure the researcher can search the same question using various approach styles of options. The sites search option has an advanced script that uses their search places. The information can be accessed using specifications such as time of publication, related topics, and rating from other researchers who have used the source. The search process included an alteration of publication dates to ensure I accessed the latest sources related to the business topic. The best documents were those obtained from 2005 because that was the time when competition of multinational corporations begun. This search action provided detailed results from a variety of journals. A ‘keyword search approach was used to ensure accurate was obtained from the site. The words were from the earlier deemed question and included the following: Multinational Corporations Competition Challenges Opportunities The search results were a list of journals that were relevant to the question presented. Most of the articles had the same content but different headings. This style revealed that despite the topics, the journal authors has the similar principles addressing to the issue on the expansion of multinational corporations. A third of the articles provided in-depth data on the project. The chosen articles had both statistical and theoretical data supporting the opportunities and challenges of the expansion processes. Google Scholar This is another online data platform that can be accessed through Googles home page. The service is a product of Google and provides indexed information on scholarly literature mostly online journals. The database has more literature sources because of Googles access to much data especially from other online hosts. The site provides full-text journal data from both libraries and other online databases. A similar search approach was used while seeking data sources in this database. However, the number of results was more than in the previous model. There were specifications on the phrases being used in the search bar, but it still led to the increase in the journal articles. Sorting by time and relevance assisted in reducing the results. One could learn from the results that questions with specific phrases led to precise research results. One could also choose whether to include journals with patents and citations. After the search process, I identified the article “International expansion of emerging market enterprises: A springboard perspective” (Luo and Tung, 2007) that was of great relevance to the topic. It provided comprehensive information on the challenges facing multinationals that are trying to expand to new market environments. The article has also provided some data on the solutions and undertaking of risks by the advanced global firms to survive in the new environments. After further searches, the article “Multinational enterprises and local contexts: the opportunities and challenges of multiple embeddedness” (Meyer, Mudambi and Narula, 2010) provides both challenges and opportunities that accrue the expansion process of multinational firms. It also highlights the current global trends that make changes in the multinational markets. The vast and apparent sources can later be selectively chosen to effectiveness and credibility of the data being provided. The two internet databases have a common search process where results are provided on the basis of phrase relevance. The selective process will ensure the creation of information that is relevant to the topic. Finally, despite the presence of articles with the same headings as the topic, the online databases provide a compare and contrast sequence that ensures the provision of accurate articles. Strengths/merits The key strength of the using online databases such as Google Scholar and EBSCO is the adequacy of information that can be used in research. Additionally, there is a variety of journals categorized in various learning fields. It saves on the time spent gathering the same information in other manual publications such as books. Time spent to get access to plausible data depends on the phrases and keywords being used in the search process. As seen in the set question from the topic, I used the major points of research. Additionally, both databases had an advanced search interface that simplifies the search process. It assists in presenting up-to-date data. The improvement provides the research with an option to choose statistical or theoretical data. Finally, these sources have provisions for extra links that help individuals in acquiring more information. They include blog and group discussion links that cause interactions between authors and researchers. Efficiency is also improved during the search process because of the presence of direct communication channels with some of the authors in case the researcher requires further assistance. The sites are flexible and cost saving because one can access the data easily as long as there are internet connections. Disadvantages/Demerits Users may not comprehend the use of keywords and phrases in the search bars. Moreover, the topic may lack main words or be comprised of major words that cannot be used as inputs in the search process. Without the key words, the researcher cannot get access to the detailed articles. Additionally, the online journals may have a general topic, but articles that have independent topics; hence making it difficult during searches especially in Goggle scholar. Business Source Premier has a complex search process where one has to be redirected from the main site to access some of the articles. The redirection process may lead to a site with slow response leading to time consumption. It may also incur internet costs and at times lead to unsecure websites. Some of the sites do not vet the online libraries leading to confusion in the presented data. The online libraries may also be hacked leading to presentation of data from different topics. Such cases may lead to the collection of untrustworthy data. Finally, some of the online sources require registration and payments to gain access to information. It acts as a barrier to researchers who are not financially stable. Other sites such as Business Source Premier have to be accessed from other academic websites such as school libraries. INTERNET SOURCES The internet has been used to access first-hand information on most of the current issues. Search engines such as Google have been used to quickly present the data. However, the collected data depends on the levels of qualification. For instance, a high school student may find more data from the sources as compared to postgraduate students. Due to the reliability of data, it is preferred to use credible and known internet sources. It will prevent progression of errors from once source to another in the research process. Such sources include Mintel Global Market Navigator and the Financial Times Mintel Global Market Navigator It is a market research guide product owned by Mintel. It provides market data from constant monitoring of global markets. The statistical data can be used to highlight and forecast information on trends in the global markets such as expansion of the Multinational Corporations. The navigator matches the search details with the present data in the companys database. The search; therefore, will provide market data that includes global consumer trends affecting the multinational firms. For example, a search pertaining ‘Challenges facing multinational corporations, brings a series of international markets results that include cosmetics and insurance. The results are based on countries that match the topic being explored. The results however do not match to the topic and keywords that are keyed in the search bar. The financial Times An international news website covers all current aspects ranging from politics to economics and society among others. ‘The financial times’ is able to present current and past data about the topic. The Times can easily cover news on the challenges and opportunities facing international organizations due to its wide coverage. Additionally, the news corporation has been in operation for more than a century; hence a higher rate of credibility. Its websites catalogues information gathered depending on the date and relevance. This factor will simplify the search process. Its information can be from the foundation of Multinational Corporations to the present issues affecting the market. A search using keys words “Multinational Corporations” gives substantial many articles that have been published in the present year. An article such as “Innovation and excellence is developing across Europe” has more explanations on the change in markets trends in Europe that affect the entry of new Multinational Corporations. Other articles also have detailed information on the opportunities of the international firms. Strengths The sources provide present and comprehensive information on the issue. They also have a wider coverage of especially for news websites because of their vast distribution of workers to gather information. The Financial Times’ database has a more results of related articles. It has categorized the articles with the relevance of the search phrase and time of publication that dates back until its establishment. The search results are accompanied by images that explain more about the challenges and opportunities. For example, pictures of global warming and high populations have represented challenges. The researcher can analyze the images and end up with more information on the topic. The pictures also provide a sequence of events that occurred since the start of international trade. The sources have direct contacts with some of the multinational corporations. The Financial Times has carried out case studies on some of the firms; hence, acquiring first-hand data of the challenges faced by the corporations. The provided articles have information from the case studies leading to comprehension of current issues in international markets. As for Mintel, it carries out its own research on firms and consumer trends hence providing credible information. The research is done globally; hence, covering all regions despite the competition. The statistical data is analyzed to show areas that have opportunities of international market entries. It has revealed differences in challenges depending on the market. For example, the American market has different challenges and opportunities compared to the Chinese. The users are also used to the internet sources due to the presence of search engines; hence, lead to time-saving strategies. Current trends show that children, as young as five years old, have carried out Google searches. Getting used to the searches exposes them to strategies of finding data online from reliable sources as they gain experience. Weaknesses The sources may lack detailed information in the article provided as results. For example in The Financial Times search, the articles do not have specific answers to the topic but once has to analyze the main points; hence prove time-consuming. Additionally, the data may have layman-understanding levels. Books may contain detailed and information because they are used for learning purposes. However, The Financial Times may seem to deviate from the main points to aid the customers in understanding. It cannot provide complex information since its aim is profit maximization by offering news. The Mintel Navigator provides data on company information and style rather than external factors. It may lead to time consumption since the researcher has to analyze the graphs and statistical data and derive the possible challenges and opportunities facing the Multinational Corporations. The results reveal complex data from many companies but do not generalize to provide the key principles of the study. The navigator acts as a guide to other information but does not offer the first-hand information on the topic. Mintel also requires membership and payment to acquire company information. There are also legal requirements to access some of the data; hence, there is no maximization of information. CONCLUSION Data sources such as online databases have proved helpful in assignments and research projects. The cataloged information can be used to save time as compared to traditional methods of field research. However, users should comprehend the use of reliable sites to ensure credibility of results. Most of the online data sources are after profit maximization through advertisements in their sites. They do not aim at providing reliable information, and at times copy from other non-reliable sources. Additionally, the researcher has to take care while accessing the data due to the presence of cyber attacks through the internet. He/she may lose important research data after virus attacks; hence should approach the online sources with care. There are also cases where third-hand data is access through violation of first-hand patents in online journals. The case may compromise research projects through plagiarism. The strengths and weaknesses of each online source can be used to show the reliability rates of the database. Moreover, there are ratings and comments from previous users in the sites that can be used to rate the credibility of the source. Positive ratings increase the possibility of the source providing reliable information. However, the researcher should also carry out manual research from books and other sources and gain knowledge that can be used to verify data from online sources and increase surety. Reference List Aulakh, P., Rotate, M. and Teegen, H. (2000). 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