Select one of the four strategic predispositions of multinational corporations (MNCs).
Explain how your chosen strategy will assist a company with expansion into a new country.
Justify your response.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.

God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

International Strategy: This strategy emphasizes leveraging a company’s core competencies and products in foreign markets with minimal adaptation to local conditions. It focuses on efficiency and cost reduction by centralizing control and maintaining consistency across all operations. The company essentially exports its successful domestic model to the new market.

How it Assists with Expansion:

An international strategy can be beneficial for initial expansion into a new country in several ways:

  • Reduced Risk: By leveraging existing products and processes, the company minimizes the risks associated with developing new offerings specifically for the foreign market. This is particularly helpful when entering a market with limited knowledge of local preferences. The company is essentially testing the waters with a proven formula.

International Strategy: This strategy emphasizes leveraging a company’s core competencies and products in foreign markets with minimal adaptation to local conditions. It focuses on efficiency and cost reduction by centralizing control and maintaining consistency across all operations. The company essentially exports its successful domestic model to the new market.

How it Assists with Expansion:

An international strategy can be beneficial for initial expansion into a new country in several ways:

  • Reduced Risk: By leveraging existing products and processes, the company minimizes the risks associated with developing new offerings specifically for the foreign market. This is particularly helpful when entering a market with limited knowledge of local preferences. The company is essentially testing the waters with a proven formula.
  • Cost Efficiency: Centralized control and standardized operations lead to economies of scale and cost reductions. The company avoids duplication of effort and can leverage existing production facilities and supply chains. This makes the initial investment in the new market more manageable.
  • Speed of Entry: Since the company is primarily exporting its existing model, the time required to enter the new market is significantly reduced. There’s less need for extensive market research or product adaptation, allowing for a quicker launch.
  • Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent brand image and product offering across all markets reinforces the company’s global brand identity. This can be a significant advantage if the company’s brand is already well-regarded in the new market or if it’s targeting a specific segment that values consistency.
  • Leveraging Core Competencies: The international strategy allows the company to capitalize on its existing strengths and competitive advantages. It focuses on doing what the company already does well and applying it to a new context.

Justification:

The international strategy is particularly suitable for companies with:

  • Strong core competencies: The company possesses unique skills or technologies that are highly valued in the new market.
  • Standardized products: The company’s products or services can be easily adapted to different markets without significant modifications.
  • Global brand recognition: The company’s brand is already known and respected in the new market, or the company aims to establish a global brand identity.
  • Cost pressures: The company prioritizes cost efficiency and seeks to minimize expenses associated with market entry.

However, it’s important to note that the international strategy has limitations. It may not be suitable for companies operating in markets with vastly different consumer preferences or regulatory environments. A lack of local adaptation can lead to missed opportunities and customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, while it can be a good starting point for expansion, companies may need to adapt their strategy over time as they gain more experience in the new market. It’s often a stepping stone to a more localized approach later on.

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