Business and Business Strategies in Asia

2020/2021

Учебный год

ENG

Обучение ведется на английском языке

4

Кредиты

Кто читает:

Департамент зарубежного регионоведения

Статус:

Курс по выбору

Когда читается:

4-й курс, 3 модуль

Преподаватель

Канаев Евгений Александрович

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course offers a cutting-edge discussion on the marketing environment of the Asia-Pacific region and the corporate success stories achieved there. The material traces topics relevant to building a successful strategy in the Asia-Pacific markets by understanding the interplay of people-to-people connections, institutional frameworks and logistics to finally turn to exploring strategies as case studies. This is the first course offered by Russian and foreign universities to integrate competences in international relations, regional studies and marketing from the Asia-Pacific perspective. The course combines the classroom activities with out-of-class assignments, exemplified, first and foremost, by student projects held under the supervision of Prof. E.Kanaev. Apart from giving additional substance to the lectures, this allows making the course comprehensive, exciting and practically rewarding. The brightest students are offered possibilities to present papers in international conferences and round table talks, as well as to prepare articles, both in co-authorship and individually, for academic journal in which Prof. E.Kanaev is member of the Editorial Board. The course offers a unique Asia-Pacific perspective on the marketing environment, as well as allows building a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the logic according to which the mega-factors shaping the marketing environment in the Asia-Pacific region evolve. Supported by the HSE projects and publication opportunities, the course undertakes a practically-oriented approach to the topics under consideration. The value of the course is predetermined by the necessity (for both Russia and other countries) to develop deep and comprehensive cooperation with the Asia-Pacific states. Without nuanced understanding conditions for doing business in the Asia-Pacific region, to implement this task is impossible.

Learning Objectives

• The aim of the course is to provide the students with a thorough understanding above and beyond traditional business knowledge with a specific focus on the business environment and successful business strategies in the Asia-Pacific region. The course offers a seamless approach to the international environment of the Asia-Pacific region through the prism of international relations and business strategies
• To develop a nuanced understanding of the Asia-Pacific business environment as a regional macro-factor
• To give insights into the business networking in the Asia-Pacific region from the B2B (business-to-business) and the B2G (business-to-government) perspective
• To obtain practically-oriented competences in how the Asia-Pacific institutional business frameworks operate
• To identify the drivers of the most remarkable success stories achieved in the Asia-Pacific region
• To obtain awareness of the logic and the drivers of the Asia-Pacific economic regionalism as a factor that shapes the marketing environment

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Students are familiar with Asia-Pacific economic regionalism and its implications for business.
• The student is able to reveal the key trends and components of successful brand-building and retail processes in the Asia-Pacific region
• The student is able to reveal the possibilities and limitations of electronic commerce (with the emphasis on the B2C sector) in the Asia-Pacific countries.
• The student can distinguish the specificity of business institutions and logistic support of business projects in the Asia-Pacific countries.
• The student can reveal consumer segments in the Asia-Pacific states and analyze their preferences.
• Students are familiar with the distinctive features of B2B and B2G networking in the Asia-Pacific region.
• The student is aware of the specificity of doing business in China and India.
• The student has a nuanced understanding of doing business in China and India.

Course Contents

• The Asia-Pacific region as a business-friendly area. Trends of Asia-Pacific economic regionalism.
  The Asia-Pacific region and its subregions. Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia as the “core” and Central Asia and South Pacific as the “periphery”. The factor of population. The Asia-Pacific “core” subregions in the global trade and investment flow. The urbanization as a sustainable trend and its marketing implications. The Asia-Pacific regionalism: the decrease of the appeal of the trade and investment liberalization for the Asia-Pacific actors. Setbacks encountered by the on-going Asia-Pacific initiatives of economic regionalism. The TPP/CPTTP and the FTAAP as the main examples. The rise of the connectivity narrative. The APEC and the ASEAN Master Plans on connectivity: main directions and challenges. The forthcoming influence of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): benefits vs challenges. The BRI as the hub of previous China’s economic initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region: implications for doing business. The PRC’s program “Made in China 2025”: the impact on manufacturing and the business aftereffects.
• Retail trends and brand-building in the Asia-Pacific region.
  The difference between business-to-business (B2B) and the business-to-customer (B2C) marketing. Retail trends in the Asia-Pacific region: responding to a new era of consumerism. The rise of e-commerce and m-commerce. The O2O (online-to-offline) integration: specificity, evolution, challenges ahead. The shift from consumption to experience: main features. The personalization of products and services as a new business model: the Asia-Pacific perspective. The value marketing as an on-going trend (from product-price-place-promotion to experience-exchange-engagement-everyplace). The growth of duty-free business in the Asia-Pacific region: why are travelers, ideal consumers? The specificity of payment systems in the Asia-Pacific region: different e-wallet models. The “financial inclusion”, “digitally enabling the unbanked”, “payment convenience” and “lifestyle payment partner” systems: points of similarity and difference. Key success factors, revenue drivers and cost drivers beyond these models: a review. Mega-factors shaping the evolution of the payment system: market infrastructure developments, regulations on e-wallet requirements and transaction value thresholds. Partnerships for e-payments as a long-term strategy that business adapts to reach consumers in advance. Three main categories of Asia-Pacific brands: traditionalists, New Asia and the East-West Synergy. Global brands vs Asia-Pacific brands: assessing the Asia-Pacific customer’s preferences. How to build a successful brand in the Asia-Pacific region: practical recommendations. Advertising: the on-going digitalization and implications. Benefits for companies and customers: an assessment. Problems generated by digitalization: the data security, the channeling and the quality of product perspective. Functional, social and emotional dimensions of advertising: the Asia-Pacific perspective. Mobile commerce (m-commerce) and s-commerce (social media commerce) and their Asia-Pacific specificity. Main barriers to the digitalization of business in the Asia-Pacific region: an assessment. The digital supply chain (DSC) as an operating model that can seamlessly connect suppliers, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and customers. Suppliers: the traceability of the supply chain. Consumer packaged goods companies: optimizing the product portfolio. Wholesale and distribution: enhancing logistics efficiency. Consumers: enhancing loyalty by purchasing directly from producers.
• E-commerce in the Asia-Pacific region.
  Business in the Asia-Pacific region: key reasons for going digital. Benefits for stakeholders and consumers. The adoption of digital technologies as the driver of the trans-national value chain. Urbanization as an advent of the digital transformation of the Asia-Pacific economies. Growing demand for convenience in Asia-Pacific countries. The “digital on-demand economy” the trans-nationalization of consumer preferences. The Southeast Asian on-line retailers: main reasons for building the regional presence. Go-Jerk and Honestbee as key examples. The main advantages of “scalable technology”. The pan-ASEAN brand (‘Made in ASEAN”) as an instrument to increase the competitiveness of Southeast Asia as a business-friendly area. The role of China in fostering the marketing regionalism in the Asia-Pacific region. The “Digital Silk Road” and its marketing dimension. China and the ASEAN online marketplaces: the M@A policy and its marketing implications. China’s payment systems and the Asia-Pacific consumers: implications for the transnational consumer value chain. Digital Free Zones as pilot projects: aspirations, limitations, tasks ahead.
• The logistic and institutional components of doing business in the Asia-Pacific region.
  The state of logistics in the Asia-Pacific region: main drivers. Traditional logistics and postal agencies vs new entrants: comparing the solutions. In-house deliveries: Jingdong Mall (China), Flipkart (India), Rakuten (Japan) as logistics providers. Singapore Post: developing a fully integrated regional e-commerce logistics network. The influence of blockchain and robotics process automation in Asia-Pacific logistics. The logistical component of the forthcoming Digital Supply Chain in the Asia-Pacific region: tasks and challenges ahead. The role of institutions in stimulating dialogue between companies. APEC Business Advisory Council and ASEAN Business Advisory Council as venues providing expertise on business-related issues and the business perspective on specific areas. Criteria and instruments to identify priority areas to promote economic cooperation and build up business ties. The role of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council in developing the tripartite partnership between businesses, government, and experts. Country-to-country business councils as mechanisms to foster dialogue between companies, CEOs and government officials, as well as to improve the efficiency of the private sector: the focus, achievements, and limitations. Does the member-driven focus – maintaining personal and professional relationships between CEOs – fit the requirements of the digital economy and the digital business in the Asia-Pacific region?
• Consumer sentiments in the Asia-Pacific region. The FMCG and the premium class products.
  The customer decision journey in the Asia-Pacific region: the FMCG as the case study. The first shift: from discovery to engagement and transaction. The second shift: from the linear to the value-oriented decision-making. Price (value for money), quality, proximity, service and choice as instruments to provide the Asia-Pacific consumers with ultimate convenience and experience. Personal retention and customer retention in the retail sector: Asia-Pacific specificity. The specificity of the present-day luxury marketing. Experience and social currency rather than collecting “possessions” as key priorities. The impact of digitalization on the luxury market. The specificity of millennials as new consumers. Insta-famous kids as a new phenomenon: implications for marketing. Can brands keep their inclusivity along with the rise of digitalization in marketing? The “mass affluent” as a new consumption segment in the Asia-Pacific region. Six common features in the behavior of the mass affluent. What do luxury brands in the Asia-Pacific region do to attract customers? Exhibitions and experiential walk-throughs. Working with sophisticated Chinese consumers while managing the sales channel “daigou”. Catering millennials: main instruments and practices. Luxury brands in the Asia-Pacific region: specific challenges. The growing pains of the digital strategy and counterfeit production. Singapore as the Asia-Pacific luxury hub: the economic and marketing factors. The “Passion Made Possible” program: main implications. Singapore as the Asia-Pacific wealth hub and multi-millionaires residence: is it really a magnet for luxury?
• The specificity of business networking and business culture in the Asia-Pacific states. The “classic” and platform companies.
  The specificity of the patron-client relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. The vertical patterns of patron-client linkages. “Instrumental friendship”, the coercive power and the reciprocity. The patron-client clusters and the patron-client relationship: the role of intermediaries. Ethnic business in the Asia-Pacific as part of the patron-client patterns of interaction. Business ethics in the Asia-Pacific region: the West vs the East. Giving instructions vs asking questions. Dealing with challenges, office relationships, punctuality. Attitude to authority and failure. The meaning of “yes”; the agreement vs the respectful attitude. Reprimanding personnel and enhancing personal status: Western and Eastern approaches. Salary negotiations, flexible work hours and public holidays in the Asia-Pacific region: points to remember for employees and future employers. Guanxi as a cultural and social phenomenon. Guanxi as a network of interpersonal connections: obligations vs benefits. The fundamentals of guanxi: five Confucian values. The phenomenon of “saving face” in guanxi. The specificity of guanxi in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. The implications of guanxi networks for foreign companies. East Asian family-owned conglomerates: main features and reasons for the omnipresent activity. The business philosophy of Japanese corporations: long-term stability and the expansion, and the long-term transaction ties between industrial producers and medium-and small-scale suppliers of parts, materials, and equipment. Corporate democracy as the HR management system of the East Asian company. The new components in the strategies of East Asian companies: an assessment. Prioritizing returns, focusing on core business, working on global competitiveness as the key priorities. The changing pattern of corporate democracy: trends and implications
• Doing business in China and India
  The specificity of doing business in China and India: the PESTLE analysis. The economic and foreign-economic priorities. The middle class and the digitalization. Types of business entities and taxation. Corporate law in China and India.
• Doing business in ASEAN
  The specificity of doing business in ASEAN: the PESTLE analysis. The economic and foreign economic priorities. Types of business entities and taxation. The corporate law in the ASEAN countries. The ASEAN Economic Community factor: what has changed since 2015

Assessment Elements

• Discussion and mini-projects
• essay
• exam
  The exam will be held online using the Zoom platform.

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (3 module)
  0.3 * Discussion and mini-projects + 0.35 * essay + 0.35 * exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Hooi, D. H. (2017). Marketing For Competitiveness: Asia To The World - In The Age Of Digital Consumers. Singapore: World Scientific. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2029157
• Kotler, P., Keller, K. L., Ang, S.-H., Tan, C.-T., & Leong, S. M. (2017). Marketing Management, An Asian Perspective. [Place of publication not identified]: Pearson. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1636290

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Dent, C. M., & Dosch, J. (2012). The Asia-Pacific, Regionalism and the Global System. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=464196