Foundations of International Business
University of Antwerp, Winter 2023/24
Prof. Dr. Sascha Albers
-- CASE PACK --
Contents:
Case & Questions Class Session
Case C1: New Zealand 18/10/2023 International Trade Theory
Case C2: AirBnB 8/11/2023 Government Intervention in International Trade
Case C3: Globalization 15/11/2023 The Nature of International Business
Case C4: Volkswagen 15/11/2023 National Differences
Case C5: Walmart in Germany 15/11/2023 National Differences
Case C6: Uber in China 15/11/2023 Government Intervention in International Trade
Case C7: GM Europe 20/12/2023 International Strategy and Structure
Case C8: Emirates 20/12/2023 International Strategy and Structure
Case C9: Starbucks 20/12/2023 Market Entry and Expansion
Case C10: ThyssenKrupp 20/12/2023 Market Entry and Expansion
,Case C1: New Zealand
Presentation due on 18/10/2023
Please consult the 2019 edition of World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report
(google “WEF Global Competitiveness Report 2019”, or go directly to
https://www.weforum.org/reports/how-to-end-a-decade-of-lost-productivity-growth) for your
answer to question 1.
For question 2, start with the article provided in the case pack and the Wikipedia entry on the
New Zealand wine industry (URL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_wine), and do
additional web-based research. Concentrate on New Zealand’s approach to international
trade, and the status and determinants of the competitiveness of France’s wine industry.
Case Questions:
1. Provide an overview of New Zealand’s national competitiveness in 2019. How
is national competitiveness assessed? What are New Zealand’s strengths, what
are its weaknesses? In which industries does New Zealand excel and why?
2. Employ Porter’s Diamond Model of National Competitive Advantage (see Hill,
Ch. 6, pp. 181ff.) to assess the competitiveness the New Zealand Wine industry.
Clearly delineate and specify the individual determinants (factor conditions;
demand conditions; related and supporting industries; firm strategy, structure and
rivalry) and how they drive this industry’s competitive advantage.
3. How are the country’s international trade policy and the international
competitiveness of its wine industry related?
4. How has New Zealand’s competitiveness changed since 2019?
,University of Antwerp
Foundations of International Business
A Look At New Zealand's Growing Wine
Industry—Plus The Best New Zealand Wines
To Try Now
New Zealand’s wine industry has more to offer than just sauvignon blanc. In
fact, our resident wine expert argues, it’s just getting started
Overthepastfewmonths,whileI’vebeenstationedinNewZealandwith myhusband’s family, I’ve been
contemplating the double-edged sword of basing one’s reputation on doing one thing extremely well.
Thatcan be true notonly for aperson, butalsofor aplace.Ask virtually anyone what wine they would
expect to drink in New Zealand and the words“sauvignon blanc” come tumbling out faster than you
can unscrew a cap.
New Zealand’s sauvignon blancs have been such a hit over the past few decades that the
country’s entireexport strategy wasbuiltupon theirback.Pinot noir,thesecond mostplanted grape
variety here, is another key pillar of New Zealand’s image, itsjuicy fruit and electric brightness making
it the perfect red counterpart to Marlborough sauvignon. The flip side of that monstrous successisthat
NewZealand’scountlessotherbeautiful varietiesgetshortshriftin the media and most people will
never think to try them. And I am here to tell you that would be a huge shame. The winesare glorious
today and will, I believe, be even better going forward.
, University of Antwerp
Foundations of International Business
This trip has cemented my view that New Zealand isthat unicorn of a wine country making wines
restrained enough to please Europhilic palates, but with an extra degree of lucent, pristine fruit. To my
palate, the three mostexciting and as yetundiscovered categories are chardonnay, syrah and
Bordeaux blends. Many oftheseNew Zealandwinesbear more thana passing resemblance to those
made from the same grapes in their European homeland decades ago.
Veryfew winesmadein Bordeauxtoday scream“claret”tometheway thewinesofProvidence, Te
Mata or Te Motu do now; the sinuous slink of Fromm or Bilancia’s syrahs sings of the old days of Cô te-
Rô tie,Cornas or Hermitage. Even asBurgundy has started to relegate the dark years of prematurely
oxidised whites to the pages of history, the French region cannot be totally assured of dominating
Kumeu River’s Maté’s Vineyard or Villa Maria’s Keltern in a blind tasting.
There are several reasons to emphasise a long view. First is that New Zealand, unlike New World rivals
SouthAfrica, theUSand especiallyAustralia,doesn’t havemuch in thewayof old vines.AccordingtoBob
CampbellMW,thecountry’soldestvinesareabout40 yearsold,while theothercountriescaneachboast
centenarianvines.InNewZealand, morethanhalftheland under vine was planted in the past20 years.
Vines, like people, simply take a decade or two to become adapted to their environment and start to
really reflect their terroir, something all true wine lovers seek when they pop a cork.
The second reason is the sticky and uncomfortable topic of climate change, something that makes
landownersin morevulnerableOldWorld regionssupremelyuneasy.NewZealandhas been
consistently ranked very highly in its readiness to adapt to climate change, given its historically cool
climate and proximity to the ocean. If you visit Marlborough, for example, you’ll be struck by the contrast
to a hilly European wine region, as instead of precarious hillside vineyards you’ll see a vast green
carpet spanning the valley floor.
And my final reason isthe impressive longevity of New Zealand wines, something very few people
haveyetexperienced. Sofar,I haven’t foundmany sauvignons or pinotsthatimprove over time.
However, an Auntsfield 2005 sauvignon I tried in 2019 had evolved jellied, luscious layers of mango
and green plum rather than devolving into cabbage soup, as too many sauvignons are sadly
prone to do.
Perhapsit’stheir screw capsorelsetheir trademarkacidity thatmakestheolderNewZealand
chardonnays, syrahs and Bordeaux blends I have been lucky enough to try into things of beauty, their
acute angles honed into finecontours, their sinuousfruitsolidified into a lustrous glaze.
Severalof theolderwinesI havelisted below arenotcommerciallyavailable, butI’ve included them to
give an indication of whatthey are like with some age. Thoselessthan ten yearsold are more broadly
available and are absolutely worth hunting down.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay had previously moved awayfrom big, buttery stylesand towardsa skinny, lean, unoaked
style that was clean, but often uninspiring. More recently, winemakers have replaced oak with a “flinty”
reduction, resulting in a scent that resembles struck matches at its best and burnt tiresor onions atits
worst. New Zealand isreplete with stylesthatare fresh and clean with just the right level of flint, in a
spectrum of styles. The wines below are organised from most delicate to most robust. […]
University of Antwerp, Winter 2023/24
Prof. Dr. Sascha Albers
-- CASE PACK --
Contents:
Case & Questions Class Session
Case C1: New Zealand 18/10/2023 International Trade Theory
Case C2: AirBnB 8/11/2023 Government Intervention in International Trade
Case C3: Globalization 15/11/2023 The Nature of International Business
Case C4: Volkswagen 15/11/2023 National Differences
Case C5: Walmart in Germany 15/11/2023 National Differences
Case C6: Uber in China 15/11/2023 Government Intervention in International Trade
Case C7: GM Europe 20/12/2023 International Strategy and Structure
Case C8: Emirates 20/12/2023 International Strategy and Structure
Case C9: Starbucks 20/12/2023 Market Entry and Expansion
Case C10: ThyssenKrupp 20/12/2023 Market Entry and Expansion
,Case C1: New Zealand
Presentation due on 18/10/2023
Please consult the 2019 edition of World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report
(google “WEF Global Competitiveness Report 2019”, or go directly to
https://www.weforum.org/reports/how-to-end-a-decade-of-lost-productivity-growth) for your
answer to question 1.
For question 2, start with the article provided in the case pack and the Wikipedia entry on the
New Zealand wine industry (URL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_wine), and do
additional web-based research. Concentrate on New Zealand’s approach to international
trade, and the status and determinants of the competitiveness of France’s wine industry.
Case Questions:
1. Provide an overview of New Zealand’s national competitiveness in 2019. How
is national competitiveness assessed? What are New Zealand’s strengths, what
are its weaknesses? In which industries does New Zealand excel and why?
2. Employ Porter’s Diamond Model of National Competitive Advantage (see Hill,
Ch. 6, pp. 181ff.) to assess the competitiveness the New Zealand Wine industry.
Clearly delineate and specify the individual determinants (factor conditions;
demand conditions; related and supporting industries; firm strategy, structure and
rivalry) and how they drive this industry’s competitive advantage.
3. How are the country’s international trade policy and the international
competitiveness of its wine industry related?
4. How has New Zealand’s competitiveness changed since 2019?
,University of Antwerp
Foundations of International Business
A Look At New Zealand's Growing Wine
Industry—Plus The Best New Zealand Wines
To Try Now
New Zealand’s wine industry has more to offer than just sauvignon blanc. In
fact, our resident wine expert argues, it’s just getting started
Overthepastfewmonths,whileI’vebeenstationedinNewZealandwith myhusband’s family, I’ve been
contemplating the double-edged sword of basing one’s reputation on doing one thing extremely well.
Thatcan be true notonly for aperson, butalsofor aplace.Ask virtually anyone what wine they would
expect to drink in New Zealand and the words“sauvignon blanc” come tumbling out faster than you
can unscrew a cap.
New Zealand’s sauvignon blancs have been such a hit over the past few decades that the
country’s entireexport strategy wasbuiltupon theirback.Pinot noir,thesecond mostplanted grape
variety here, is another key pillar of New Zealand’s image, itsjuicy fruit and electric brightness making
it the perfect red counterpart to Marlborough sauvignon. The flip side of that monstrous successisthat
NewZealand’scountlessotherbeautiful varietiesgetshortshriftin the media and most people will
never think to try them. And I am here to tell you that would be a huge shame. The winesare glorious
today and will, I believe, be even better going forward.
, University of Antwerp
Foundations of International Business
This trip has cemented my view that New Zealand isthat unicorn of a wine country making wines
restrained enough to please Europhilic palates, but with an extra degree of lucent, pristine fruit. To my
palate, the three mostexciting and as yetundiscovered categories are chardonnay, syrah and
Bordeaux blends. Many oftheseNew Zealandwinesbear more thana passing resemblance to those
made from the same grapes in their European homeland decades ago.
Veryfew winesmadein Bordeauxtoday scream“claret”tometheway thewinesofProvidence, Te
Mata or Te Motu do now; the sinuous slink of Fromm or Bilancia’s syrahs sings of the old days of Cô te-
Rô tie,Cornas or Hermitage. Even asBurgundy has started to relegate the dark years of prematurely
oxidised whites to the pages of history, the French region cannot be totally assured of dominating
Kumeu River’s Maté’s Vineyard or Villa Maria’s Keltern in a blind tasting.
There are several reasons to emphasise a long view. First is that New Zealand, unlike New World rivals
SouthAfrica, theUSand especiallyAustralia,doesn’t havemuch in thewayof old vines.AccordingtoBob
CampbellMW,thecountry’soldestvinesareabout40 yearsold,while theothercountriescaneachboast
centenarianvines.InNewZealand, morethanhalftheland under vine was planted in the past20 years.
Vines, like people, simply take a decade or two to become adapted to their environment and start to
really reflect their terroir, something all true wine lovers seek when they pop a cork.
The second reason is the sticky and uncomfortable topic of climate change, something that makes
landownersin morevulnerableOldWorld regionssupremelyuneasy.NewZealandhas been
consistently ranked very highly in its readiness to adapt to climate change, given its historically cool
climate and proximity to the ocean. If you visit Marlborough, for example, you’ll be struck by the contrast
to a hilly European wine region, as instead of precarious hillside vineyards you’ll see a vast green
carpet spanning the valley floor.
And my final reason isthe impressive longevity of New Zealand wines, something very few people
haveyetexperienced. Sofar,I haven’t foundmany sauvignons or pinotsthatimprove over time.
However, an Auntsfield 2005 sauvignon I tried in 2019 had evolved jellied, luscious layers of mango
and green plum rather than devolving into cabbage soup, as too many sauvignons are sadly
prone to do.
Perhapsit’stheir screw capsorelsetheir trademarkacidity thatmakestheolderNewZealand
chardonnays, syrahs and Bordeaux blends I have been lucky enough to try into things of beauty, their
acute angles honed into finecontours, their sinuousfruitsolidified into a lustrous glaze.
Severalof theolderwinesI havelisted below arenotcommerciallyavailable, butI’ve included them to
give an indication of whatthey are like with some age. Thoselessthan ten yearsold are more broadly
available and are absolutely worth hunting down.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay had previously moved awayfrom big, buttery stylesand towardsa skinny, lean, unoaked
style that was clean, but often uninspiring. More recently, winemakers have replaced oak with a “flinty”
reduction, resulting in a scent that resembles struck matches at its best and burnt tiresor onions atits
worst. New Zealand isreplete with stylesthatare fresh and clean with just the right level of flint, in a
spectrum of styles. The wines below are organised from most delicate to most robust. […]
