CEMEX,  is bagged cement better?  Be snarky if you want to be snarky.

What questions should we ask Dr. B?

We need to come up with some topics we'd like to discuss about Gore and Dr. B.  This part of the forum is our decision creating and making process for that activity.  In our case, a question is defined as "something we honestly (and humbly) want to know". What topics are you interested in?  How can we phrase those topics into questions for a Q&A?

A new topic?

OK, we've done great things in getting into international relations.  This is important I think for it shows the important nature of international events and the possibility of the firm to be prepared for its reaction. There's not much we can do to control international events, after all. There are two topics in the course material coming into play here. First, is the CAGE test and next is the RATs test. The CAGE is that we consider relative distance culturally, administratively, geographically, and economically in determining opportunity. In the case of Iran or others I suppose we'd try to find things that were CAGE appropriate or at least not so distant as to cost too much to approach. In terms of RATs..  a topic or market should be relevant, appropriable, and transferable to our business model (or our business model is the other way - relevant, appropriable and transferable to the topic or market).  How would you go about creating a schematic or metric to match CAGE and RATS to models or markets in a market for Shimano or in a country specific area like Iran?

Tell me, what are your thoughts on the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication's decision to eliminate ALL financial transactions to and from Iran? According to the BBC, The move will isolate Iran financially by making it almost impossible for money to flow in and out of the country via official banking channels. It will hit its oil industry, but may also have a heavy impact on Iranians who live abroad and send money home. 


Iran last week agreed to hold talks with six major world powers over its nuclear programme, although no date or venue has been set.

Almost all banking transactions pass through Belgium-based Swift, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which is sometimes called the "glue" that holds the financial system together.

Swift will pull the plug at 1600 GMT on Saturday, in what is all but the final blow to Iranian business dealings.

Oil

Its announcement coincides with news that major money exchange houses in the nearby United Arab Emirates have stopped handling Iranian rials over the last few weeks, something that has further reduced Iran's ability to trade and acquire hard currency.

Iran's business activities had already been restricted by US anti-money laundering legislation which made it risky for banks around the world to do business with Iran, including trade financing.

It is heavily reliant on its oil industry.

China and India have said they will still take Iranian oil, but the only obvious way for Iran to be paid for it is now in gold.

One Iranian businessman said Swift's move would make it now impossible to conduct business with Iran.

Morteza Masoumzadeh, a member of the executive committee of the Iranian Business Council in Dubai and managing director of the Jumbo Line Shipping Agency, told the Reuters news agency: "If Iranian banks cannot exchange payments with banks around the world then this will cause the collapse of many banking relations and many businesses."

Lazaro Campos, chief executive of Swift, said: "Disconnecting banks is an extraordinary and unprecedented step for Swift. It is a direct result of international and multilateral action to intensify financial sanctions against Iran."

Welcome to the class - where would you like to go!

Welcome to the class, where would you like to go today? By the way, what are some of the most important issues facing global businesses? Why are they important.  Try to write more than a few sentences and try to comment on others' posts too.