lunes, 14 de marzo de 2011
Social Ties Driving Internationalization for SMEs from Azores Islands, Portugal
A recent study of a small fish exporter from the Azores Islands, an autonomous Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic, some 900 miles from the European mainland, offers useful insights on the key drivers of internationalization for companies based on small islands. It illustrates the critical role of social ties in guiding and supporting island-based SMEs towards successful internationalization. Often challenged by „isolation‟ and distance from the core economies, and by dis-economies of scale and high transportation cost, these SMEs from small islands tend to exhibit relatively low international involvement. The resultant economic weakness associated with such islands often fuels emigration. In the case of the small fish exporter from the Azores Islands investigated by Camara and Simeos (2008), this meant access to major emigrant communities in Canada (British Columbia and Quebec) and the United States (California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island) among others. There is evidence, however, that some island-based SMEs leverage the network of family and social ties existing between those remaining on the islands and those that emigrated to compete in international markets.
Source: Camara and Simeos (2008)
miércoles, 9 de febrero de 2011
European Union Direct Taxes
Difficulties arise as terminology and definitions in indirect and direct tax diverge. Moreover, countries have implemented and interpreted the EU and OECD rules in a different way, impacting on issues like cross-border reorganisations, transfer pricing, taxation of dividends and interest and royalties, tax residence, temporary and permanent transfer of assets, place of supply and VAT liability.
In both direct and indirect tax, the concept of Permanent Establishment has undergone very recent changes: The 2010 changes to the OECD Model Convention and Commentary, and in particular the new Art. 7, will be adopted in national law, as speakers from the Netherlands and Germany will report. The effect of the new definition on treaties with other countries will also be considered.
Some of this topic is addressed in the new book "European Union Direct Taxes", by the International Tax Professor Salvador Trinxet Llorca.
In indirect tax, the current more important issue is the practical consequences of the adoption of the Regulation implementing the EU VAT Directive in January 2011.
lunes, 20 de diciembre de 2010
SME Internationalization
jueves, 16 de diciembre de 2010
OCDE prerrogatives for internationalisation on SME
internationalisation identified from the 2007 OECD-APEC sponsored research on this theme, with a view to uncovering new insights into the nature of these top barriers;
ii. To review recent work pertaining to factors that drive or motivate the internationalisation of SMEs; and
iii. To develop a deeper understanding of the current programs for SME internationalisation, particularly the specific measures aimed at addressing the top barriers identified.
To provide an updated appreciation of pertinent aspects of SME internationalisation, the report reviewed the post OECD-APEC survey evidence on the top barriers, drivers and support programs across OECD and APEC member economies and other economies involved in the OECD enlargement and enhanced engagement processes. This has yielded important longitudinal insights, thereby indicating that support programs are appropriately focused on the most resilient and enduring of the factors affecting SME internationalisation.
To ensure a greater depth of understanding on SME internationalisation barriers, this study focused on the top four barriers identified by the OECD-APEC study as being by far and away the most serious impediments to SME internationalisation (see Table 1). These include 1) Shortage of working capital to finance exports; 2) Identifying foreign business opportunities; 3) Limited information to locate/analyse markets; and 4) Inability to contact potential overseas customers. A fifth barrier, „lack of managerial time, skills and knowledge‟, is additionally examined. The reasoning is threefold: one, this reflects the importance of this barrier in the Member Economy survey (see Table 2); two, the consistently highlighted primacy of managerial factors in previous relevant global surveys; and three, the widely acknowledged importance of skilled human resources in all areas of economic activity, including market innovation.
jueves, 9 de diciembre de 2010
An opinion from one of our readers commenting the news from Yahoo
Knowledge is power
According to Kotler, the requirements of many customers have changed as a result of the financial crisis. Former knowledge about customers is no longer valid; customers and their needs have to be re-examined.
"YOU CANNOT NOT COMMUNICATE"
In these times where social media prevail, everything a company says must be true and clear. Many service providers ignore this aspect—and will get stung. For example, the US website airlinemeals.net, replete with thousands of evaluations and photos of in-flight food, has already repudiated a fair number of advertising promises.
"BUILDING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS"
Based in France, Targobank demonstrates that the crisis can be a learning experience. Its bank consultants are subject to pay cuts if they give customers investment recommendations outside of a risk category previously set by the customer. So how does marketing even remain responsive during times of never-ending turbulence? According to Kotler, having one "script" for bull markets and one for bear markets is no longer sufficient. "Companies often get into trouble if they don't have an early-warning system in place. They see the warning signs but don't counter them." How does one set up an early-warning system?
In Chaotics, Kotler mentions two suitable methods: scenario planning and flexible budgeting. In other words, smart marketing managers create the ability to expect the unexpected. And they have flexible response systems. Take Regal Entertainment, for example, which is the biggest movie theater chain in the US. It continually monitors attendance figures for individual movies—should the figures decline, it immediately stops showing the movie in question. Their reasoning is that an outdated offer will not draw anyone in and will show that a company does not know its customers—and that could result in losing their trust.
miércoles, 1 de diciembre de 2010
Proposta da Comissão
O objectivo da proposta consiste em estabelecer um procedimento que permita à Comunidade avaliar se existe um interesse comunitário suficiente para concluir acordos bilaterais propostos com países terceiros e, na ausência do mesmo, autorizar os Estados-Membros a concluírem estes acordos com países terceiros em certos domínios da cooperação judiciária em materia civil e comercial que são da competência exclusiva da Comunidade.
Uma vez que a autorização concedida aos Estados-Membros constitui uma derrogação à regra segundo a qual a Comunidade tem competência exclusiva para concluir acordos internacionais sobre estas matérias, o procedimento deve ser considerado uma medida excepcional e ter um âmbito de aplicação e uma duração limitados.
Propõe-se limitar o procedimento em causa às questões sectoriais relacionadas com as matérias matrimoniais, a responsabilidade parental e de obrigações de alimentos, por um lado, e com a lei aplicável às obrigações contratuais e extracontratuais, por outro. A proposta em anexo diz respeito ao segundo domínio.
A Comissão propõe as garantias a seguir descritas com o objectivo de preservar o acervo comunitário, incluindo a integridade do sistema comunitário no domínio em causa.