East Meets West

The Academy of International Business is a leading global association of scholars and specialists in the field of international business which was established in 1959. The focus of this book is to shed light on the real business management problems that MENA-based organizations face through teaching cases. The last few years have seen the world grappling with many challenges from persistent recession, environmental challenges, political instability and resource constraint management issues. Slowly but steadily, the centre of business gravity is moving eastwards. Emerging economies are proving promising business markets with large populations with future purchasing power and sources of FDI. The youthful human capital provides potential opportunities for innovation. MENA is strategically placed at the hub between East and West. The challenges and opportunities as two worlds collide - the developed west and the developing east bring a rich variety of perspectives of innovative solutions to business dilemmas. "Perspectives", our new section, has explorative thought pieces on trending topics. Cases include regional leaders at various stages of growth who are beginning to dominating global markets like Emirates airlines, the fastest growing global airline; Aramex PSJC, the only Arab company to be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange; Americana Group (Kuwait Food Company), one of MENA's leading restaurant operations and manufacturing group of companies; and Lammtara Pictures, the first Middle Eastern company to produce 3D animations. Cases on international companies operating in MENA like General Electric, ranked 6th in the Fortune 500 list; PepsiCo, the 2nd largest global food and beverage company; Impression et Enregistrement des Resultats, a leading supplier of printing terminals and IT Solutions for the air transportation industry and GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, one of the largest system providers for food and energy processes. The case contexts are varied: international business (cross-cultural, global value chain, standardization and adaptation); management strategy (culture, change, growth), marketing strategy (communication, packaging, service marketing, brand management), CSR & sustainability (like PPPs), and entrepreneurship (funding, growth cycles). AIB-MENA hopes that this book will spur more organizations and individuals to contribute to teaching and research. After all, the winds of changes are sweeping over the business world quickly and the sands of time are moving mountains.