What’s in a name? It’s all semantics anyways…

Last month I co-presented my recent research study on international entry mode strategies, a long-studied and oft-debated topic, at the Midwest chapter of the Academy of International Business conference. While talking to experts far more knowledgeable than myself, it came up that the industry’s previous name for internationalization strategies – “Market Entry Mode Strategies” is being tossed by the wayside for a newer, sexier name. From now on matters of global expansion are referred to as “Participation Strategies” within the academic community.

At first, I thought the change was a bit silly, just another business world buzz word (my favorite remains “delayering”, i.e. “rightsizing”, a.k.a. “downsizing”, in other words “getting axed.”) But “participation strategies” is starting to grow on me because it addresses an important point -it doesn’t do a company any good to be able to setup shop in a foreign country, only to find themselves asking “now what”? Calling it a participation strategy will hopefully switch the focus from simply getting there to staying there.

Besides, at least it’s not another acronym.

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