Faculty & Research

INTERCOMP: A simulation of international competition and decision support system. The simulation takes the participants through the various phases of the international marketing process such as direct exports, contractual entry (licensing) and foreign production and investment (joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries).

Areas: Marketing Strategy, Decision support 

Authors: Philip Parker, Associate Professor of Marketing. Wilfried Van Honacker, Professor of Marketing 

Minimum time required:  4days; 5 days is optimal.

Distribution Contact: 
Philip Parker 
INSEAD 
Tel: (33) (0)1 60 72 40 00

Description

The simulation takes the participants through the various phases of the international marketing process such as direct exports, contractual entry (licensing) and foreign production and investment (joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries). 

Most relevant international marketing issues are covered: global segmentation, product adaptation and standardization, marketing standardization issues, international product life cycles, entry strategies, foreign production and R&D location decisions, etc. 

If the participants already have a basic understanding of these issues, the simulation can be adapted to create "war game" like scenarios whereby the starting positions of companies reflect the real world. Each team will then play the role of a real firm with the current international starting position. The simulation uses real updated data: strategies may thus reflect real options facing the firms. The simulation can take place over selected geographic areas to focus on certain regional issues or narrow the simulation's geographic complexity. Such customizing of the simulation will only be possible under special conditions to be discussed with the authors. Intercomp can be operated in all major European languages (some other languages requiring additional work).

PEDAGOGICAL OBJECTIVES

• Teach the participants how domestic marketing functions take on different elements when the international dimension is added; example: international pricing methods.
• Provide substantive learning in terms of international business in practice. Since real updated data are used international flexibility and realisms can be thought.
• Provide realistic strategic options for a particular product category since a "supervisor" system is included which allows the simulation to be adapted to virtually all product classes.
• Provide learning in all major European languages; other languages possible but requiring some additional work.