Research Resources For Your Team Project

The country specific information can be found in the Country Insights section of globalEDGE. Both summary and detailed information regarding each country can be accessed by using the drop-down menu on the right, or by clicking the “Europe” link. For illustration purposes, we will choose Bulgaria. The synopsis information indicates that the language of the country (Bulgarian) and the voltage used (110/220V) will be two of the critical variables that have to be considered in the adaptation of the product. More detailed analysis by following the external links, such as the Country Commercial Guide, will surely highlight additional aspects.

globalEDGE™ Location: Resource Desk/ Country Insights/ Europe/ Bulgaria
Resource Name: Bulgaria
Website: http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/CountryIntro.asp?CountryID=40&RegionID=2

Numerous statistical databases and websites provide information required for your country analysis. Any of these sources (including the CIA World Fact book or the globalEDGE Country Insights pages) could be used to provide the answer to the exercise. For example, if the search term “population” is entered into the search box, located at http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp , the first resource that comes up is World Population Data Sheet located at the Population Reference Bureau (http://www.prb.org/). This resource is found under the globalEDGE category “Research: Statistical Data Sources”

Search Phrase: “Population”
Resource Name: World Population Data Sheet
Website: http://www.prb.org/ globalEDGE™ Category: “Research: Statistical Data Sources”

The Market Potential Indicators is an annual ranking study exclusive to the globalEDGE website. It uses the list of emerging markets as identified by the Economist magazine, and analyzes them for their attractiveness to U.S. exporters. It is located on its own page under the globalEDGE Resource Desk and can be found under the “Research: Rankings” category.

Search Phrase: “Market Potential”
Resource Name: MSU-CIBER: Market Potential Indicators
Website: http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/marketpot.asp globalEDGE™ Category: “Research: Rankings”

The Country Commercial Guides can be accessed by searching for the term “commercial guide” at http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp. The link is located under the globalEDGE category “Research: Multi-Country”. Detailed information regarding marketing U.S. products and services in Brazil can be found by selecting the report for this country and reading the chapter titled “Marketing US Products and Services”. A direct link to the Country Commercial Guide for Brazil is also located on the Country Insights page for Brazil at http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/CountryIntro.asp?CountryID=107 .

Search Phrase: “commercial guide”
Resource Name: Country Commercial Guides for U.S. Investors
Website: http://www.export.gov/marketresearch.html globalEDGE™ Category: “Research: Multi-Country”

OR

Resource Name: Brazil Country Commercial Guide
Website: http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/CountryIntro.asp?CountryID=107 (site location frequently changes, therefore link through the globalEDGE Country Insights page) globalEDGE™ Category: “Resource Desk / Country Insights - Brazil”

The FDI Confidence Index is a study published by the consulting firm A.T. Kearney based on surveys of CEOs. Since it ranks countries in terms of their attractiveness, it’s listed under the category of “Research: Rankings”. It can be reached by either browsing to this category, or by searching for the phrase FDI Confidence using the search box located at http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp

Search Phrase: “FDI Confidence”
Resource Name: A.T. Kearney: FDI Confidence Index
Website: http://www.atkearney.com/ globalEDGE™ Category: “Research: Rankings”

globalEDGE features numerous websites that provide detailed cultural background information for a large variety of countries. All of