MBA 616: Managing in a Global Environment

Business Librarian: Steve Cramer
smcramer@uncg.edu
336-256-0346
AIM & Google Talk: stevebizlib
Windows Messenger: smcramer@uncg.edu

1. General Sources

Europa World

Provides the recent history, government, economics, and other topics for every country and territory in the world.
Includes a statistical survey (covering area and population, agriculture, industries, finance, external trade, principal trading partners, transportation, and more) and a detailed directory (listing government offices, media sources, trade associations, and more).

Business Source Premier

The Country Reports link on the left allows you to browse many reports for each country.
Sources include the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Countrywatch, Datamonitor, Global Insight, ICON Group, OECD Economic Surveys, and the Political Risk Yearbook.

MarketLine (Datamonitor)

Covers 50 countries, providing political analysis, economic analysis, and key economic data.
Profiles of industries in those countries are also available.

Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies

From the Gale Virtual Reference Library
Provides the full text of the 2002 edition of the encyclopedia.
Covers 198 countries.

More popular free sources:

2. Articles

Business Source Premier

Our largest database for business articles.
Covers over 8,200 journals, magazines, and newspapers.
Also provides country economic reports from the EIU, Global Insight, ICON Group, and CountryWatch.
Also provides company and industry reports from MarketLine.
Covers 1984-present, with earlier coverage for hundreds of top business journals.

LexisNexis Academic

Provides full text articles from business newspapers, press releases, newsletters, and some trade magazines.
Especially strong in international and U.S. regional publications, and articles about specific markets and industries.
A weak source for articles from general business magazines and scholarly journals.
Covers 1975-present.
More info

OneSource Global (select "International Businesses" in ReferenceUSA)

Select the "News & Reports" section.
Provides full text articles from newspapers, newswires, and trade magazines.
Use the advanced search to easily focus on certain countries, industries, etc.
More info

General OneFile

Covers all aspects of business and economics.
Especially strong in international and U.S. regional publications, and articles about specific markets and industries.
Covers over 10,000 general periodicals and scholarly journals.
Covers 1980-present.

3. Doing Business in a Country

EIU Country Commerce

Provides "how to do business" information for over 54 countries.
Includes coverage of trade regulations and tariffs, investment conditions and regulations, e-commerce and intellectual property law, taxes, financial incentives, labor trends, and more.

Country Commercial Guides (CCG) (Market Research Library)

Use the "Report Type" to limit a search to a CCG.
Most reports cover economic trends, political environment, how to market U.S. products, leading sectors for exports, trade regulations, investment climate, business travel, and more.
Most of the guides are updated annually.
Industry Canada is another option for getting the CCG reports.

4. Statistics & Economic Data

Euromonitor Global Market Information Database

Provides economic and marketing statistics for over 200 countries.
Covers 1977 through 5-year projections.
Data can be downloaded into Excel.

Source OECD

Provides full text country reports and profiles from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Also provides many datasets.
Covers 1998-present
More info

World Development Indicators Online (WDI)

Provides 550 indicators for over 200 countries and 18 county groups, from 1960 to one year ago.
Covers social, economic, financial, natural resource, and environmental data.
Results can be exported into Excel.
From the World Bank.

UN Data

Provides access to more than 300 statistical series.
Includes United Nations Statistics Division information on merchandise trade, national accounts, demography and population, energy, status of women and industrial commodities production
Dates vary by series; most begin in the 1970's.
More info

5. Culture & Business Etiquette

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Doing Business in More than 60 Countries
Reference Desk (ask for the book there)

Published in 2006
Provides excellent coverage of protocol, punctuality, negotiating, etc.

Craighead's International Business, Travel, and Relocation Guide to 84 Countries
Reference HF5549.5 E45 D56 (4 volumes)

Published annually.
Provides excellent coverage of customs and business etiquette.
In addition to the "Customs, Etiquette, and Protocol" sections, also look over the "Living in..." and "Social Life" sections.

Countries and Their Cultures
Reference GN307.C68 2001 (4 volumes)

From the Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Covers 225 countries.
Topics include history and ethnic relations, food and economy, social stratification, political life, socialization, religion, the arts, and more.