BRASS Business Guide - INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

What is international business?

International business is a term that covers a vast array of topics including international accounting, international marketing, global company and industry information, exports and imports, international finance, and many other topics as well. It is a very broad term, and thus difficult to define.

For example, one library user seeking information on international business may wish to find the address of a company in Brazil, while another may be looking for accounting standards in Austria. One user may need to know how to find a foreign company’s annual report, and yet another may want to explore marketing his or her company's product within the market in Saudi Arabia.

This guide will admittedly have a somewhat United States-based orientation since it is produced under the auspices of a committee of a United States-based professional library association, but in it you will find many of the core sources to help you answer a variety of reference questions on international business. Below are the FAQs addressed on each page of this guide.

Articles

• Where can I find articles that will help me learn more about international business?
• Where can I find articles from international newspapers?
• What are the top-ranking journals in international business?

Companies & Industries

• Where can I find basic information for a business in another country, such as contact information and whether it is a subsidiary or parent company, etc.?
• Where can I find information about a specific industry in another country, such as industry environment, major competitions, statistics, etc.?
• Where can I get a foreign company's annual report?
• How can I determine market share or company rankings from an international perspective?

Countries

• Where can I get a basic introduction to other countries?
• What about official national government websites?
• What cultural customs should I be aware of when doing business in a foreign country?
• Where can I find comparative costs of products in foreign countries?
• Where can I find more business-related information regarding a specific country?

Data & Statistics

• Where should I go to get started with international statistics?
• Where can I find marketing statistics for foreign countries?

Exports & Imports

• Where can I get a basic introduction to exporting and importing?
• Where can I find actual trade data?
• Where can I find information on foreign direct investment (FDI)?
• How do I find international business laws, regulations in other countries, etc.?

Finance & Accounting

• How are foreign stock markets doing?
• What banking services are available to companies in foreign countries?
• What is the current exchange rate in a particular foreign country?
• What is transfer pricing, and how is it used by multinational corporations (MNCs)?
• What accounting methods and standards are used in other countries?

Terminology

• Where can I find glossaries of international business terms?
• What important terminology do I need to know?

Mary Aquila
Athens State University

Ophelia Chapman
University of North Carolina Wilmington

Heather Howard
Purdue University

Natasha Arguello
University of Texas at San Antonio

Adele Barsh
University of California, San Diego

Amanda Kraft
College of Charleston