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 about 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?