Internal influences on international business
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| internal influence/ɪnˈtɜːnl ˈɪnfluːəns/ | 内部影响 | nèi bù yǐng xiǎng |
| supply chain/səˈplaɪ tʃeɪn/ | 供应链 | gōng yìng liàn |
| supplier dependence/səˈplaɪə dɪˈpendəns/ | 供应商依赖 | gōng yìng shāng yī lài |
| quality assurance/ˈkwɒlɪti əˈʃʊərəns/ | 质量保证 | zhì liàng bǎo zhèng |
| standard operating procedure/ˈstændəd ˈɒpəreɪtɪŋ prəˈsiːdʒə/ | 标准操作程序 | biāo zhǔn cāo zuò chéng xù |
Growth makes coordination harder
- An internal influence 内部影响 comes from within the firm: its people, structure, finance, systems, culture, and decisions.
- International growth can stretch communication, make quality less consistent, and slow decisions unless responsibilities are clear.
- A successful entry plan must be matched by an organisation able to deliver it.
An organisation chart cannot hold a conversation between two offices.
Supply chains need resilience
- A supply chain 供应链 is the network moving materials, information, and products from source to customer.
- Supplier dependence 供应商依赖 occurs when a firm relies heavily on one supplier. It can simplify purchasing but makes disruption more serious.
- Resilience may involve a second approved supplier, safety stock, better forecasting, or a redesigned product that uses available materials.
What is a supply chain?
It covers the path from source through the business to the customer.
Match the risk control to its purpose.
Each control makes one disruption less likely to stop all output.
Quality is a promise to every market
- Quality assurance 质量保证 builds quality into the process through standards, training, and checks, rather than waiting to find faults at the end.
- A standard operating procedure 标准操作程序 gives a repeatable method for a task. It supports consistent service across locations.
- Local teams may need flexibility to meet customer needs, but they still need clear non-negotiable safety and quality standards.
Quality assurance aims to prevent defects through the process, not only find them at the end.
Training, standards, and checks build quality into delivery.
A bicycle-accessory firm receives lights from one overseas supplier. A port delay stops production. The firm responds by approving a second supplier, keeping a small buffer stock, and documenting the quality test every batch must pass.
The issue began outside the firm, but the response—supplier policy, inventory level, and quality system—is internal.
Which are internal responses to a port delay? Choose all that apply.
The delay is external, but policies and systems are inside the firm’s control.
Write one English risk-control-reason sentence for the light supplier.
Example: “The firm approves a second supplier so one delayed port shipment cannot stop all light production.”
Risk → internal control → reason. “A second supplier reduces the chance that one port delay stops all production” identifies a control and its value.
Do not confuse quality assurance with checking finished products only. Inspection can find a defect; assurance designs the process to prevent it.