Domingo Cabeza

The secret to selling well is buying well. With this maxim in mind, this course teaches you how to manage the key purchasing factors and to identify differences in regulations and culture when making international purchases. More specifically, the course covers a whole spectrum of related topics, from generic purchasing processes and the impact of business models on various types of purchasing processes to the management of margin and dealing with ethical issues.

We work on a deeper understanding of cultures by looking at the way they differ along a small number of common dimensions: approaches to risk, authority, the individual, time, etc. We show how constructive dialogue in cross-cultural negotiations depends on an understanding of various factors, from variations in etiquette and politeness to the way emotions are expressed or hidden. By examining different national and regional negotiation styles, we provide practical advice on how to strike a sensible balance between culture, context and personality during cross-cultural negotiations and examine different adaptation strategies we can follow.

Key Learning Outcomes: Improve your ability to negotiate in an international business context. Gain the ability to identify an adequate negotiation technique for a specific cultural context.

We familiarize ourselves with creating and managing the international purchasing function by learning how to evaluate the best purchase options based on variables such as quality, price and cost of supplies and services. We learn how to integrate both local and international suppliers and how to evaluate the alternatives that arise in an international supply scenario. Through cases and roleplays, we simulate real-life purchases in international markets and learn about differences in documentation and specific characteristics by country and world economic region.

Obtain an understanding of how to manage the purchasing function in a company. Acquire the ability to evaluate purchase options vs. production options.