| Course | BUSI 365 Global Industries and Operations (BUSI365) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 5 |
| Assignment | Group Discussion Board Forum 5 |
| Paper type | Group discussion thread with one reply |
| Length | about 351 words (thread and replies). Course guide: a group thread of at least 150 words answering the assigned questions, posted by Friday, and replies of at least 100 words posted by Monday |
| Format | APA 7 citations and reference list |
| Points | 100 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 5 in Liberty's published BUSI 365 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUSI 365 Week 5
Group Discussion Board Forum 5: Organizational Structure of Multinational Organizations
BUSI 365 Global Industries and Operations, Group Discussion Board Forum 5 Thread and Reply
Thread by [Student Name]
The discussion questions and the other group's post are composites; the research cited is real.
Our group found that each traditional multinational structure makes a different tradeoff between global efficiency and local responsiveness. An international division keeps foreign business separate and small. A geographic area structure gives country managers authority and serves local markets well but duplicates work. Global product divisions capture scale across countries but can ignore local differences. A matrix tries to do both and often struggles with divided authority.
Research suggests the best multinationals now work differently. Ghoshal and Bartlett (1990) described the multinational corporation as a network of differentiated units, each embedded in its own local environment, with resources and knowledge spread across the network rather than concentrated at headquarters. On this view, structure is less a chart than a pattern of relationships. Birkinshaw and Hood (1998) added that subsidiaries' roles change over time, sometimes because headquarters assigns new responsibilities and sometimes because a subsidiary builds capabilities and wins a wider mandate on its own initiative. In a network multinational, a subsidiary can earn the right to lead.
A consumer goods company illustrates this. Its Latin American hub may begin by selling global products, then develop local formulations so successful that it becomes the company's center for that product category worldwide. Structure, in that case, follows capability. For headquarters, the managerial task shifts from issuing instructions to spotting which units have developed something worth sharing and making sure that knowledge moves across the network. Companies that keep every decision at the center may miss the innovations their own subsidiaries are producing.
Reply to Group 1
Group 1, your post argued that a global product division structure is best for an appliance maker, because it standardizes designs and captures scale, and the efficiency case is strong. The tradeoff is local responsiveness. Kitchens, voltages, energy rules and buying habits differ enough across countries that a design chosen at headquarters may sell poorly in some markets. In the network view described by Ghoshal and Bartlett (1990), the answer is not to abandon product divisions but to let strong regional units lead adaptations for their markets. How would your appliance maker make sure local market knowledge reaches the product divisions?
References
Birkinshaw, J., & Hood, N. (1998). Multinational subsidiary evolution: Capability and charter change in foreign-owned subsidiary companies. Academy of Management Review, 23(4), 773-795. https://doi.org/10.2307/259062
Ghoshal, S., & Bartlett, C. A. (1990). The multinational corporation as an interorganizational network. Academy of Management Review, 15(4), 603-625. https://doi.org/10.2307/258684
What the BUSI 365 Week 5 instructions ask
Module/Week 5 turns from operations to organization, through the globalEDGE learning module on the organizational structure of multinational organizations, which describes how firms group activities across countries and products and how much authority they give to local units. Forum 5 keeps the familiar schedule, a group answer by the end of Friday and replies by the end of Monday, and it is again worth 100 points. Good threads connect structure to strategy, explaining why a structure fits a company's need for global efficiency or local responsiveness. Groups that draw on earlier modules, such as sourcing, will find structure questions easier to answer.
How this BUSI 365 Week 5 example is built
Structures are compared first, then an argument is made. The group summarizes the traditional structures in a sentence each, with the tradeoff each makes between global efficiency and local responsiveness. It then presents research that recast the multinational as a network of differentiated units, followed by research on how subsidiaries can earn wider mandates through their own initiative. A consumer goods company with a regional hub that leads product development for its region illustrates the point. The reply answers another group's preference for global product divisions with the costs of ignoring local markets and asks a question about the other group's company.
BUSI 365 Week 5 grading rubric: where the points go
Week 5's group thread is scored on complete, researched answers to the assigned questions on the group's chosen industry, a post that arrives by the deadline at full length, and a reply that tells another group something new about its industry. On organizational structure, instructors look for answers that link the choice of structure to strategy rather than listing structures. Research that shows how real multinationals operate, including the varied roles of subsidiaries, strengthens the analysis. A reply that identifies a tradeoff the other group overlooked demonstrates the critical engagement the forum seeks. All sources should be cited in APA format. Explaining why a structure fits a particular company's strategy shows deeper understanding than describing structures in general. Plain, clear writing helps the grade.
BUSI 365 Week 5 help: mistakes that cost points
Start with the module's list of structures and note what each one sacrifices. Decide which tradeoff, global efficiency or local responsiveness, matters most for the industry your group chooses. Look for research on how multinationals actually work, including the roles subsidiaries play. Use one company as an example and explain its structure in those terms. Have one member edit the combined thread so it reads as one answer before Friday. In the reply, name the tradeoff the other group's structure makes and ask how they would manage its weakness. Keep the reply above 100 words. If possible, find a real company's annual report that describes its structure and use it as evidence. Use one real company as the running example.
Related BUSI 365 sample papers
Other BUSI 365 weeks
- BUSI 365 Week 1: Group Forum 1 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 365 Week 2: Group Forum 2 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 365 Week 3: Group Forum 3 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 365 Week 4: Group Forum 4 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 365 Week 6: Group Forum 6 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 365 Week 7: Group Forum 7 Thread and Reply
- BUSI 365 Week 8: Global Industry Project
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BUSI 365 Week 5 questions, answered
What is BUSI 365 Group Discussion Board Forum 5?
Forum 5, a 100-point Module/Week 5 discussion answering questions on how multinational organizations are structured, from the globalEDGE learning module. It is graded as one group answer.
Where can I find a free BUSI 365 Week 5 sample paper?
Read the full BUSI 365 Week 5 group thread on multinational structures and the network view of subsidiaries, with a reply on global product divisions.
What are the main structures of multinational companies?
International divisions, geographic area structures, global product divisions and matrix structures, each balancing global efficiency against responsiveness to local markets differently. Each makes a different tradeoff.
What is a transnational or network organization?
A multinational in which subsidiaries play differentiated roles, with some leading the company in certain products or capabilities, and knowledge flows among units rather than only from headquarters.
What else is due in BUSI 365 Module/Week 5?
The group forum is the only graded item; students study the globalEDGE learning module on the organizational structure of multinational organizations. As before, the group's answer goes up before the weekend.
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