1. Foundations of International Management

This case study introduces international management and shows why the transition from a national to a global environment triggers fundamental strategic, cultural, operational, and financial decisions for organizations. It serves as an orienting overview of the central dimensions of international management.

At the center of this case study is SurMedia Producciones S. R. L., an Argentine company in the creative industries with a focus on film, animation, and brand-oriented storytelling. Until now, the company had a regional orientation and worked predominantly for clients in the Latin American market. International projects played only a minor role, and the company had neither established global processes nor structural prerequisites for international value creation.

This everyday routine is abruptly disrupted when a message arrives from the United States that changes everything: SurMedia has unexpectedly been awarded a major global contract, namely the production of a prestigious historical series for a leading US streaming service.