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Student’s Name

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International business functions are an intricate process of collaborating and making

moves in various geographical locations for commercial purposes. Since they are significant in

size and capacity, most business entities would prefer to have different tiers of controls to

manage and drive this business. The levels that are frequently called strategic, managerial, and

operational are the forces behind companies' success in the multifaceted international markets as

well as in establishing their main objective. Now, we will be exploring the nature of the stages so

to assess the extent to which they soar the international business.

Strategic Control

Strategic leadership drives the long-term planning and the decision-making

process, which consequently redirects the course of the company. This area concerns

determining targets and strategic initiatives that will serve as the core principles in conducting

the business. It rather consists of strategic decisions at the top level by the executives, CEOs, and

the board of directors, which define what channels of international expansion to choose, the

amount to invest in, and the strategy to adopt to compete effectively in the global arena.

For example, companies that set out to establish a subsidiary or form a joint

venture in another country will be required to report to the superior strategic level of control of

the company to seek approval on the best options to pursue. Such leaders make decisions based

on the information received from the market study and risk analysis and link these with long-

term company goals (Dau et al., 2021). Honing strategic control means that the company's global

efforts, especially the direction, and the rationale, are aligned with the mission and vision and

will guide the other aspects of the business.

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Managerial Control

Administrative control, which is the next level, connects managerial actions to strategies

with operational activities. At this stage, managers need to refine the strategic goals by

determining the concrete actions and plans to achieve the objectives. Tactical plans are the

domain of the middle managers. They are the ones who put these plans into effect by dropping

them in line with the strategic goals. They are mainly in charge of the various functional areas,

for example, marketing, finance, human resources, and production, thus guaranteeing that these

sections are productive in line with the company's international aims.

In the frame of international business management, maintenance of control is an

important part of the managerial process, which also involves addressing the difficulties that

arise in different business environments. Managers need to have the ability to re-tune their

strategies to match changing market conditions, regulatory variations, or local standards, plus

cultural differences. Considering the example of a marketing manager for a multi-national

corporation, he must adapt marketing strategies to achieve resonance with consumers at a local

level while at the same time maintaining global branding (Ciulli & Kolk, 2023). Managerial

control is not a static mechanism that operates based on theoretical assumptions; instead, it is

highly dynamic, necessitating a continuous process of monitoring and fine-tuning to address

international market changes and challenges.

Operational Control

The ground-level operational control deals with the daily connections and actions that

would maintain the international business in operation. This level seeks to make sure that the

implemented strategic and managerial plans successfully achieve the plan goals. For the
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performance of international operations, monitoring and managing are done so that the

operations comply with the quality, cost, and delivery standards.

Mission command, especially in a multi-country environment, demands mastery of all

local cultures and customs. Managers and workers at the field level should be in a position to get

operational flows right and adjust to local market needs and climate conditions. As a production

manager in a foreign manufacturing plant, this individual will be responsible for keeping the

operations running smoothly while adhering to the local safety and quality standards and

adjusting to the supply chain problems if situationally required.

Being an operational controller is essential to identify and resolve quickly emerging

issues and ensure that the international business maintains the same level in all markets it works

in (Jiang et al., 2023). This requires a very specific form of supervision, starting from monitoring

the personal efficiency of each employee to managing international supply chains.

Integration of Control Levels

The success of international business is dependent on how they are able to integrate and

bring unison between these three levels of control. Strategic control defines the direction,

managerial control transforms it into executable plans, and operational control knits them with

these plans. Each stage has to be in response to the feedback provided by the other layers,

therefore combining to form a fluid and flexible managerial system.

For instance, if the market is in a foreign country and there are operational issues

impacting efficiency, this information should be traveled up to the managerial and strategic level

to ensure revision of strategy or business practices (Griffin & Pustay, 2020). Whereas at the

strategic level, for instance, when entering a new market or changing the policies of international
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investments, the changes must be adequately communicated, and this communication must be

followed by implementation at the operating level.

Finally, strategic, managerial, and operational levels of control in international business

are just the right tools that businesses can use to achieve their goals and stay competitive in the

international arena. Therefore, identifying and effectively managing these levels is the right way

to deal with international business complexity, which allows firms to not only cope with but also

adapt to these unexpected situations and realize their global goals. Harmonizing these levels at

the same is the company's driving force for a coherent, agile, and internationally-focused

company that succeeds in the international business ceaselessly.

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References

Dau, L. A., Morck, R., & Yeung, B. Y. (2021). Business groups and the study of international

business: A Coasean synthesis and extension. Journal of International Business

Studies, 52, 161-211.

Ciulli, F., & Kolk, A. (2023). International Business, digital technologies, and sustainable

development: Connecting the dots. Journal of World Business, 58(4), 101445.

Jiang, H., Luo, Y., Xia, J., Hitt, M., & Shen, J. (2023). Resource dependence theory in

international business: Progress and prospects. Global Strategy Journal, 13(1), 3–57.

Griffin, R. W., & Pustay, M. W. (2020). International business: a managerial perspective.

Pearson.