1. Explain why companies participate in international business and why their growth has accelerated

2. Present the different modes of operation in which a company can achieve its global objectives.

3. Explain the main patterns of international expansion of companies.

4. In your opinion, is globalization inevitable?

5. Are the overall results of globalization positive?

6. What are the gains and losses of globalization?

7. Analyze the forces driving globalization and external environments as you do business with two different countries of your choice.

8. What global forces have contributed to the growth of the cruise-line industry?

9. What specific steps has Carnival Cruise Lines taken to benefit from global social changes?

10. What economic factors influence success of the international cruise industry?

11. Although most cruise-line passengers are from the United States, the average number of annual vacation days taken by U.S. residents is lower than that of workers in most other high-income countries (13 days, compared to five weeks in France and Germany). How might cruise lines increase sales to people outside the United States?

12. What threats exist to the future performance of the cruise-line industry and specifically of Carnival Cruise Lines? If you oversaw Carnival, how would you (a) try to prevent these threats from becoming reality and (b) deal with them if they were realized?

13. Discuss the ethics of cruise lines regarding the avoidance of income taxes while buying ships built with governmental subsidies.