Read the case Harley-Davidson: Style and Strategy With a Global Reach beginning on page 445 of your text.


If you were CEO of Harley-Davidson, how would you compare the advantages and disadvantages of using exports, joint ventures, and foreign subsidiaries as ways of expanding international sales?

In the United States, Harley has shifted the positioning of its products away from simply motorcycles and more toward status symbols of a particular lifestyle. What are the implications of cultural factors for positioning in other countries that Harley has targeted for growth, such as Japan, China, France, and Brazil?

If you were advising Harley’s CEO on business expansion in sub-Saharan Africa, what would you recommend in terms of setting up sales centers and manufacturing sites in countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe? When a new location is targeted, what would you suggest as the proper role for locals to play? Should they run everything, or should there be a mix of locals and expatriates? If the CEO wants to send expatriates from the United States into some locations, what selection criteria would you recommend, and why?

Further research: Is it accurate to say that Harley is still “on top of its game”? How well is the company performing today in domestic and global markets? Does the electric Harley have what it takes to fuel the company’s next stage of global growth?