Marketing Plan: UH Business School's Entry into Singapore Market

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the marketing plan for the UH Business School's entry into the emerging Singapore market. It begins with an executive summary outlining the report's objectives and scope. The report then delves into an analysis of the business school's capabilities, in...Read More

Running head: MARKETING
Managing Across Culture
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

MARKETING 1
Executive Summary:
The aim of the report is to provide an overview of the marketing operation of UH Business
School across the global market and culture that has plans of making an entry into the emerging
markets of Singapore. The report commences with an analysis and findings where the focus
primarily remains on the capabilities and the external analysis of the business school. The report
also puts across an action plan mentioning the adaptive and the standardized strategies, relevant
theories of marketing and the cultural difference. This will help in estimating how successfully
the business will be flourishing in the new market.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
Analysis and Findings:....................................................................................................................2
Capabilities of the Business School.............................................................................................2
External Analysis of the Business School:......................................................................................4
SWOT Analysis...........................................................................................................................4
Action Plan......................................................................................................................................5
Adaptive and Standardized Strategies..........................................................................................5
Relevant Marketing Theory.........................................................................................................6
Cultural Differences:....................................................................................................................6
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................9
References:....................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction:
The report aims at providing an insight into the marketing plan of a UH Business School
on its entry into the emerging market of Singapore. Here, the report revolves around the C.T.
Bauer College of Business which is one of the comprehensive business school of Houston. It has
international accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
(AACSB). It offers courses like BBA, MBA, MS Finance, MS Accountancy and the PhD
Program. The college was introduced in the year 1942 as one of the business school in
University of Houston. In the year 2000, the University of Houston’s College of Business
Administration was named C.T. Bauer College of Business in the honor of Ted Bauer who made
a donation of $40 million towards the University. The college comprised of five academic
departments like Decision and Information Sciences, Taxation and Accountancy,
Entrepreneurship and Marketing and Management and Finance.
The report focuses on the capabilities and the external analysis. It also puts across an
action plan that include adaptive and standardized strategies along with a mention of the
marketing theory. The strategies are however dependent on evaluation of the SWOT. The report
also focuses on the mode of entry and pinpoints the cultural differences between the countries.
Analysis and Findings:
Capabilities of the Business School
The C.T. Bauer College represents a top class business school at University of Houston
(UH) (bauer.uh.edu 2019). It has vibrant and dynamic group of staff and faculty along with hard
working and motivated body of students. The UH business school remains committed towards
determining the success of the students and ensures notable job placements at the leading

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organizations (bauer.uh.edu 2019). The experiential learning, mentorship culture along with
personalized attention from the renowned faculties who are able to conduct cutting edge and
impactful research that acts key ingredients in determining the success of the Bauer students.
The strength of the business school also lies in its faculty who hails from the top and
prestigious business schools (bauer.uh.edu 2019). They lead the courses mostly rooted in the
business principles and coupled with the applicability of the real world that includes the hands on
project with the corporate partners and projects with the industry. The faculties are also able to
produce impactful and innovative research that not only informs the management practice but
also provide the student with an unusual experience.
The C. T. Bauer College of Business capitalizes on professional and business strength of
Houston community thereby addressing and shaping the newer realities of business thereby
preparing the student for a responsible leadership (bauer.uh.edu 2019). In other words, the
graduate student have benefits of on-campus education, renowned faculty that ensures
personalized attention and contact with stronger alumni network of Bauer which is believed to
dominate the workforce at Houston thus making an MBA degree of Bauer equivalent to an MBA
degree from Houston.
The capabilities of UH Business School is also proved through the various programs that
it offers for the students at the different stages of his professional career (bauer.uh.edu 2019).
Apart from the three types of the MBA programs and the eight special program on masters, the
college offers twenty one ways of standing out with the graduate certificate tailored according to
the particular career choices. The three MBA programs primarily comprises of ‘Professional
MBA Program’, ‘Full time MBA Program’ and an ‘Executive MBA Program’. The special

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master’s program comprise of ‘MS Business Analytics’, ‘MS Accountancy’, ‘MS Finance’, ‘MS
Global Energy Management’, ‘MS Marketing’, ‘MS Management Information Systems’, ‘MS
Supply Chain Management’ and ‘Online MS Management and Leadership’(bauer.uh.edu 2019).
External Analysis of the Business School:
SWOT Analysis
Strength
 Provides various kinds of professional
programs for the students in the
different stages of professional career
(uh.edu 2019).
 Have a diverse student body
 Have engaged, committed and
qualified staffs and faculties.
 Have multiple modes of the
instructional delivery
 Provides research opportunities for the
undergraduates
Weakness
 Limited access to the timely and
accurate internal data used for making
strategic decisions, setting goals and
defining objectives.
 External funding remains non-existent
in school of business(uh.edu 2019)
 Sometimes there is miscommunication
that results in misunderstandings
within department.
Opportunities
 Opportunities for creating assessment
measures within the business school
that could inform the constant
improvement methods in the other
departments within institution.
 Provides chances of forming
partnerships with the high schools
 Have chances of providing
partnerships with the engineering
Academy
Threats
 Enhanced level of competition in the
academic offerings by the other
schools. There is also competition
amongst the peers
 There can be inconsistency in the state
funding
 There are rapid changes in the
technology offering lower or no cost
education focused on competencies.

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Action Plan
Adaptive and Standardized Strategies
The adaptive strategies followed emphasizes on the need for customization. The basis of
the adaptation strategy for UH Business School when it enters the emerging market of Singapore
will be to consider most of the environmental constraints and factors that includes climate,
language, race, education, taste, occupation, culture, taste, societies and different laws
(Andersen, Torp and Linder 2019). There are also other sources of constraints like cultural
difference that remains rooted in the education, history, values, religion, manners, customs,
attitudes, aesthetics and the difference in the needs, wants, taste, legal systems and economics. In
fact, it can be said that the UH Business School must have the capability of adjusting to the
entire strategy adopted for marketing in the emerging market. They should learn the ways of
selling, distributing and fitting themselves with the student demand in the emerging market of
Singapore. In other words, the marketing strategy adopted must match the local taste, meet the
special needs of student and also discover the non-identical requirements. In other words, the
adaptation strategy allows the business school in respecting local expectations and specifications.
This strategy allows the business school in developing an excellent image locally.
The standardization strategy will enable the UH Business School to establish a union of
cultures with the customer and the environmental demand across the globe (Shao 2019). It has
been found trade barriers are getting really lower and technological advances are displaying
global orientation. Hence, creation of a strategy for global market along with standardization of
the marketing mix elements can help the business in achieving consistency with the customers

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but also lower cost. Hence, business that has been well managed usually moves away from
customization of the items to offering of standard products that are functional, reliable, advanced
and low priced. The UH Business School can however achieve long term success in the
emerging market of Singapore by concentrating on everybody’s wants (bauer.uh.edu 2019). In
fact, the standardization strategy allows economies of scale in the new market. It also ensures
faster time for set up and remains coherent with a single global image. This strategy also allows
outstanding communication and monitoring for the business.
Relevant Marketing Theory
As far as the mode of entry is concerned, the UH business school can enter the emerging
market by forming strategic alliance with local partner. Strategic alliance represents a contractual
agreement between two enterprises that involves two parties to cooperate in a specific manner
for a certain time period for achieving common purpose (Dakora and Bytheway 2014). In order
to determine whether alliance approach is appropriate for the business, it must decide on the
value that the partner could ensure to venture in terms of the tangible and the intangible aspects.
The benefits of partnership with a local college is that it is able to understand the local culture,
market and the means of doing the education business compared to other firms. Partners are
considered valuable when they are recognized and has a renowned brand name in a country or
possess existing relationships with the customers that the business aim to access.
Nevertheless, each of the business in strategic alliance maintain its autonomy along with
gaining newer opportunities. Strategic alliance helps a business in developing effective process,
expand into the newer market and develop advantage over the competitor.
Cultural Differences:

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The cultural difference between Houston and Singapore can be explained with the help of
Hoftstede’s model of cultural insight. The six dimensions of Hoftstede’s cultural insight includes
power distance, individualism, masculinity, long term orientation and indulgence.
Power distance which is defined as an extent to which the lesser powerful member of the
educational institution within a particular country accept and expect unequal distribution of
power (Cole, Carter and Zhang 2013). It has a comparatively lower score in Houston, United
States and it stands at 40. The emerging market of Singapore however scores high on this
dimension and the score stand at 74. Such scenario necessitates the importance of control with
indirect communication and selective flow of information.
Individualism is defined as degree of interdependence that the society is able to maintain
with the members. An individualist society is defined as one where people look after themselves
and the immediate family (Triandis 2018). As far as, Houston United States is concerned, it has
been found that the society has individualist nature and is mostly loosely knitted. On the other
hand, Singapore represents a collectivistic society which implies that the people primarily belong
to clans, family or the organization and takes care of each other in the exchange of loyalty.
Hence, Singapore has a score of 20. Communication is usually indirect and harmony of a group
can be maintained through avoiding open conflicts.
A higher score in the dimension of Masculinity is marked by a society that is driven by
achievement, competition and success (Thien, Thurasamy and Razak 2014). A lower score in
this dimension is marked by a society where the dominant values rest on caring for the others
and maintaining a quality life. A feminine society marks its success based on quality of life.
United States achieves a higher score of 62 in this dimension thereby representing a masculine

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society which is expressed through behavioural patterns. On the other hand, Singapore earns a
score of 48 and remains increasingly inclined towards the feminine side. Hence, Singapore is
marked by softer aspects of the culture like levelling with the others, sympathy, modesty and
humbleness.
Uncertainty avoidance represents the extent where members of a particular culture feels
threatened by unknown or ambiguous situations and therefore have created institutions and
beliefs for avoiding this (Frijns et al. 2013). United States, in this regard, have a lower score
close to 46. This implies that there is an acceptance of newer ideas, innovativeness in products
and the willingness of trying something different or new irrespective of whether it is pertaining
to education, business practice and technology. In fact, they are increasingly tolerant to the
opinions or ideas from any individual thereby allowing freedom of expression. Singapore on the
other hand has a lower score of 8. There in Singapore, people abide by various rules because
they look forward to the need for the structure.
Long term orientation refers to how each of the society maintains certain links with the
past in dealing with challenges of present and the future (Venaik, Zhu and Brewer 2013).
Societies are found to prioritize the two existential goals in a different manner. Normative
societies are found to score lower. United States belongs to the normative society and has a
lower score of 26. This is mostly because Americans analyzes newer information for checking its
genuineness. On the other hand Singapore has a higher score of 72 and it portrays cultural
qualities supporting the long-term investment that includes perseverance, slow results, sustained
efforts and sense of shame.

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Indulgence refers to the dimension that defines the extent to which people are able to
control their impulses and desires based on the manner in which they are raised (Andrijauskien
and Dumčiuvienė 2017). Weaker control is known as indulgence while stronger control is
referred as restraint. Cultures can therefore be described as either indulgent or restrained. In this
regard, United States has a score of 68 since they believe in working hard and playing harder.
For instance, United States has been found to wage a war against the drugs and still takes
measure in preventing it, yet States has been higher on drug addiction compared to any other
wealthier countries. However, it is impossible to determine preference for the dimension for
Singapore as it has a score of 46.
Conclusion:
On a concluding note, the UH Business School is known for establishing and following
learning goals for each of its program as part of its international AACSB accreditation. This
particular accreditation represents a non-governmental and voluntary review of the programs that
affirms the commitment of the business school in delivering highest level of education along
with ensuring constant improvement of the programs. The UH Bauer College belongs to the
league of the best business school in the world. Besides, the business school can also manage its
resources for achieving its relevant and vibrant mission and advance the management and
business knowledge through the faculty scholarship. Further, it also provides a higher caliber
instruction for quality and cultivate meaningful interaction between the students and the qualified
faculty. The business school also produce graduates who achieved specified goals for learning.
This makes it an ideal choice for making an entry in to the emerging markets of Singapore. The
report shows that although there are cultural differences between Houston, United States and

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Singapore but UH business school will be able to successfully make an entry through adoption of
the right strategy and the right mode of entry.

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References:
Andersen, T.J., Torp, S. and Linder, S., 2019. Introduction: Adaptive Strategy-making in
Turbulent Environments. In Strategic Responsiveness and Adaptive Organizations: New
Research Frontiers in International Strategic Management (pp. 1-8). Emerald Publishing
Limited.
Andrijauskienė, M. and Dumčiuvienė, D., 2017, October. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions and
National Innovation Level. In DIEM: Dubrovnik International Economic Meeting (Vol. 3, No. 1,
pp. 189-205). Sveučilište u Dubrovniku.
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rank.php[accessed 24 Dec, 2019]

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Cole, M.S., Carter, M.Z. and Zhang, Z., 2013. Leader–team congruence in power distance values
and team effectiveness: The mediating role of procedural justice climate. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 98(6), p.962.
Dakora, E.A. and Bytheway, A.J., 2014. Entry mode issues in the internationalisation of South
African retailing. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(4), p.194.
Frijns, B., Gilbert, A., Lehnert, T. and Tourani-Rad, A., 2013. Uncertainty avoidance, risk
tolerance and corporate takeover decisions. Journal of Banking & Finance, 37(7), pp.2457-2471.
Shao, X.F., 2019. What is the right production strategy for horizontally differentiated product:
Standardization or mass customization?. International Journal of Production Economics,
p.107527.
Thien, L.M., Thurasamy, R. and Razak, N.A., 2014. Specifying and assessing a formative
measure for Hofstede’s cultural values: a Malaysian study. Quality & Quantity, 48(6), pp.3327-
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Triandis, H.C., 2018. Individualism and collectivism. Routledge.
uh.edu, 2019. [online]. Available at
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Venaik, S., Zhu, Y. and Brewer, P., 2013. Looking into the future: Hofstede long term
orientation versus GLOBE future orientation. Cross Cultural Management: An International
Journal, 20(3), pp.361-385.