Introduction
Standing out from the crowd and being unique in one’s own way is what drives customers into buying. In whichever business one ventures in, there must be hurdles to pass through and the strategy used is very crucial since it holds the future of the business. Many developing countries have more difficult environments for business but the potential is still very high. People may say that if you go to Rome do as the Romans but in business you have to implement a different strategy to ensure you survive. Infosys is one of the leading software companies in the world despite having to establish itself in a corrupt environment especially in the India Southeast Asia region.
Ethics
Corruption has been core in many developing countries and businesses have been praised to thrive well when in corrupt deals. It will only take an honest and integral leader to evade these corrupt deals and operate cleanly in business. This maybe easier said than done and any leader who chooses this path should brace himself for an up-hill task full of challenges.
Perseverance and patience must be a virtue and business in corrupt areas such as the Philippines and the entire Southeast Asia region (ASEAN block) will not peak until after sometime. Corrupt government officials have terrorized businessmen and most have opted to either bribe or go out of business. Business ethics must be upheld and whether the competitors have already got the markets through corruption means the strategy of the company is to be outstanding and be transparent and accountable through all deals.
Infosys has been a perfect example of businesses which have not bowed down to corruption and the strategy should be emulated by all business. Though it may take several years to obtain recognition in the market, values and ethics in business must be followed (Abdelal, Tella, & Kothandaraman, 2007, p.5). Meeting sales targets may be hard especially in a corrupt market but ensuring that everything is done to book and according to the law will build a more stable market free from corruption and politics.
Strategies
Marketing strategies like advertisements will come in handy and having a local connection without bribing is a good strategy. This should be direct from the headquarters and they should be informed on the actual fishy corrupt businesses on the ground. Remaining clean can also help when scandals occur and clean up the corruption in the market leaving you to dominate. Since most of the competitors have done it through corrupt means you can have a strategy to advertise the product through a platform of anti corruption (Berry & Wilson, 2000, p.75). This will help boost sales thus meeting the sales quota.
Complying with the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act will be mandatory to evade any scandals that might lead to the closure of the business abroad which means that no corruption is to be practiced. Though others may justify paying officials to get a market as legal, this generally goes against the ethics of business. The best strategy is to deal with clean distributors in the host countries. It is best to avoid peddlers, who claim their influence in the markets can help through corruption (Abdelal, Tella & Kothandaraman, 2007, p.8).
Investors’ confidence is achieved and customers’ credit is attained when the practice is clean, which means a company can dominate the market. This strategy can take time and resources in the short-term but yield huge profits in the long-run. It also makes the business have focus and evade worries of small shake-ups in the markets when corruption is unearthed.
This strategy also requires adequate legal knowledge since the company must prepare for legal battles. Most international companies are legally equipped so that the requirement is just being on the good side. Officials also fear clean businessmen such that they can let slip if they see one never relents in pursuit for sales. Recruiting honest sales staff will also be a boost to the campaign towards ethical business deals. Indeed, motivation talks and business strategies should be taught to them. Follow-ups to all sales staff should be core since they can provide links to new markets (Berry & Wilson, 2000, p.84).
Infosys strategy viability
The Infosys strategy is the best way to build the civil foundations in Asia. This is because it builds a stable future and enables all the stakeholders and business partners to trust the business at all times even at times of losses (Abdelal, Tella & Kothandaraman, 2007, p.7). Relating to Infosys’ strategy would be a risk worth taking since it has proved to work in their case. Though not all companies may be favored as the above company; however, pegging on the business region and market, the strategy is bound to work given time and resources. This will be given from the headquarters and must be accounted for effectively in a transparent and accountable way to avoid misconceptions.
Conclusion
Establishing a business in a market which is corrupt can prove to be a testing experience but those who stand for true and correct ethics will sail through even with the challenges. The success story of Infosys in India building a Software Giant in a Corrupt Environment gives hope to eliminate corruption in the systems and ensure that all businesses operate from a level field for market search. Even with the job on line one needs to choose proper ethics so that the world gives a stable future and pride that the company will appreciate in future. Many people believe that uncorrupt businesses never get huge profits but it is just a stereotype to those who want a shortcut to wealth. If one invests and remains focused the business will perform beyond expectations.
References
Abdelal, R., Tella, R. D. & Kothandaraman, P. (2007). Infosys in India: Building a Software Giant in a Corrupt Environment. New York, Harvard Business School Publishing.
Berry, T. & Wilson, D. (2000). On target, the book on marketing plans: how to develop and implement a successful marketing plan. Second Edition. Palo Alto Software, Inc, Web.