The Automobile Industry: How Strategy Affects Globalization

Sammanfattning: This thesis studies which strategies that increase and decrease the level of globalization for companies in the automobile industry. This is done by mapping the strategies and updating the GERPISA globalization index for five selected companies: Renault, BMW, Geely, General Motors and Toyota. We update the GERPISA-index by extending it with the years 2006 - 2012 by calculations based on company reports. The updated index is then used to show how different strategies have affected the level of globalization. In our conclusion we present the theory that a differentiation leader strategy or a differentiation focuser strategy decrease globalization in the automobile industry. We also argue that a cost leadership strategy or a cost focuser strategy increases globalization in the automobile industry.