Abstract

In today’s fast-paced global economy, markets are sifting very swiftly, and the balance of trade and even political influence are following suit. It is important, therefore, that international business professionals, academics and students of global trade and international markets, and anyone interested on the latest developments taking place in global trade to be able to understand, compare and contrast the primary categories of emerging market business development, including its sub-categories, or maybe more appropriately, its sibling, the frontier markets.

There is no doubt that today’s global markets present both great opportunity and significant risk for business development and investment. Established and mature markets have been supposedly providing safety and security for labor and capital, but the last seven years or so have changed such perspective when we witness advanced economies struggling with debt and lack of growth, while competition is at an all time high. Hence, understanding emerging and frontier markets present some of the most significant opportunities for international business professionals and investors. This book, an expanded and enhanced version of the Part II of our “big” book published a few months ago (Advanced Economies and Emerging Markets: Perspectives for Globalization), dives deeper at the opportunities and challenges faced by emerging and frontier markets, comparing the risks and opportunities in its main markets so that students and researchers, as well as investors and casual readers interested in this topic, can gain a better understanding of which markets provide the best opportunities. Our hope is that readers will find this information useful in their forward-looking international business careers and business strategies.

Marcus Goncalves, Fall 2014.

Keywords

ASEAN, BRICS, CIVETS, EAGLE, emerging markets, frontier markets, global trade, globalization, international business, international trade, MENA, trading blocs