The global chess game … or is it go? Market‐entry strategies for emerging markets

Two contrasting metaphors of market‐entry strategy for emerging markets are developed in this article: the Global Chess Game and the Game of Go. Understanding these paradigms is critical for business success and for building robust theories of international competitor analysis in emerging markets, particularly in Asia. The Game of Go represents a long‐term strategy of Japanese companies, dominant foreign direct investment players in the region, and it represents the global strategy of many Asian emerging market companies as they grow within the region and beyond. A Competitor Analysis Framework for Emerging Markets is proposed that incorporates culture and other antecedents as precursors of competitor analysis and strategy formulation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.