International expansion strategy through cooperation

: the alphabet case internationalization of small and medium businesses

Abstract

The case study here presented unfolds the strategy used by Alphabet International GmbH,British leasing and fleet management company, when decided to expand its business in Irelandthrough a cooperation with the local company Mahony Fleet. Alphabet International was fundedin the UK in the late 90’s, but it is now fully owned by the BMW Group and has moved itsheadquarters to Munich, Germany.The case presents the internationalization process from its first steps of approaching the newmarket, to the conclusion of the deal and the establishment of an international partnershiprelationship. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of such strategyand the financial and reputational risks and benefits it might bring to the companyinternationalizing. Lastly, based on the data gathered from interviews conducted with the Headof New Market of Alphabet, and other internal resources, the final conclusions were drawn,showing that the partnership established between Alphabet and Mahony Fleet was a successbecause it allowed Alphabet to increase its global footprint, keep its international customers inits portfolio, and gain new ones over time.This paper should serve as a teaching tool to future students, as it shows how to apply thetheoretical knowledge gained in the classroom to a real-life case study involving a worldwiderenown corporation that falls on the top 5 companies in its industry.

Date of Award	28 Jun 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Cardeal (Supervisor)