CHAPTER 2
Global Mindset: Connecting Across Cultures
U.S. toy giant Mattel is no newcomer to global business. It has worked with low-cost overseas manufacturers for decades. In 2000, it increased its offshore manufacturing initiatives in China and elsewhere to take advantage of cost-saving opportunities that would allow it to survive within the tight margins of the toy market. By keeping manufacturing costs low, Mattel could focus its U.S. resources on marketing and innovation for the core Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price brands.
The rationale and strategy behind these moves was sound, but their execution was nearly deadly. In 2007, Mattel was forced to recall 19 million toys due to contamination with lead-based paint that originated with ...
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