GPS 401 · Unit 5 of 6
International Partnerships and Ecosystems
Global Strategy and Multinational Management
Start unit · 4 lessons →Unit overview
This unit develops international partnerships, ecosystems, and alliance management using Solara Foods as the anchor. You will apply partner selection scorecard, alliance life cycle, relational contracts, ecosystem orchestration to a live decision: Renew, renegotiate, or insource Brazilian retail distribution
Learning objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
- Explain core vocabulary for international partnerships, ecosystems, and alliance management in plain language with Solara Foods examples
- Apply partner selection scorecard to structure options, assumptions, and tradeoffs
- Build reconciled evidence tables with leading indicators and guardrail metrics
- Produce a decision memo with kill criteria and stakeholder dissent
Solara scenario
Solara's cocoa co-investment with Ghanaian cooperatives depends on a logistics partner facing credit stress. Evaluating renewal of a Brazil distribution alliance versus building direct sales
Lessons in this unit
- Foundations and framing
- Concepts, mechanics, and operating rhythm
- Frameworks, evidence, and tradeoffs
- Applied decisions, case analysis, and executive synthesis
Assessment
Complete the unit knowledge check and applied exercise after Lesson 4. The exercise asks for a two-page memo on Renew, renegotiate, or insource Brazilian retail distribution with reconciliation checks and kill criteria.
Unit assessment
Complete each section below. Score 80%+ on the quiz to finish this unit's assessment.
Exercises
Apply what you learned in this unit with structured practice.
Deliverable
300–500 word analysis document saved to your portfolio under GPS 401.
Rubric
- • Framework applied correctly (not just named)
- • Specific evidence from a real example
- • Clear recommendation with tradeoffs acknowledged
- • Professional writing with source citation
Deliverable
Problem solutions + 150-word reflection in your GPS 401 workbook.
Rubric
- • Attempted all practice items before checking answers
- • Honest reflection on errors
- • Identifies a specific review action
Case analysis
Analyze a case using frameworks from this unit.
Deliverable
2-page case write-up in your portfolio.
Rubric
- • Case facts are accurate and sourced
- • Analysis uses unit frameworks explicitly
- • Recommendation is justified with tradeoffs
- • Risks are specific, not generic
Knowledge quiz
Check your understanding before marking the unit complete.
1. Solara Foods faces: Solara's cocoa co-investment with Ghanaian cooperatives depends on a logistics partner facing credit stress. Which framing best matches executive decision practice?
2. Which evidence label is correctly applied for Solara Foods?
3. Omar Haddad asks which framework fits Evaluating renewal of a Brazil distribution alliance versus building direct sales. Best answer?
4. Finance challenges a $156M-scale recommendation in GPS 401. What passes scrutiny?
5. Which kill criterion is strongest for international partnerships, ecosystems, and alliance management?
6. Stakeholder dissent is healthiest when:
7. Best one-sentence decision ask for this unit?
8. Solara Foods operates in 42 markets. What mistake should you avoid?