Is Zoning Obsolete?

most formidable of all competitors. Japanese companies do not plan or design for their local market but rather for the larger world markets. They realize that they must export to survive. Japan has even developed an expertise in the exporting of entire plants, amortized by the revenues generated in the marketing of products to mature economies. Currently, a Japanese builder is constructing a petrochemical plant in Algeria. When completed, the plant is scheduled to have 90 percent of its output marketed back in Japan by the builder, but it will be able to shift that output into Europe if it is economically attractive to do so. In our planning and in our government relations, we should press for changes in U.S. laws and regulations that unnecessarily tie our hands in the international marketplace. Historically, our laws and regulations affecting international commerce are grounded in the belief that the U.S. is a closed, fully integrated and totally selfsufficient marketplace. That time has long passed. We assumed that production, financing and marketing would be accommodated within national boundaries. We even use our tax law to restrict ourselves. Income taxes on Americans living abroad place American firms at a severe competitive disadvantage and ultimately impact on our ability to export American manufactured goods. Devices which restrict this nation's and its industries' efforts to respond to a changing world market will reinforce the concept of protectionism and not be in our long term interest. To improve and maintain a favorable balance of payments position in the world economy, U.S. law and regulations need to increasingly reflect not only changing conditions in the international marketplace; they also must reflect a positive approach to new and aggressive marketing efforts by both industrialized and developing competitors. Tariffs, import quotas, export limitations and paperwork requirements all exact a price in the final cost of doing business on an international scale where home-grown codes of operation place the businessman at a disadvantage. Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister has cryptically observed, "We will continue to favor the low bidder." Current trends are affecting our planning decisions as they relate to investments in research and development and human resources management. Research and development dollars are affected as much by internationalism as by domestic consideration. It may, for instance, make more business sense to develop products to serve new markets in other countries than to develop them for a home market. Poland, a nation with essentially no golf courses, is a leading exporter of golf carts. Meanwhile, human resources management is responding to demographic changes in the U.S. such as the increase in the number of working women and the rise in two-income families, and has already identified pressures to change work schedules and career patterns. But we must recognize the introduction of the German concept of labor representation on Boards of Directors has already occurred with Chrysler. And when will the Japanese concept on life-time employment be adopted? Other corporate functions are having to adjust their orientation from domestic to international. The backbone of every legal operation, for instance whether a corporate legal staff or an outside firm will increasingly be its competence in the international regulatory arena. Private firms and corporations will seek out those who not only have private sector experience, but those whose resumes carry the right acronyms ICC, FCC, FTC, and SEC. Future law school graduates can be expected to be or to become multilingual, as well as multi-disciplined, and will probably be well equipped to work on international legal considerations in both private and public sectors. Similarly, our treasury, tax, investor and promotional operations will also be increasing their international orientation. Today's investors in corporations are located around the world, and our promotional activities for attracting new investment must demonstrate strengths in the world marketplace. The inescapable fact is that as businessmen our strategies for the 80s must recognize the world wide significance of our operations. The keys to success, and even survival, are accurate anticipation and timely adaptation to change. World maps are changing, and we're working to a faster clock and shorter calendar. We have the opportunity to plan and operate across national borders; to help new nations and young people, who are the hope for our future; to achieve new aspirations; to respond to complex new ideas and values; and to demonstrate anew that business and societies can be allies in the pursuit of both progress and good. Doing all of this is going to be a challenge in our constantly changing new world, but best of all, it should be fun.