Walmart vs Alibaba in Intercultural Adaptation

Last week, the world witnessed the IPO of Alibaba Group (on the Cayman's). The company was founded in 1999 by a relatively poor English teacher in China. On Friday, Alibaba's shares (BABA) began trading at $92.70 on the NYSE. Approximately 127 million shares were traded within the first 15 minutes of trading. In the last 72 hours, the stock peaked at just over $99. It's low was just over $89. It is currently hovering around $93. Interesting about this "stock" is that it does not entitle shareholders to ownership of the actual China-based company--only a contracted off-shore group. When it comes to "communication" practices, Alibaba stands poised to enter the US market, and its founder seems to understand the need to adjust to the American market and American customer preferences. Read one Forbes' writer's assessment of Alibaba's future!