How should MTV International expand internationally? Should it license its MTV brand to local business people in each area, form a strategic alliance with key foreign business partners, or should it bear the risk itself and completely own and control each MTV station throughout the world?

Answer 1

This cannot be easily answered, as any answer involves a tradeoff of risk vs profit potential. Risk of course involves the risk of graft and corruption when one absorbs locals, or licenses to locals. Emerging economies are fraught with this risk.

My first inclination would be to completely own and control, with outside investors. But if those outside investors started to control (intimication, violence, threats of bodily harm), cut the ties, dust off the shoes, and leave. Life is too short to deal with criminals.