BM023-3-2

Individual Assignment

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Learning Outcomes: Understand a variety of international environmental influences on Business. Analysis of the impact of uncertainty on International Business Behaviour. Objectives of the Assignment: To perform an environmental analysis of a country of your choice in comparison to another country To identify possible opportunities and threats To analyse how the environmental factors in terms of political-legal, social, economic and technological environment can affect the international operation functions and decision-making of a business To be able to perform a costs-benefits-risk assessment To determine and evaluate the most appropriate market entry strategy Background: You are the Marketing Manager of a company called GlobalConnect. Your company has been operating successfully for the past 15 years and considered as the market leader in the Malaysian market. Due to the intensified domestic competition, you intend to persuade the companys Board of Directors (BOD) to expand in ONE (1) of the following countries stated below. You are required to conduct a research on the specific country which you have selected and present your proposal/ findings to the BOD. 1. Brazil 2. Cambodia 3. India Requirements 1. Choose a product/ service that you are familiar with. It is important that you perform a thorough research not only on the country but also on the product/ service that you have chosen. 2. You must seek prior approval from your lecturer on the product/ service of your choice before you begin your assignment. 3. You are required to follow the structure which is specified in Suggested Structure and Format of Writing below. The length of this written assignment is approximately 2,000 words to be submitted together with a softcopy in CD format. Students need to use adequate references to substantiate their research and report. (Often to obtain a credit or a distinction, students are required to present 10 or more quality references) You are required to state the number of words (excluding the executive summary, content page, references and bibliography) used on the cover of the assignment. Diagrams,
Level 2 Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation 201110

4. Vietnam 5. South Korea 6. Indonesia

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Individual Assignment

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figures, references, bibliography and any appendices made in your report are not subjected to any word penalty. A sliding scale of penalties for excess length will be imposed. The penalties will be as follows: 2,001-2,200 2,201-2,400 2,401-2,600 2,601 and above Making References You are not limited to use only International Business textbooks. Other related textbooks such as International Business Communication, International Management, International Human Resource Management and Global/International Marketing can be used. However, you are recommended to use recent journals, reports, surveys, and newspaper articles from credible sources (which can be online or offline materials) instead of only textbooks and general information websites for your references in order to provide more up-to-date information to support your writing. Students who fail to use any journals, reports and surveys as sources of references will receive a lower mark in the overall quality criterion. No penalty 10% reduction in the mark 20% reduction in the mark The work will be capped at a pass i.e. 50%

Citations and References You are required to use proper referencing methods for this assignment Harvard Referencing System. Ensure each citation has its reference and each reference needs to have a citation in the document. Numbering and bullets are not required for references. References need to be presented in an ascending alphabetical order (i.e. from A to Z).

Suggested Structure and Format of Writing Below is a suggested structure you can use for your report. - Executive Summary identify the countries you will be focusing on, give brief information in regards the country demography, economic profile and International Business opportunities (words in the executive summary is not considered in your word count but it should not be more than ONE (1) page) - Cover Page - Table of Contents - Introduction - PESTLE factors analysis - Proposed Mode of Entry - Recommendations and summary

Level 2

Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation

201110

BM023-3-2

Individual Assignment

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The report must follow the standard academic format. Font : Times New Roman/Arial Font Size : 12 Spacing : 1.5

Breakdown of marks: Criteria No. 1 Items Knowledge and Understanding Marks allocation 40 marks - This need to be supported by originality in writing and effort to paraphrase. - Marks vary according to detail of explanation, number of concepts used and originality of work. 40 marks - Marks vary according to the breadth of analysis and depth of evaluation. 10 marks - Marks for clarity and conciseness in writing; to achieve clarity students are encourage paragraphing their ideas and avoiding writing long paragraphs where the markers may have difficulty identifying the main idea the students are trying to present. - Marks for proper spelling and grammar usage. 10 marks - Marks allocated for format which include proper layout of assignment contents and cover page, use of heading and subheading, evidence of page numbering, indication of word count, use of correct font types and font size, and right spacing between lines. - Marks allocated for evidence of citations written in consistent manner following Harvard System - Marks allocated for relevant references written in the required Harvard System. 100 marks

Analysis and Evaluation Language, Spelling and Grammar

Format, Citations, and References

Total

Level 2

Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation

201110

BM023-3-2

Individual Assignment

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Miscellaneous The following are some questions you need to ask in doing this written assignment. IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE READ Make Sense of Your Data Do not merely copy the statistical information about a countrys economy or demography and then paste it into your written assignment. You need to show how the statistical numbers matter. Students may FAIL this assignment if they do substantial copying and pasting of information but give little or no evidence to show how the data are relevant to the targeted entrepreneurs or business managers of their country in their assessment of the benefits, costs, and risks of possible international business ventures. For example, many students will insert the population number of a country but fail to explain how this is used to make decision whether to enter into the market or not. Is the size of the population a determining factor of the market size? The more relevant data students should obtain is not the size of the population but the size of the market related to a particular good or service which an entrepreneur or a business organisation wants to sell. Even if there is a large population living in a country, there may be limited number of people interested or capable of buying the product. Do Not Write Paragraph Answers in Tables Avoid putting long paragraph information in tables just to circumvent the word count. Information in the tables should be short and concise. Any attempt by students to insert long descriptions, explanations or analysis in tables will have the words in them considered towards the final word count. Write Short Paragraphs Do not write in a long paragraph. You need to present your writings in short paragraphs to effectively differentiate the discussion or explanation of one idea from the other. The following are some questions you could ask yourself when doing this assignment. It is not necessary that you have to answer all the questions as they are merely guides to give you some ideas of what information to look for. Due to the word constraints, you will need to be selective of the information you want to present and choose the salient points that matter to the chosen audience.

Level 2

Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation

201110

BM023-3-2

Individual Assignment

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Performance Criteria Marks are awarded based on the following guidelines: Grade Assessment Guidelines Analysis is superficial. Absence or limited use of concepts. Irrelevant regurgitation of information. Failure to show relationships between ideas. Many key issues are ignored. Fail (F) Applications of concepts and language of the subject is 0%-40% confusing. Limited or no referencing is made. Lack of clarity in the report due to poor grammar. Several spelling mistakes made in writing. No or very limited recommendations are given. Analysis is superficial. Use of concepts and language of the subject are minimal. Few learning outcomes are met. Information presented in a routine, unimaginative and Fail (F+) sometimes unnecessarily long-winded fashion. Many key 40%-49% issues are ignored. Writing is undermined with many grammatical and spelling errors. Limited recommendations are given. Proper understanding of the concepts and issues are shown. Elements of an appropriate structure are present. Some reading and research are evident in the report. Adequate references are Pass (D to C) made but not in required format. Analysis of the issues is 50%-65% present but lacks depth. Some weakness in terms of relevancy. Some parts of the assignment answer do not flow coherently. Some recommendations are given. Evidence of reading and research. Understanding of the application of appropriate models and concepts is demonstrated. Credit (B to B+) Key issues are identified and analysed although this may be 66%-75% limited at times. Sources of information are acknowledged in the right referencing format following Harvard system. Adequate recommendations are given. Arguments are clear and convincing. Presentation of ideas is well-organised in a coherent fashion. Successful integration of theory and practices is demonstrated. Extensive reading and Distinction (A to A+) research is demonstrated in writing. Consistent referencing to 76%-above sources using the Harvard system. Coherent flow of information is provided. Format used is highly consistent. Good recommendations are given.

Level 2

Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation

201110