Comparative Management MAN 508 Term Report

Spring 2015

This assignment, should you wish to accept it for 20points, will disappear in a puff of
smoke after May 15, 2015. And if you believe that then this assignment will probably be
very easy for you. But first, the good news and then also, the bad news.
The Good News, is that this is a creative endeavour requiring the massive use of the
right brain, with dreams and wishy washy art work (in a manner of speaking) that will
lead you to establish a specific, given type of business approved by your instructor, in a
foreign land. The Bad news, is that this is a management course, so if you use your
default marketing personae and turn in a marketing assignment, you can kiss your
grade goodbye.
What is the right brain and the left brain? Basically in psychology, Neuropsychologist
Roger W. Sperry gave us the theory of the brain divided into two equal halves the left
brain and the right brain. In a nutshell, the left brain is quantitative, specific and math
oriented. The right brain is wishy-washy, able to think outside the box and creative in
intent and purpose. Basically, left or right, you have use your brain.
Now the assignment is simply identifying a Pakistani Food serving business such as a
restaurant and franchising it in an approved country (List enclosed in this assignment)
based on the franchising model of a major food franchiser that is functioning in Pakistan
(which limits you to McD, BK, KFC, PH, DP and a couple more) . So for example, you can
take McDonalds as the model and franchise Student Biryani in Mexico. Or you can take
the KFC model and franchise Nooranis Grill in Turkey. Or the Pizza Hut model and
franchise Jan Broast in the UK). And yes you need menus.
This part is quite straight forward as you choose a management strategy and all the
relevant management functions (IHRM and QC functions and issues). You use Hofestede
to identify or justify your choice. That is all pretty easy to do.
And use the KISS rule: Kiss, Kiss, Kiss. Thats right Keep its simple, stupid.
The hard part, is where you have to choose your tools, is how you will deliver your
assignment. You have just three choices all of which you have to deliver on a USB:
1. Make out a video based presentation extensively showing the what, how and why
2. Use other media tools with PPS/PPT plus video to deliver your work
3. Make out a scrap book showing your work (this will require both a hard copy and
an image based ppt)
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Comparative Management MAN 508 Term Report

Spring 2015

And all three options need 3 pages of hardcopy consisting of:

1. Cover sheet with Names and ID numbers
2. Executive Summary
3. Bibliography

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3

Delivery of the assignment requires creativity in presentation. A scrapbook theme for

example could center around graphic presentations of how the business was identified,
what characteristics of the target market were found attractive and useful, which model
was used and why that and how the business progressed. A scrapbook is ideal for group
work because the work can be easily divided up into each member doing their own
thing simultaneously and adding it in together. This synergy, where the whole is greater
than the sum of the parts, also makes presenting the material and doing vivas much
easier. Video presentations can be added by a simple camera mobile showing snaps or
video clips of team members visiting the identified model franchise.
In contrast a group may want to deliver the report via the medium of pdf coupled with
powerpoint and a video showing the food presentation, clips about the country
identified, assumed issues and so on. You may add in video interviews and the like to
enable the viewer to understand your work in visual rather than purely written report
format. As you may have noticed, we are trying to get away from our standard 10 to 15
age format which you have done in the past 40 courses and do something different a la
Nike (Yep, Just do it). And why food? Because its something we all understand, whether
we use our brains or not.
The delivery date is divided into 2 parts. The first part is in draft form; the second is in
final, absolute last form. If you do not have a final absolute last form report ready by the
final exam date, you will automatically lose half your marks (i.e.: 10 pts) but if you have
no draft report by viva date, you will have no report and will fail this course. The due
dates are:
DELIVERABLES:
Progress report presentations
E-mail in report before class
Executive Summary and Draft is due on April:
Finalized term report USB is due on:

April 12
April 25
April 26 Start Vivas
Final Exam date (expected: May 3)

Comparative Management MAN 508 Term Report

Spring 2015

Additional Penalties for lateness (Finalized Term report):

If not delivered by the end of the exam, 10 points penalty plus
Up to 1 day or 24 hours late
3points
(= 13points)
Up to 3days or 72hours late
5points
(= 15points)

Division of marks:

20points

Content
Assignment content creativity
Video, Ppt, presentation
Viva

10 points
2.5 points
2.5 points
5points

The assignments should be collected onto a single USB (or two USBs) and
handed over.
Each group also needs to hand over their 3 page hardcopy which includes the
bibliography (a documented collection of all materials used using the APA
format; a list of internet sites visited for the assignment with time & date of visit).
No frivolous statements such as as everyone knowsor there is a famous
saying. Any quotation made must be documented fully (name, from what text,
published by whom, year of publication, page number) and use the APA format
(which if you do not know what that is, simply google it)
The Executive summary is the last thing that goes into the assignment. It is the
conclusion of the report and includes the findings and also on what page or what
part of the report that section describing a finding may be found. Usually this
refers to a table of contents, but here please use link so that the examiner may
click on it to lead to various parts of the report, especially since the format is up
to you and will likely be unconventional.
We will try to have all the vivas in class but if we cannot, then we can take vivas
on skype. Your address will be added for the viva only and deleted once the
grades and semester are done.
Questions relating to the assignment will also come in the final exam (10points)
Look at the Assessment of presentation format as that is what Assignment
content creativityand Video, Ppt, presentationwill be judged on as a
minimum
You are IOBM students and as such, you are the cream of business school
creativity in Karachi. Make this an assignment that is interesting, different,
colourful, workable.
But most of all remember to have fun and enjoy yourselves
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Comparative Management MAN 508 Term Report

Spring 2015

Questions and concerns?

Tears?
Heartbreak?

Contact your instructor at bkhairi2004@yahoo.co.uk or at babernelo2020 at skype.

Countries list:
Argentina, Canada, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, GCC (any of many countries), EU, (any
of many countries), ASEAN (any of many countries), MERCOSUR (any of many countries),
NAFTA (Mexico, US, Canada), Central America, Japan, China, South Korea, Republic of
South African, Turkey, Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, CAS (any of many Central Asian
countries), Sudan, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Afghanistan, Nepal.