INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PROJECT Academic Essay

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PROJECT: Assessment 3: Market Entry Report (30%)

The International Business Project aims to engage students in learning activities where they will apply knowledge gained during the course, and in so doing, work to achieve the learning outcomes. Students must identify and work with a local company (agreed with lecturer) that could expand outside the UAE in terms of globalisation of markets and potential globalisation of production.

Each student mustchoose ONE local company (each student must work with a different company).
Each student must choose ONE country for potential expansion (either from Assessment 1, or any other country).
Students should view themselves as International Business Consultants, preparing a report for the company.
Students should interview company representatives where possible, or otherwise secure accurate company facts.

Students must produce an Individual report of 1,500 words, including the following elements:

Cover Page & Table of Contents

Introduction

The purpose of the report (explainthe context of the report, why it has been written)
The main contents of the report (a clear summary of the report findings)

Company Background
- Brief overview of the company
- Brief description of current products/services,geographic markets, and production/service facilities.
Country and Market Analysis: (LO 1, LO4). Analyse the suitability of your chosen country into which the company might expand. The analysis should include 10 factors,of most relevance to the business type and the country, across the following factors:

External factors that make the market attractive (e.g. political stability, free market systems, inflation rates, private sector debt, corruption levels)
Customer/Competitor based factors that make the market attractive (g. Product/service availability to meet consumer needs, level of existing competition, efficiency and value of existing competitors)
Industry and Business related factors (g. Trade barriers, suitable labour force availability, Business core competences, Rate of expansion required/company strategy, Transport costs, Costs of establishment/EoS, Level of centralised control required)
Justify why each chosen factor is relevant to the company.
Determine the suitability/attractiveness of each factor (e.g. 7/10, unsuitable-very suitable) and include a written justification with references for each factor score.

(The information gathered for Assignment 1 may be used here, or students may use a different country.)

Marketing mix & Staffing policy

Formulate a brief marketing mix for the company in the new market noting the need for Standardisation vs. Local Responsiveness (refer to Product features, Place/Distribution strategy (includingwhere production should be located), Promotion strategy; Pricing strategy) (LO3.1 &3.2).

Identify and justify which HRM staffing policy the company should use (LO3.3).

Market Entry Strategy (LO4)

Evaluate the potential suitability (advantages/disadvantages) of each of the six Entry Modes applied specifically for this company.
Recommend& justify the best entry mode(s) for this company.

Strategyfor international business operations(LO5)

Select and briefly justify the most appropriate of the 4 Strategies that the company could use to compete internationally: (Global Standardisation, Transnational, International, orLocalisation).

BUS 3103 – Assessment 3: Market Entry Report: Rubric and Feedback Sheet:

Report Contents	Unacceptable F	Minimum requirements D	Satisfactory C/C+	Significantly above requirements B/B+	Outstanding A/A+	Marks Awarded

	Achievement that does not meet requirements for course with normal grading mode.	Achievement that minimally meets the course requirements but may not meet the GPA requirement.	Achievement that satisfactorily meets the course and GPA requirements	Achievement that is significantly above the course and GPA requirements	Achievement that is outstanding relative to the course and GPA requirements
1. Introduction – Purpose of the report – Summarise main contents of the report						/10
2. Company background – Company overview: ownership, size, history, otherrelevant facts. – Markets &Products: clearly stated, expansion limitation/potential						/10
3. Country and Market Analysis Relevance justified & appropriate; Suitability/attractiveness analysed. – External factors – Customer based factors – Industry and Business related factors						/30
4. Marketing mix & Staffing policy – Marketing Mix incorporates relevant requirements related to: – Product/Service (culture, economic development, technical standards) – Distribution (Location of production; Retail Concentration/Channel length, etc.) – Promotions (Cultural barriers, Noise levels, Push vs Pull) – Pricing strategy (incl. Elasticity of demand, with justification) – Justification of selected Staffing Policy						/40 /10
5. Market Entry Strategy – Evaluation of the Six Entry Modes with pros and cons applied to the company and country. – Appropriateness of preferredEntry mode(s), aptness of justification.						/60
6. Strategy for international business operations – Justification of the most appropriate strategy: Note referencesto expanding the market, location economies; experience effects; leverage subsidiary skills; 2 competing pressures; and evolution of strategy.						/20
Language & Formatting – overall quality of structure and approach to preparing final report. – refer to Written English and Formatting Marking Criteria						/20
Total						/200

Assessment Guidelines
CATEGORY	Unacceptable F	Minimum requirements D	Satisfactory C/C+	Significantly above requirements B/B+	Outstanding A/A+
From Course Guide	Achievement that does not meet requirements for course with normal grading mode.	Achievement that minimally meets the course requirements but may not meet the GPA requirement.	Achievement that satisfactorily meets the course and GPA requirements	Achievement that is significantly above the course and GPA requirements	Achievement that is outstanding relative to the course and GPA requirements
General Guidance	Errors so significant that the work is not passing quality	Significant errors, information is unclear or incorrect	Most information is correct and well-presented, with few errors	Largely free of errors, demonstrates critical thought with well-explained coverage of all topics.	Clear, well-explained, error-free work demonstrating critical thinking, with clear evidence of independent work and authentic research.
Organisation of information	Information is poorly organised, lacks structure formatting, and presented out of order.	Information is unorganised and poorly structured; many paragraphs presented out of order.	Information is organised in places with adequate structure; some paragraphs presented out of order.	Information is organised with many well-constructed sections; many paragraphs presented in a logical order.	Information is very organised with well- constructed sections; paragraphs are presented in a logical order.
Breadth of Information	Covers none of the areas that should be addressed.	Covers few of the areas that should be addressed.	Covers some of the areas that should be addressed.	Covers all of the areas required to be addressed.	Covers all areas that required to be addressed along with additional independent analyses.
Quality of Information	Includes irrelevant explanations or details, or has little to no detail.	Basic and has insufficient details.	Basic but has some detail to support the projects goals.	Advanced and has some detail to support project goals.	Insightful and thorough analysis. Advanced and detailed enough to support project goals.

Written English and Formatting Marking Criteria for Project

WRITTEN LANGUAGE	Unacceptable F	Minimum requirements D	Satisfactory C/C+	Significantly above requirements B/B+	Outstanding A/A+	Score
Grammar GRM	Accuracy in some simple sentences, though errors occur and complex sentences rare	Good accuracy in simple sentences – complex sentences limited and with errors	Good accuracy in both simple and complex sentences – though errors sometimes occur	Strong range of sentences – errors infrequent	Excellent range of sentences – Noerrors
Vocabulary VOC	Vocab. limited and errors frequent	Vocab. choice generally appropriate and accurate – although errors	Vocab. choice shows more flexibility – though errors	Good range of vocab. – errors infrequent	Excellent range of vocab. – No infrequent
Spelling / punctuation SP	Errors frequent, but not affecting meaning	Errors occur regularly	Occasional errors	Largely error free (occasional lapse)	No errors

FORMATTING

C/C+

B/B+

A/A+

Score

Following HCT formatting requirements for reports

Little attempt to follow formatting conventions (4 or more problem areas)

Formatting is attempted but often incorrect (3 problem areas)

Formatted correctly in most respects (2 problem areas)

Formatted correctly in all areas (only 1 problem areas)

Correct formatting throughout (No problem areas)

1. title page		2. contents page		3. margins		4. page numbers		5. font consistency
6. line spacing		7. sections & paragraph spacing		8. level 1&2 headings		9. bullets and numbering		10. separate appendix page

REFERENCING

C/C+

B/B+

A/A+

Score

Following HCT MLA referencing conventions

(use 1-4 for reports without charts/pics or 1-6 with charts/pics)

REF

Little attempt to follow referencing conventions (problems in all areas)

Referencing attempted, but often inaccurate (3 problem areas or 4-5 problem areas if using charts/pictures)

Generally appropriate number and use of citations – although repeated errors may occur in 1 or 2 areas below (2 problem areas or 2-3 problem areas if using charts/pictures)

Referenced well with minor omissions/errors (ie incorrect use of in-text reference) (only 1 problem area)

Referenced fully and accurately (No problem areas)

1. in text sources in brackets		2. work cited		3. quotations		4. paraphrasing
5. chart /pictures captions		6. chart/pictures in-text bracketed refs