1. International businesses look to locate foreign operations in countries which are politically stable. Outline and critically discuss the criteria by which a company may judge whether or not a country is stable. Justify your arguments by reference to particular countries/companies.

 

2. For a global company from a western economy contemplating a joint venture with a foreign partner in China what are the cultural difficulties likely to be encountered? By applying the work of Hofstede and Trompennars, explain your recommendations to enable the joint venture to have the best chance to succeed?

 

3. Compare and contrast various internationalisation strategies of businesses. Explain with company examples the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

 

4. Identify a country which is a member of a particular trading bloc of your choice. Examine the positive and negative aspects of membership of this bloc from the viewpoint of the country’s ability to engage in free trade.

 

5. To what extent is Research and Development {R& D} becoming ‘globalised’? In what ways may developing countries reap R& D advantages which could spill over into their domestic companies?

 

6.Identify, for one particular country of your choice, the key macroeconomic problems it has been experiencing in the recent past. Consider the range of macroeconomic policy instruments that the government of your chosen country had at its disposal, giving evidence of how it deployed them, and providing data by which its success may be judged.

 

University of Sunderland

 

Faculty of Business and Law

 

PGBM04 International Business Environment Assignment

 

Off Campus: Segi etc

 

Issue Date: July 2012

Hand in date: 11th September 2012

 

 

 

This is an individual assignment. It will constitute 100% of your overall mark for the module. Please choose ONE question from the following six. You are asked to write an essay-style answer of about 3000 words on the topic you have chosen. All questions are equally weighted. You are expected to develop your own arguments for each, based on your own critical reflection, as well as reading and discussion in the workshops. This is not a closed-book assessment. You are free to use research-based academic work, such as journal articles, books, and other sources. Remember to provide full references, using Harvard referencing, at the end of each answer for any material that you refer to.

All students must submit a Turnitin receipt with the paper copy submission.

The penalty for students who do not submit their assessed work through Turnitin is that their mark is withheld and the assessment board may deem the work to have failed.

Students may submit drafts through Turnitin prior to submission and generate reports. The last submission prior to the deadline will be deemed to be the final submission for assessment purposes.    

     

 

This assessment covers all learning outcomes for the module. 

 

Assessment Criteria:

 

For each question, the competent answer will be concise, accurate and clearly written in your own words. It will put forward your individual analysis of the issues raised, rather than merely offer a descriptive account. It will be logically organised and contain a conclusion. Where you draw on the views, words and research of others, these will be acknowledged as references and cited clearly in your answers. The Generic PG assessment criteria are attached as well as a module interpretation in the form of a mark sheet.  

 

The University’s Policy on Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism will apply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International businesses look to locate foreign operations in countries which are politically stable. Outline and critically discuss the criteria by which a company may judge whether or not a country is stable. Justify your arguments by reference to particular countries/companies.

 

For a global company from a western economy contemplating a joint venture with a foreign partner in China what are the cultural difficulties likely to be encountered? By applying the work of Hofstede and Trompennars, explain your recommendations to enable the joint venture to have the best chance to succeed?   

 

Compare and contrast various internationalisation strategies of businesses. Explain with company examples the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

 

Identify a country which is a member of a particular trading bloc of your choice. Examine the positive and negative aspects of membership of this bloc from the viewpoint of the country’s ability to engage in free trade.

 

To what extent is Research and Development {R& D} becoming ‘globalised’? In what ways may developing countries reap R& D advantages which could spill over into their domestic companies? 

 

Identify, for one particular country of your choice, the key macroeconomic problems it has been experiencing in the recent past. Consider the range of macroeconomic policy instruments that the government of your chosen country had at its disposal, giving evidence of how it deployed them, and providing data by which its success may be judged.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment   Criteria Details Marks   

Criteria Allocated Actual   

Relevance The Relevance of the work examined to its selected question. 20%   

Knowledge The work should have a substantial knowledge of relevant material, showing a clear grasp of themes, questions and issues therein. 20%   

Analysis The analysis should be comprehensive, clear and orderly. 20%   

Argument and

Structure The argument should be well supported, focussed, clear and logically structured. 10%   

Critical

Evaluation The work should contain distinctive or

independent thinking; and formulate an independent position in relation to theory and/or practice. 20%   

Presentation The work is well written, with standard spelling and grammar, in a readable style with acceptable format. 5%   

Reference to

Literature Critical appraisal of up-to-date and/or

appropriate literature. Recognition of different perspectives. Very good use of a wide range of sophisticated source material. 5%   

Total Marks 100%   

Comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         Module Leader:  R. Woodfield                       Moderator: H.Seddighi