Fundamentals of International Business
BUSI2701D Fundamentals of International Business
Assignment # 2 – Business Report: Company Analysis
You are an analyst in the Industry Department of the government of a DEVELOPING nation (for this assignment, the particular country is not important). Like many developing nations, the majority of your workforce is unskilled to semi-skilled, and your country is trying to develop an industrial base which will provide jobs and help raise the standard of living of the population. However, your government is wary of letting foreign companies set up operations in your country that might harm, or treat unfairly, the country, its people or its resources.A number of companies have recently petitioned your government for permission to set up operations in your country. You have been asked by the Minister of Industry to analyse your choice of any one of the companies on the list provided below.As this is an individual assignment, do not collaborate with others in completing the assignment.
Company List:
• Fiat S.p.A.
• General Dynamics
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Kroger
• Nokia
• Yum! Brands
The Minister is a very busy person so it is important that the report be written in a clear and concise manner. It will be judged on the factual information it contains, the clarity of your argument and the depth of your analysis. Please note that you should not try to gather data which supports only one side or the other of whether or not to give the company permission to proceed. Rather, you should gather all the pertinent data and let your analysis guide you to the best recommendation.
The report is to be sevenpages maximum (double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 2.54 cm margins) plustitle page, references and appendices.The title page must contain your name, student number, name of course and professor, date, and the company you have chosen from the list provided.The first half page (maximum) of the report will be an executive summary of the report’s highlights, including your recommendation. The remainder of the pages will cover the material noted in the rubric below with marks allocated as shown. Please number the pages and use the items listed in the rubric as headings in your report. Submit your report on CU Learn. A paper copy is not required.
The report must cite at least six different sources. Information sources could include the globalEDGE Website referred to in the Hill textbook (http://globaledge.msu.edu), Forbes Global 2000 (http://www.forbes.com/global2000/), the company’s own website and annual reports, the list of company databases provided on CU Learn,from business journals, business newspapers, business websites, etc. Be wary of relying too heavily on any one source, especially a company’s own website as they will most certainly put a positive spin on all of the company’s activities. Do not use Wikipedia as a source.
Ensure that all data is cited in APA Style. Guidelines for APA Style can be found at:http://www1.carleton.ca/sasc/ccms/wp-content/ccms-files/apa_style2.pdf. In this report, there should be few, if any, quotes. If you do use a quote, ensure that it is in quotation marks and properly cited. Keep in mind that if a quote is not in quotation marks and properly cited, it is consideredplagiarism.
Please note that Carleton University offers a Writing Tutorial Service through the Student Academic Success Centre which provides free face-to-face sessions to help you with your writing. This may be especially helpful for those for whom English is a second language. Information can be attained on their website (http://www1.carleton.ca/sasc/writing-tutorial-service/).
Assignment #2 Rubric
| Items / Headings | Item % of Grade | Description | |
| Executive Summary | 10 | Provide a concise and very well written summation of the whole report including recommendation and conclusion. Maximum length one-half page. | |
| Company Description | 10 | The industry or industries the company operates in, the size of the company in annual revenue and workforce size, where the company is headquartered, the types of goods and services the company provides, how stable and successful the company seems to be, and any major news stories about the company over the last few years. Include any other information that you feel will be relevant to your analysis and recommendation/conclusion. | |
| Company’s International Strategy | 15 | Describe the company’s strategy (in your own words), and why you think it follows such a strategy as opposed to other strategies, especially in the context of the balance between cost competitiveness and local responsiveness. Identify who the company’s competitors are, whether or not they follow similar or different strategies. | |
| Company’s Marketing Approach | 15 | Identify where the company sells its major product lines and why you think it a) chooses these regions/countries andb) how these choices have affectedproduct/ service marketing strategies.Particular emphasis should be placed on the components of the marketing mix: product (level of standardization or customization) placement (distribution channels), promotion (communications methodologies) and pricing, that the company may use in its major target markets. | |
| Company’s Supply Chain Approach | 10 | Identify if it does produce its major line(s) of goods and services (i.e. make), and if so why; and then provide a rationale for why you think it chose certain regions/countries to produce is goods and services based on country factors, technological factors and product factors. If it does not produce its major line(s) of goods and services (i.e. buy), then identify why it chose this path, and then provide a rationale for the regions/countries (e.g. location economies, competencies) where its supply chain partners (from whom they buy) are located. | |
| Company’s Human Resource Management (HRM) Approach | 5 | Identify any information relative to the company’s approach to HRM in international settings. This could include such things as the demographic nature of the executive leadership, staffing/selection policies, training, benefits, or expatriate policies that may affect the performance of that firm in your country. | |
| Analysis | 20 | Provide an analysis of the risks and benefits inherent in allowing the company to do business in your country. This section must be a logical distillation ofthemost important facets of the previous sections, with an emphasis on whether the company in question brings any value to your developing country. | |
| Recommendation and Conclusion | 5 | Your recommendation regarding allowing the company to set up operations in your country. This section must be a logical follow-on from the summary of risks and benefits. | |
| Presentation and appendices | 5 | Presentation: Spelling, grammar and clarity of writing. Relevance of appendices. | |
| References | 5 | Use of at least six different sources.Accurate use of the APA citation system. | |
| 100 |
Databases with Company Specific Information
Provided by: Trish O’Flaherty, Reference Services, Carleton Library
Please don’t hesitate to book an appointment with me for help on these databases or other library business resources. You can email me at [email protected] or ask for me at the Research Help Desk, Level 2 Library.
Canadian
- FP Advisor
- First stop for Canadian companies.
- Select Company Snapshots from left hand side
- Key in company name and click on your company name
- Look for Historical Report (if your company is a large company FP will provide aHistorical Report.) Contains history and data on company from date of incorporation
- Look for Corporate Analyzer – here you will find financial data for 7 years
- Explore remaining table of contents for full picture of company
- SEDAR – from the Ontario Securities Commission – find official documents such as 10k report (A form 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission).
- TSX-E Review – from the Toronto Stock Exchange
Global (includes Canadian data)
- Mergent Online
Includes Mergent Industry Reports. Excellent source for comparing companies within an industry
- Best source for non-North American companies and news for all companies.
- For company data select Companies/Markets from top tool bar
- Click on Company
- Scroll down initial page and explore table of contents on left side.
- GMID
- Provides company profiles plus data on size of industry by country, industry profiles, forecasting by country, etc.
We are always aiming to provide top quality academic writing services that will surely enable you achieve your desired academic grades. Our support is round the clock!
[order_calculator]