Fundamentals of International Business

    BUSI 2701 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 county, its people or its resources. A number of companies have recently petitioned your government for permission to set up operations in your country (see list of companies provided). You have been asked by the Minister of Industry to analyse your choice of any one of the companies on the list provided. 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 that 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 seven to ten pages maximum (doubled spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font, 2.54 cm margins) plus title page, table of content, 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. Only the first seven to ten pages (starting by your executive summary) will be read and graded. Relevant appendices are expected. Please save in PDF to upload to cuLearn. The report must cite at least six different sources. Information sources could include the globalEDGE Website (http://globaledge.msu.edu), Forbes Global 2000 (http://www.forbes.com/global2000/), the company’s own website and annual reports, the list of databases provided on cuLearn (as well as below), and 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. Ensure that all data is cited - Automatic zero for the assignment for references not cited. Please use the referencing guidelines I posted under Assignments in our cuLearn. 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 considered plagiarism. Please note that Carleton University offers a Writing Tutorial Service through the Student Academic Success Centre that 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/ ). Items / Headings Item % of Grade Description Executive Summary 10 A concise and very well written summation of the whole report, including recommendation and conclusion. Maximum length onehalf 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, where the company has operations, 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. Other relevant information. Company’s International Strategy 15 The company’s strategy (in your own words), particular regions in which it concentrates, where it does research and development activities (R&D) and why you think it chooses these regions/countries. Who the company’s competitors are, what the company’s major strengths and weaknesses seem to be. Your views on their strategy for the short as well as the long terms. Company’s Marketing Approach 15 Where the company sells its products and why you think it chooses these regions/countries, product/ service marketing strategies especially with respect to the level of standardization or customization of products/services, distribution channels and communications methodologies the company uses in different countries. Company’s Logistics Approach 10 Where it produces goods and services and why you think it chooses these regions/countries based on country factors, technological factors and product factors. Company’s Human