PGBM04 International Business Environment

PGBM04 International Business Environment
Question
Answered

This is an individual assignment. It will constitute 100% of your overall mark for the module. Please choose ONE question from the following FOUR. 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 expected 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 assignments must be submitted on SunSpace first. A Turnitin Report will be generated, which then needs to be submitted on JIRA along with the original file. Therefore there will be 2 attachments on JIRA. Your mark and feedback will be made available to you electronically on JIRA once the internal moderation process has taken place, you should note that at this stage marks are still subject to external examiner and academic board approval.
This assessment covers the following learning outcomes from the module.
Knowledge:
1. Critically review and apply concepts, terminology & theoretical models associated with international business policies and strategies.
2. Demonstrate understanding of the political, socio-cultural, economic and technological factors that have been found to influence variations in international organisational business structures and leadership and management styles
3. Critically assess the relationship between national and organisational cultures
4. Relate the conceptual theory of ‘internationalisation’, innovation and competitive advantage to different industries and locations
Skills:
1. As an individual apply relevant theoretical concepts to real-world business (environment) dilemmas or issues, producing a diagnosis and suggesting possible outcomes.
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.
Your assignment should also consider and apply the relevant theories and your arguments should be supported by drawing on relevant literature and examples from international business. Where you draw on the views, words
and research of others, these will be acknowledged as references and cited clearly in your answer conforming to the Harvard referencing system.
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.
Questions:
In answering ONE of these questions, please pay particular attention to the assessment criteria set out on above.
Please also note that
(i) As much as possible your answers should draw on real world examples from the activities of international businesses and national economies
(ii) Equal weighting should be assumed for two part questions.
1. What are the various methods of internationalisation that could be adopted by any major retail organisation in a developed country seeking to expand its operations into large emerging markets to maximise the chances of success and minimise the risks of failure? Critically evaluate each method as explanations of the process of business internationalisation (100 Marks).
2. The PESTEL framework was designed to analyse specific dimensions of a national environment. Critically examine how the framework can be adopted to take into consideration other dimensions and broader scope, bringing in regional and global impacts (100 Marks).
3. For a large multinational enterprise from a European country contemplating a joint venture with a foreign partner in India or any emerging country, critically examine the cultural challenges likely to be encountered, and what are your recommendations for how to enable the joint venture to succeed? (100 Marks).
4. To what extent can FDI and joint ventures provide opportunities for technology spillovers which can lead to increased innovative capacity in the host country? Apply your analysis to no more than two emerging economies of your choice (100 Marks).