To demonstrate understanding of how international businesses operate within their strategic context

What am I required to do in this assignment?

Apply your understanding of international business, market selection and entry modes to a specific company and recommend a new national market to enter, the optimal entry mode and any other relevant particulars. The company will either be allocated to you or you will be able to submit a proposal to use a specific company for the assignment (the UC/tutor must approve the company).

You will need to utilise both theoretical knowledge and necessary frameworks/tools relevant to the assessment alongside strong consideration of practical issues and potential obstacles. You need to apply your research skills to find information and literature on the allocated company and potential markets. You are expected to also address the impact of relevant current issues, such as the shift in trade patterns due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other trends.

Required Elements

• Formal Report Structure
• Focused on a company which has been agreed with the tutor/UC or has been assigned to you by the tutor/UC
• Consider at least two potential new national markets to enter, leading to a recommendation of one new national market to enter with an appropriate entry mode to use
• The use of unit concepts, models and theories to support your analysis and recommendations
• Process Log (Self-Assessment) using the provided template on the BREO Shell as Appendix A (approx. 300 words)
• Reflection on the Assessment process using a reflective model (recommended to use Gibbs or Kolb) as Appendix B. (approx. 300 words)

Recommended Elements

• It is strongly recommended that your report contains consideration of at least some of the following unit concepts, models and topic areas to support your recommendations and develop your argument.
• Political risks
• Legal systems
• Cultural distance
• International supply chains
• Economic and trading blocs
• FOREX and currency risks

There will be a Checkpoint where you will be expected to present your approach and ideas for the assessment. You are expected to record the feedback given on the Process Log.

Additional Guidance

1. The balance between market analysis and the actual planning/recommendations– ensure that your submissions are balanced with regards to analysis and recommendations. For example, do not use a lot of space summarising the analysis, at the expense of developing your recommendations and considering potential issues.
2. Vagueness – planning needs to be very specific; stating that you will entry country X using entry mode Y is not enough. You need to explain the rationale behind your choices, the academic tools/frameworks used, the issues that you took into consideration and also demonstrate that you have given some thought to the implementation and implications of your recommendations.
3. Academic content – you are expected to include academic material into your report rather than relying upon online sources alone. You need to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical background of international business through your citation of relevant academic content.
4. Executive summary – an executive summary should be written in a way that allows the executive who reads it to know what the problem is and how it is to be solved. Essentially, it is a summary of your problem statement, objectives and how to achieve them (i.e. how to solve the problem).
5. Secondary data use – Analysis should be supported with secondary data (from the literature). You should demonstrate wider reading and acknowledge the sources of your information, both in the main body and in your bibliography. Information pertaining to the potential markets and selected company should be sourced from reliable sources rather than through general web search, you should speak to an Academic Librarian if you require assistance with this.
6. Presentation and structure – to achieve an excellent grade, your presentation needs to be immaculate – this includes numbering tables, referencing correctly etc. Do not present a lot of data and information in tables as appendices. Data or statistics that refer directly to your discussion in the main body, should be presented in the main body. Tables and figures – tables and figures need to be numbered and each should have a title that is self-explanatory. Your analytical content must be high, demonstrating critical thinking and the ability to apply relevant marketing concepts
7. Word limit – 3,000 words. This will exclude the executive summary, reference list, title page, table of contents and the appendices. Please, note that your cover page must have your Full Name and ID Number.

What do I need to do to pass? How do I achieve a good grade?

The Unit Information Form states the Threshold Expectations that inform both you and markers what is the minimum needed to be demonstrated to pass the assessment. They should, therefore, answer the question "What do I need to do pass?”. During the assessment introductory session, you should be given the opportunity to check your understanding of the threshold statements and what you need to do to surpass them.

The assessment marking criteria listed below show how your work is assessed. The assessment criteria are informed by the unit’s learning outcomes and the assessment task. Carefully reading the assessment criteria should help you understand the aspects that will be used to judge your progress and achievement of the learning outcomes and offer guidance on “how do I achieve a good grade”.

Evidence your understanding of International Business operations using sources from the reading list 

Evidence your understanding of the industry in which case study company operates

Explore at least two suitable options available for the company in managing their international operations 

Produce a report in formal report format using Harvard style of referencing 

How does this assignment relate to ‘my learning in this unit and help me develop knowledge and skills that I will need for my future?

This assignment requires you to use several different unit concepts, models and theories and covers most of the first half of the Unit material. You will need to consider the key themes and approaches explored by the unit in order to present a suitable, coherent and structured argument for your recommendation of a new national market and appropriate entry mode for your specific company.

This assignment will help develop your understanding of the practical considerations and issues within the field of international business as well as helping further develop your research, analysis and writing skills.

Within the University of Bedfordshire, graduate competencies refer to the skills, knowledge, attributes, and abilities that individuals are expected to possess upon completing their education at the graduate level. Our graduate competencies are the fundamental building blocks in preparing you for the future world of work. They form the foundation for learning outcomes within and beyond your course. They are relevant for every subject and you can work towards them in different ways, so that you can attain and benefit from them even if you have lots going on outside university. These competencies will be integrated across your course and units.

The table below indicates graduate competencies gained relevant to this assessment.

What should I be aware of when preparing my and how and where should I submit my work? (May need wiseflow info for exams)

When submitting work for assessment, you must ensure that it is all your own work. Failure to do this could result in sanctions, including removal from your course. The Academic Integrity Resource (AIR) has been designed to introduce you to academic integrity and how to demonstrate this during your studies.

The University provides access to Studiosity that connects students with a team of writing specialists who are here to help you with writing and core skills - anytime, anywhere. Studiosity provides you with two online services: Writing Feedback and Connect Live.  Their Writing Feedback gives feedback on referencing, choice of language, structure and spelling/grammar within 24 hours. If you are not sure how to use the feedback to enhance your work before making a final submission, you can arrange to discuss this with a member of the Study Hubteam. Connect Live also offers live support in areas such as basic English, maths and stats, science and generic study skills. Both services are available 24/7, 365 days of the year, and you can access them for FREE via BREO.

For exams, you should familiarise yourself with the guidance information available here: https://www.beds.ac.uk/exams/

Practice exams can be taken for all exam types before exams week.  Please see section Prepare for your exam.

AI Tools

Students are permitted to use AI tools for researching and structuring (e.g. planning) purposes however this must be referenced and acknowledged (also in the Process Log) and referenced asrequired in the University Cite-Me-Right guidelines.

If you submit any work that includes text generated by AI, that is an academic offence and your workwill be referred to the Academic Conduct Panel. It is a simple principle - you are submitting work inorder to demonstrate that you have met the Learning Outcomes of the unit; any work generated byAI submitted for that purpose will fail to demonstrate you have met the Learning Outcomes.

Where you use tool such as Grammarly to check your work, you must keep the original draft withoutthe changes, so that you can show the development of the work if requested. You should never change the language beyond your own understanding as you need be able to explain the meaning of your work, particularly as the use ofthese services may trigger a Viva.

It is not permitted to use a human translator, or translation apps or software to translate large parts(or all of) your assignment.If you choose to write your work in your first language before translating to English, you musttranslate it yourself.It would be acceptable to use translation apps to check individual words and/or phrases, but not to translatethe whole document. You should also acknowledge which translation app or tool that you use andhow you used it in your process log and reflection.

Please view this linkfor more guidance on AI usage.

What am I required to do in this assignment?

Apply your understanding of international business, market selection and entry modes to a specific company and recommend a new national market to enter, the optimal entry mode and any other relevant particulars. The company will either be allocated to you or you will be able to submit a proposal to use a specific company for the assignment (the UC/tutor must approve the company).

You will need to utilise both theoretical knowledge and necessary frameworks/tools relevant to the assessment alongside strong consideration of practical issues and potential obstacles. You need to apply your research skills to find information and literature on the allocated company and potential markets. You are expected to also address the impact of relevant current issues, such as the shift in trade patterns due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other trends.

Required Elements

• Formal Report Structure
• Focused on a company which has been agreed with the tutor/UC or has been assigned to you by the tutor/UC
• Consider at least two potential new national markets to enter, leading to a recommendation of one new national market to enter with an appropriate entry mode to use
• The use of unit concepts, models and theories to support your analysis and recommendations
• Process Log (Self-Assessment) using the provided template on the BREO Shell as Appendix A (approx. 300 words)
• Reflection on the Assessment process using a reflective model (recommended to use Gibbs or Kolb) as Appendix B. (approx. 300 words)

Recommended Elements

• It is strongly recommended that your report contains consideration of at least some of the following unit concepts, models and topic areas to support your recommendations and develop your argument.
• Political risks
• Legal systems
• Cultural distance
• International supply chains
• Economic and trading blocs
• FOREX and currency risks

There will be a Checkpoint where you will be expected to present your approach and ideas for the assessment. You are expected to record the feedback given on the Process Log.

Additional Guidance

1. The balance between market analysis and the actual planning/recommendations– ensure that your submissions are balanced with regards to analysis and recommendations. For example, do not use a lot of space summarising the analysis, at the expense of developing your recommendations and considering potential issues.
2. Vagueness – planning needs to be very specific; stating that you will entry country X using entry mode Y is not enough. You need to explain the rationale behind your choices, the academic tools/frameworks used, the issues that you took into consideration and also demonstrate that you have given some thought to the implementation and implications of your recommendations.
3. Academic content – you are expected to include academic material into your report rather than relying upon online sources alone. You need to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical background of international business through your citation of relevant academic content.
4. Executive summary – an executive summary should be written in a way that allows the executive who reads it to know what the problem is and how it is to be solved. Essentially, it is a summary of your problem statement, objectives and how to achieve them (i.e. how to solve the problem).
5. Secondary data use – Analysis should be supported with secondary data (from the literature). You should demonstrate wider reading and acknowledge the sources of your information, both in the main body and in your bibliography. Information pertaining to the potential markets and selected company should be sourced from reliable sources rather than through general web search, you should speak to an Academic Librarian if you require assistance with this.
6. Presentation and structure – to achieve an excellent grade, your presentation needs to be immaculate – this includes numbering tables, referencing correctly etc. Do not present a lot of data and information in tables as appendices. Data or statistics that refer directly to your discussion in the main body, should be presented in the main body. Tables and figures – tables and figures need to be numbered and each should have a title that is self-explanatory. Your analytical content must be high, demonstrating critical thinking and the ability to apply relevant marketing concepts
7. Word limit – 3,000 words. This will exclude the executive summary, reference list, title page, table of contents and the appendices. Please, note that your cover page must have your Full Name and ID Number.

What do I need to do to pass? How do I achieve a good grade?

The Unit Information Form states the Threshold Expectations that inform both you and markers what is the minimum needed to be demonstrated to pass the assessment. They should, therefore, answer the question "What do I need to do pass?”. During the assessment introductory session, you should be given the opportunity to check your understanding of the threshold statements and what you need to do to surpass them.

The assessment marking criteria listed below show how your work is assessed. The assessment criteria are informed by the unit’s learning outcomes and the assessment task. Carefully reading the assessment criteria should help you understand the aspects that will be used to judge your progress and achievement of the learning outcomes and offer guidance on “how do I achieve a good grade”.

Evidence your understanding of International Business operations using sources from the reading list 

Evidence your understanding of the industry in which case study company operates

Explore at least two suitable options available for the company in managing their international operations 

Produce a report in formal report format using Harvard style of referencing 

How does this assignment relate to ‘my learning in this unit and help me develop knowledge and skills that I will need for my future?

This assignment requires you to use several different unit concepts, models and theories and covers most of the first half of the Unit material. You will need to consider the key themes and approaches explored by the unit in order to present a suitable, coherent and structured argument for your recommendation of a new national market and appropriate entry mode for your specific company.

This assignment will help develop your understanding of the practical considerations and issues within the field of international business as well as helping further develop your research, analysis and writing skills.

Within the University of Bedfordshire, graduate competencies refer to the skills, knowledge, attributes, and abilities that individuals are expected to possess upon completing their education at the graduate level. Our graduate competencies are the fundamental building blocks in preparing you for the future world of work. They form the foundation for learning outcomes within and beyond your course. They are relevant for every subject and you can work towards them in different ways, so that you can attain and benefit from them even if you have lots going on outside university. These competencies will be integrated across your course and units.

The table below indicates graduate competencies gained relevant to this assessment.

What should I be aware of when preparing my and how and where should I submit my work? (May need wiseflow info for exams)

When submitting work for assessment, you must ensure that it is all your own work. Failure to do this could result in sanctions, including removal from your course. The Academic Integrity Resource (AIR) has been designed to introduce you to academic integrity and how to demonstrate this during your studies.

The University provides access to Studiosity that connects students with a team of writing specialists who are here to help you with writing and core skills - anytime, anywhere. Studiosity provides you with two online services: Writing Feedback and Connect Live.  Their Writing Feedback gives feedback on referencing, choice of language, structure and spelling/grammar within 24 hours. If you are not sure how to use the feedback to enhance your work before making a final submission, you can arrange to discuss this with a member of the Study Hubteam. Connect Live also offers live support in areas such as basic English, maths and stats, science and generic study skills. Both services are available 24/7, 365 days of the year, and you can access them for FREE via BREO.

For exams, you should familiarise yourself with the guidance information available here: https://www.beds.ac.uk/exams/

Practice exams can be taken for all exam types before exams week.  Please see section Prepare for your exam.

AI Tools

Students are permitted to use AI tools for researching and structuring (e.g. planning) purposes however this must be referenced and acknowledged (also in the Process Log) and referenced asrequired in the University Cite-Me-Right guidelines.

If you submit any work that includes text generated by AI, that is an academic offence and your workwill be referred to the Academic Conduct Panel. It is a simple principle - you are submitting work inorder to demonstrate that you have met the Learning Outcomes of the unit; any work generated byAI submitted for that purpose will fail to demonstrate you have met the Learning Outcomes.

Where you use tool such as Grammarly to check your work, you must keep the original draft withoutthe changes, so that you can show the development of the work if requested. You should never change the language beyond your own understanding as you need be able to explain the meaning of your work, particularly as the use ofthese services may trigger a Viva.

It is not permitted to use a human translator, or translation apps or software to translate large parts(or all of) your assignment.If you choose to write your work in your first language before translating to English, you musttranslate it yourself.It would be acceptable to use translation apps to check individual words and/or phrases, but not to translatethe whole document. You should also acknowledge which translation app or tool that you use andhow you used it in your process log and reflection.

Please view this linkfor more guidance on AI usage.