772102 International Business Project Assignment Brief | University of Hull

Indicative Structure:

Executive Summary (max. 300 words): Provide a summary of the key points of your  project, including: 

• Organisation (products/services)
• Theoretical concepts/framework
• Market characteristics
• Entry mechanism
  

1. Background: 

Begin by selecting ONE organisation from the  following categories:

• An existing for-profit organisation (e.g., multinational enterprise, small or medium sized enterprise, state-owned enterprise, start-up firm, or family business)

• An existing non-profit or non-governmental organisation (NGO or NPO)

• An existing governmental organisation

Within this section, provide a concise overview of your chosen organisation's historical  background, the location where it was originally founded, and the range of products/services  it currently offers. Emphasize how these products/services contribute to the betterment of  the host/recipient economy. Furthermore, identify and discuss key competitors of the chosen  organisation in the home and/or host markets, highlighting the organisation's distinctive  strengths and potential weaknesses.
 
To locate suitable organisations for your assignment, feel free to utilize publicly accessible  resources. These resources may include the World Investment Reports by UNCTAD, Forbes'  Global 2000 for the year 2022, the Fortune Global 500, or the FT's Africa's fastest-growing  private companies. You have the flexibility to select any organisation beyond these listed  resources. 

2. Product/Service/Target Overseas Location:

Present a  succinct description of your chosen new or existing product/service, highlighting its potential  to contribute to increased profits or returns for your organisation through international  expansion. This offering could either represent an entirely novel venture or an extension of  existing product lines, strategically positioned within the context of a new market or host  economy.

Furthermore, it is essential to provide a well-founded justification for your selection of the  specific overseas country for international expansion. The chosen destination or target  market must be located outside of your organisation's home country. While articulating this  rationale, your response should also reflect your global-mindedness and intercultural  sensitivity, considering key factors that make the chosen destination suitable. This section  can be merged with the Background section 1.

3. Theoretical Concepts/Literature Reviews: 

In this section,  your task is to thoroughly interpret, critique, evaluate and/or synthesise pertinent  international business concepts, theories, frameworks, and/or models. Place your focus on  literature that directly relates to your chosen context and is applicable to the subsequent  sections of your assignment. It's important to draw from a range of sources, including older  seminal works and academic journal articles published within the past five years.

The content in this section can be integrated with sections 4 and/or 5 of your assignment,  ensuring a coherent and well-structured presentation of your theoretical foundation.

4. Analysis of the Host Country and Industry Characteristics:

In this section, evaluate the potential benefits and drawbacks associated with your  chosen destination. Your analysis should be in-depth covering key formal and informal  institutional factors. To ensure the relevance of your analysis, it's crucial to tie it directly to  specific lines of business activities. Consider such as

a. Formal Institutional Factors: 

• Economic systems and infrastructures: Patterns and trends in economic  development, including GDP, GDP per capita, GDP growth rate, income  levels, income distribution, the size of the labour force, education levels of  the labour force, labour costs, industry characteristics, trade statistics  

(imports and exports), major trading partners, inflation, ease of doing business, infrastructure and logistics (including metrics such as internet  penetration, quality of ports, airports, availability of rail services, and distribution networks). 

• Political and legal systems, including assessments of political risks and  freedoms, government policies and regulations, property rights, intellectual  property protection, and other pertinent indicators.

b. Informal Institutional Factors:

• Demographic characteristics, cultural norms, social responsibilities,  environmental considerations, ethical practices, religious influences, linguistic diversity, consumer preferences and behaviours, prevailing attitudes, shared values, beliefs, and considerations related to bribery and  corruption.

Be selective and evaluative, focusing on key factors that are most relevant to your context. 

5. Entry Mechanism:

Suggest the most suitable market entry  mode (e.g., export, licensing, franchising, management contract, joint venture, wholly owned subsidiary, etc.). If you advocate for a partnership with another host country organisation,  then provide a comprehensive blueprint of how this partnership should be established.

6. Recommendation or Conclusion:

Suggest how the  organisation should manage various strategic issues related to seizing opportunities and  managing risks in the chosen market. Discuss wider issues related to diversity and inclusivity in the decision-making process of international operations, hiring practices, international  investment and trade, business ethics, or any other important considerations. Include  theoretical implications.

References (outside of word count): Include full references using the Harvard referencing  system. Sort the list of end references alphabetically by the last name of authors or publishers.  Incorporate important tables, figures, diagrams, graphs, and charts directly into the main body  of the report and avoid appendices and footnotes. (Note: Examiners are not obligated to read  appendices and footnotes, which are outside the marking scheme.)

Using AI/LLM (Large Language Models) in this Assignment

• New ideas, original thinking and your analysis are required for this assignment, which will  not be found through AI Generative tools/LLMs (Large Language Models) such as ChatGPT, so  it is recommended that these are avoided.  

• If you do use such tools, you need to verify the accuracy and reference the use of the LLM  as a source. 

• A full record of the entire discussion must be included in the Appendix, labelled as AI  discussion transcript. 

• Since LLMs generate ‘original text’, then for the purposes of fair use, we will treat ChatGPT  or Bard, or any other AI as an original author. However, you are only allowed to use only direct  quotations from LLMs at this stage, present them within direct quotation marks “….” and  include the corresponding page number from the AI discussion transcript. 

Example text: Regional integration creates winners and losers within countries, necessitating  inclusive policies. Countries may have different preferences regarding integration priorities  due to connectivity gaps, economic geography, or sovereignty concerns. Evaluating the impact  on trade, investment, growth, and income distribution can be complex. Lack of  complementary policies and institutions may lead to inefficient outcomes. (ChatGPT, p.4). You  will then need to find evidence to verify that  

with academic references. 

• AI-systems are prone to hallucinations. Augment the AI-output by at least one additional  academic or industry resource, ideally more than one so that you can approach the argument  from various perspectives. 

• Finally, do not over-use AI-generated text, follow the instructions above.

• Like any other source, unreferenced use of AI to create content for an assignment is  academic misconduct

The following Programme Competencies are assessed in this assignment (taken from the module specification:

• PC6. Demonstrate global-mindedness and intercultural sensitivity, and show a heightened critical appreciation of diversity and inclusivity in business  decision-making in cross-cultural settings.
• PC7. Locate, embrace and leverage digital mediums, technologies, tools and platforms to deliver and evaluate business value, and technological and  organisational implications.
• PC9. Design and develop advanced specialist business projects, activities and plans, mirroring or based on real-world management practice.
• PC12. Demonstrate integrated and synthesised understanding of the global dimensions of the business environment and intercultural mix in a local and  international context.