SIB7509-A MSC, Multinational Corporations in Emerging Economies, Coursework Brief 2024-25 | UOB

Coursework Brief

The purpose of this individual coursework assignment is to evaluate students’ knowledge and understanding of the role/importance of multinational enterprises (MNEs) from emerging markets to the global economy and their challenges for doing business abroad by utilizing theories and concepts related to international business. To complete this task, students must select an emerging market MNE doing business in more than two different countries abroad (both regionally and globally) and produce a 3,000-word report about the international business activities of their chosen company. The report should demonstrate the students’ comprehensive understanding of the company and its environment, as well as their strategic analysis skills. Students are expected to apply the theoretical frames and concepts learned in the module to both evaluate and analyze the international trade and investment of their chosen firm. To gather information, students must collate data from multiple sources, including the company’s website and annual reports and third-party databases. In addition, the report must include basic background information about the chosen company. A list of selected EMNEs from SDG2000 and Fortune Global 500 will be provided to the students to support their company selection.

Assessment questions

Choose any TWO of the questions below and question 4, then provide answers in a report format.

1. Using relevant theory, discuss the role of formal and informal institutions on the international expansion of your chosen emerging multinational enterprise (EMNE). Critically examine how institutional policies and factors prevalent in both the home and host country’s environments influenced the entry mode choice, ownership strategies and success or failure of the international expansion.
2. Perform a cross-national analysis of the impact of corporate governance on your chosen firm’s human resource management. Using relevant theory/theories, examine the social institutions regulate managerial discretion in decision-making.
3. Using relevant theory/ies and examples, expound on how government effectiveness and informal institutions such as political, normative, & business connections may regulate the impact of FDI on environmental sustainability in emerging markets. Within your response, highlight the important role of EMNEs as social actors for promoting CSR
   AND
4. Reflect on the significant learning moments during the completion of this assessment and write a 200-word discourse on your understanding of the growing importance of MNEs from emerging economies for the global economy. Relate this importance to the actualization of any of the UN SDGs. 

Basic required information about the chosen company

• The company’s primary business and the brief history including the information on the founder(s)
• Emerging markets and other foreign countries where the company is operating.
• The main industry that the firm operates its primary business and the names of competing firms (rivals) within the main industry.
•  International business activities conducted (e.g., international trade and foreign direct investment), motivation and entry modes (e.g., wholly owned subsidiary, joint ventures) adopted by the firm to operate its business in emerging markets.
• Corporate governance (e.g., C-suite top managers, board of directors, and large stockholders) and information on whether the majority stockholder has the same surname as any other shareholder or director.
• Stakeholder management and information on whether the firm adopted and/or implemented United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (consult e.g., corporate social responsibility report, corporate sustainability report, and/or integrated report)