International Business

Assignment # 2 – Business Report:  Company

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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 country, its people or its resources.  A number of companies have recently petitioned your government for permission to set up operations in your country.  You have been asked by the Minister of Industry to analyse your choice of any one of the companies on the list provided below. As this is an individual assignment, do not collaborate with others in completing the assignment. 

 

Company List: 

 

•Ford

 

•Hitachi

 

•Lockheed Martin

 

•Pfizer

 

•Subway Restaurants

 

•Tesco

  

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 which 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 pages maximum
 (double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 2.54 cm margins) plus
 title page, 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. Submit your report on CU Learn. A paper copy is not required. 

 

The report must cite at least six different sources.  Information sources could include the globalEDGE Website referred to in the Hill textbook (http://globaledge.msu.edu), Forbes Global 2000 (http://www.forbes.com/global2000/), the company’s own website and annual reports, the list of company databases provided on CU Learn,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 or the textbook.  Ensure that all data is cited.  Please use the APA Citation system guidelines posted on the course Cu Learn site.  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. 

  

10

   

      

10

         

15

         

15

10

10

Analysis15

5

5

5

 

 

Items / Headings	Item % of Grade	Description
Executive Summary	A concise and very well written summation of the whole report including recommendation and conclusion.  Maximum length one-half page.
Company Description	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. Include any other  information that you feel is relevant to your analysis and recommendation/conclusion .
Company’s International Strategy	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 term.
Company’s Marketing Approach	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 Supply Chain Approach	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 Resource Management (HRM) Approach	Any information relative to the company’s approach to HRM in international settings and how this may affect its impact on operations in your country.
An analysis of the risks and benefits inherent in allowing the company to do business in your country.  This section must be a logical distillation of  the most important facets of the previous sections.
Recommendation and Conclusion	Your recommendation regarding allowing the company to set up operations in your country.  This section must be a logical follow-on from the summary of risks and benefits.
Presentation and appendices	Presentation: Spelling, grammar and clarity of writing.  Relevance of appendices.
References	Use of at least six different sources. Accurate use of the APA citation system.
100

 

Canadian

• FP Advisor  

First stop for Canadian companies.  Select Company Snapshots from left hand sideKey in company name and click on your company nameLook for Historical Report (if your company is a large company FP will provide a Historical Report.)  Contains history and data on company from date of incorporationLook for Corporate Analyzer – here you will find financial data for 7 yearsExplore remaining table of contents for full picture of company

• SEDAR  – from the Ontario Securities Commission – find official documents such as 10k report (A form 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission).
• TSX-E Review – from the Toronto Stock Exchange

Global (includes Canadian data)

• Mergent Online    Includes Mergent Industry Reports.  Excellent source for comparing companies within an industry
• EDGAR  Security Exchange Commission – find 10k etcFactiva 

Best source for non-North American companies and news for all companies.For company data select Companies/Markets from top tool barClick on CompanyScroll down initial page and explore table of contents on left side.

• GMID 

Provides company profiles plus data on size of industry by country, industry profiles, forecasting by country, etc.