Assignments for international business management

Assignments for International Business Management Assignment 1: The TATA case Tata Cars, India, has become the focus of public attention, and has caught the beady eyes of competitors in the automobile industry since it announced it would put the cheapest car ever on the market – first in India, but eventually also in the rest of the world. This plan is seen as a revolution in the car industry. Many potential customers all over the world anticipated the arrival of the Tata Nano. Millions of people who otherwise would not have the resources to buy a car, now saw a chance looming that they, too, would have that opportunity.

Tata now has to figure out a way to enter the Western markets, including the Netherlands. Analyze their opportunities and challenges, identify bottle necks and market niches in the Netherlands. In this context, you can think of: national and EU environment laws, taxes and duties, the perception of the target group of a car as cheap as the Nano, effects on the price of government measures (like BPM) etc. Also, consider what marketing strategy might work in the Netherlands. Advise the Tata Board of Directors on a strategy to be implemented in their penetration of the Dutch market. Assignment 2: The Dam/dyke building case

You work for my company: we are in the dam/dyke building business. We have been involved in building dams in various parts of the world. The latest project was the repair/strengthening of the levees in New Orleans. So we are a big player. I want to explore new markets. I have given you the assignment to investigate the possibilities in a foreign country. Choose a country that you think has potential for my line of business. Analyze the country, concentrating on aspects like: infrastructure, geography, potential future projects, economic strength of the country, legal facilities or limitations, politics and culture of doing business.

Use sources, but do not only Google the information. Come up with clear recommendations. ————————————————- Assignments for Finance/Accounting Assignment 1 Several aspects of the Euro Crisis The financial world is still shaking after the financial crisis started in late 2008. At first, reassuring words were spoken by officials, but soon after that the seriousness of the situation became clearer and clearer. Now, after the bailout of Greece and Ireland, it is becoming transparent that more European countries are having trouble meeting their financial obligations.

Countries like Portugal, Spain and Belgium are mentioned in this respect. They seem to be running the risk of going bankrupt, which would have dramatic effect for the Eurozone. One country is also in trouble, which would have even more serious effects than the above-mentioned countries: Italy. Italy is said to be “ too big to save”, as it is one of the biggest economies in Europe, and has huge debts, even more so than Spain and Portugal together. Write an extensive article on the situation of Italy, highlighting the position that Germany and the Netherlands are taking (willing or reluctant to help bail Italy out? ; the official rules that the EMU has set up to prevent countries from going bankrupt (including the rules that regulate the penalties if a country has more than a certain percentage of debt); The possibility that The ECB (European Central Bank) issues Eurobonds at a fixed interest rate; the chances of the Eurozone breaking up and of countries being “ kicked out” of the Eurozone and even the chance of the Euro being abandoned altogether. Make sure you make use of sources, and refer to them in footnotes and the bibliography of the article.

For the format of references: follow the instructions in the PowerPoint presentation given in the first lesson. You may also use the information given in the BCN reader semester 2, to be found in Netwerkmappen. Assignment 2: The Financial Crisis and its after-effects. In the middle of the financial crisis, the state put billions of Euros in the support of banks. One of them was the ABN-Amro. Now that the crisis has subsided, it is time to look back and to look forward: has the government support been a wise decision? What is the situation of the repayment of the debt to the government?

What consequences doe the restructuring of ABN-Amro and Fortis have, for the bank itself and for its customers? Do the necessary research in the papers of the last year to get information and to form an opinion. Then write an essay in which you analyse the situation and come to conclusions. Assignment 3: Do research on and analyze the position that Asian countries are taking in the Euro Crisis. Are they likely to come to the rescue? Why? Why not? What form would or should that rescue take? ————————————————- Assignments for Logistics

Assignment 1 Do push and pull oriented automobile supply chains suffer to the same extent of the economic crisis, or is one or the other less or more affected? Assignment 2 Identify and explain a recent theory as a driver for change with regards to logistics. What are the consequences of this theory for the present-day logistical processes? Assignment 3 Analyse the phenomenon of empty containers in some ports, and the scarcity of containers in other ports. Describe the causes, and find potential solutions. Is this phenomenon a sign of a bad economy? Assignment 4

Arctic Logistics Analyze the positive and/or negative consequences of global warming on arctic logistics (logistics in arctic areas such as Alaska and North Canada). Does global warming also create opportunities? Think of – new routes from Asia to the USA and vice versa. Also consider the consequences of this for the Suez Canal and Panama Canal. – The potential of using airships in arctic areas Assignment 5 Event Logistics Consider events like Lowlands, Dance Valley or Pinkpop (open-air music and dance events) Logistics are at the heart of such events. You may have isited one or more of such events, and experienced from a user’s point of view what problems may occur. Choose one event (one of the above, or another one), and describe -in the role of co-organizer- the requirements and bottlenecks of such an event from a logistics point of view. Break it up into various aspects, such as transport, hygiene, catering, safety etc. For this assignment, work together with your writing buddy, and divide the aspects you have to write about. Read each other’s part before sending it to me. One aspect per week of class. ————————————————-

Assignments for Emerging Markets Assignment 1 Step 1: Write an E. M. country profile of a country of your choice. Concentrate on aspects such as culture, business styles, business laws, tax facilities geography and infrastructure Step 2: (Follow-up): Draw conclusions and write recommendations for companies that want to enter into a business relationship with a company in that country. Assignment 2 Write a paper in which you research how rich-country trade policies could be more supportive of poverty reduction and economic growth in developing economies (investigate one Latin American country).

This work strives to rebuild a foundation for broad support of open trade policies in key developed and emerging markets. Draw conclusions and include recommendations Assignment 3 What lessons are derived from the 2008–09 financial crisis for Latin America (choose one specific country) that might seek economic growth in the context of greater integration to the international capital markets. ————————————————- Assignments for Latin American Studies Assignment 1

Suppose you want to enter into a business relationship with a company in Equador: you wish to purchase clothes made in Equador to sell them in Europe, and your Equadorian partner knows the market. What steps would be necessary to give you the greatest chance of success: think of the cultural, legal and political aspects, business ethics, etc. What pitfalls exist, and how can you avoid them? Write an essay in which you develop the above-mentioned points. Use written sources to support your argumentation. Pay special attention to structure and reference to mentioned the sources you have used.

Assignment 2 Schooling Inequality in Latin America Select a Latin American country to write a paper in which you examine the relationship between schooling inequality and liberalization of the financial sector in that Latin American country. Find answers to the following: * Why poverty and schooling inequality are important policy issues in this Latin American country? * What are the determinants of poverty and schooling inequality? * What are the determinants of urban poverty, rural poverty, and schooling inequality? ————————————————-

Assignments for Marketing: Assignment 1 Critically analyze Online, Internet Advertising and Social Media as a marketing communication tool. Assignment 2 Critically analyze what factors encourage organizations to internationalize, discussing at least two of the main methods for gaining market entry, evaluating the relative merits and drawbacks of each Assignment 3 Analyze and discuss the differences between the marketing activities of Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola. Assignment 4 Discuss the notion of manipulation in advertising. Ethically acceptable? Assignment 5

Choose a country for investigation of the following; You are part of an expertise centre that specializes in the country you have chosen. Today, you have received a request from Unilever that they are interested in starting an export business to your chosen country. Due to the enormous variety of products Unilever produces, they find it hard to decide where to begin. Your task is to write a short report in which you advise Unilever what kind of product they had best start exporting, based on information you gather of the market of the chosen country.

Please remember that a short report should contain the most important information and data, but should be able to be read by a great number of people, so you cannot make it too technical. The report should be about two pages long, and should consist of your own text only. You should make use of sources of course, and direct quoting is allowed, but no more than two sentences at a time. This should also be clearly indicated by providing proper references (see your year 1, semester 2 reader on how to do this). Sources

For every internet source used, you must also provide at least one written source (= book or article, found and read in its written form). Compile a bibliography of the sources you have consulted (again, see your year 1, semester 2 reader on how to do this). The bibliography should be part of the document you send me, but should be on a separate page. Assignment 6 Follow-up on the previous assignment For the product you have advised Unilever to export, now propose an integrated marketing campaign. In other words, analyze the media sources you want to use, how best to reach your target audience etc.

Support your proposal with research you have done on the country. Be sure to make use of both written and internet sources. Assignment 7 Step 1: Write a country profile viz. market analysis of a country of your choice. Concentrate on aspects such as culture, business styles, business laws, tax facilities geography and infrastructure) Step 2 (Follow-up): Draw conclusions and write recommendations for a company that wants to enter into a business relationship with a company in that country. Further instructions: * For every internet source you use, you must also provide at least one written source. Remember to check your reader of year 1, semester 2 on how to properly write a bibliography and how to reference within your text. * Direct quoting is allowed, but as the essay you write should be about 2 pages, keep it to a minimum; no more than 2 sentences at a time. ————————————————- Module descriptions of block 3 and 4 Block 3 Educational Programme| | Code IBMBC508- ACAcademic Writing| ECTS: 2 (for 2 blocks)| Year of study: 3| Block3 (together with block 4) | Contact Hours per Week| 2 per HALF group per 14 days|

Study Load 56 hours of work for 2 blocks: Lectures: 8 x 50 minutes = ca. 6. 5 hrs; Assignments 49. 5 hrs| Contact Hours| 6. 5 hrs (for 2 blocks)| Self Study| 49. 5 hrs (for 2 blocks)| ROM: Knowledge, practice and student driven| Contribution to IBMS Profile/Competencies (Applied): Student can express himself fluently and correctly in written English ; can understand and use the vocabulary offered; can accept criticism and put it to good use| Dublin Descriptor(s): Knowledge and Understanding + Application| Relation with other modules/subjects: Chosen minor|

Learning Track: Semester 6 BCN (see the relevant learning track in a separate document)| Starting Level: Exit level year 2 and placement| Learning Objectives: * To enable the students to write coherently and with grammatical accuracy. * To enable students to apply business vocabulary in writing, based on assignments related to their chosen minor. * To learn how a text is organized and structured, applying referencing and sourcing| Instruction Method(s): Workshop style: instruction followed by assignments. Then: one-on-one consultation and error analysis.

Occasionally: instruction on particular aspects of writing, such as punctuation, paragraphing or referencing. | Assessment Method(s)| Continuous assessment + portfolio with-marked and improved texts-error analysis-reflection on progress made (or not)-vocabulary acquired during research/writing| No exam. | Structure Grading| Weight| 1 | | Minimum requirement| 1. 0 average grade for the portfolio5. 5. is a passing grade| (Required) Attendancy: Obligatory attendance. Points will be deducted for missing more than 2 classes per semester| Short outline of Educational Unit |

Content and planning of lectures and exams/assessments| BlckWk| Sst (#)| Lecture Hours| Instruction Methods/Exams| Gs(*)| Content/ Subjects (x)| 1| See note below| 1| Workshop style (see above)| 15| Explanation of writing programme/theory of writing| 2| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| Writing (essay) Assignments in connection with minor-related texts, based on students’ own research | 3| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 4| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 5| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 6| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,, | 7| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 8| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 9| | | | | No exam| 10| | | | | | #) sst = self study (*) gs = Group size(x) planning with reservation, adjustments will be published in course outlines (and hand out). | Note: it is difficult to indicate how much time a student will be working individually per week. A considerable amount of work is expected to be done in the weeks that the students do not have class: the research and actual writing is done in that week. In the week the students have class, the feedback is given, after which the student revises his article/essay with a writing buddy. | Facilities/classroom: Regular classroom|

Literature and Aids: None (the student may use the information given about report writing in the BCN reader semester 2 of year 1)| Information/Lecturer: Assignments are provided by the lecturer. | Block 4 Educational Programme| | Code: IBMBC508- ACAcademic Writing| ECTS2 (for 2 blocks)| Year of Study: 3| Block 4 (together with block 3) | Contact Hours per Week| 2 per HALF group per 14 days| Study Load 56 hours of work for 2 blocks: Lectures: 8 x 50 minutes = ca. 6. 5 hrs; Assignments 49. 5 hrs| Contact Hours| 6. 5 hrs (for 2 blocks)| Self Study| 49. 5 hrs (for 2 blocks)|

ROM: Knowledge, practice and student driven| Contribution to IBMS Profile/Competencies (Applied): Student can express himself fluently and correctly in written English; can understand and use the vocabulary offered; Can accept criticism and put it to good use| Dublin Descriptor(s): Knowledge and Understanding + Application| Relation with other modules/subjects: Chosen minor| Learning Track: Semester 6 BCN (see the relevant learning track in a separate document)| Starting Level: Exit level year 2 and placement| Learning Objectives| * To enable the students to write coherently and with grammatical accuracy. To enable students to apply business vocabulary in writing, based on assignments related to their chosen minor. * To learn how a text is organized and structured, applying referencing and sourcing| Instruction Method(s): Workshop style: instruction followed by assignments. Then: one-on-one consultation and error analysis. Occasionally: instruction on particular aspects of writing, such as punctuation, paragraphing or referencing. | Assessment Method(s)| Continuous assessment + portfolio with-marked and improved texts-error analysis-reflection on progress made (or not)-vocabulary acquired during research/writing| No exam. Structure Grading| Weight| 1 | | Minimum requirement| 4. 0 average grade for the portfolio| (Required) Attendancy: Obligatory attendance. Points will be deducted for missing more than 2 classes per semester| Short outline of Educational Unit | Content and planning of lectures and exams/assessments| BlckWk| Sst (#)| Lecture Hours| Instruction Methods/Exams| Gs(*)| Content/ Subjects (x)| 1| See note below| 1| Workshop style (see above)| 15| Explanation of writing programme/theory of writing| 2| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| Writing (essay) Assignments in connection with minor-related exts, based on students’ own research | 3| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 4| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 5| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 6| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,, | 7| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 8| ,,| 1| ,,| ,,| ,,| 9| | | | | No exam| 10| | | | | | (#) sst = self study (*) gs = Group size(x) planning with reservation, adjustments will be published in course outlines (and hand out). | Note: it is difficult to indicate how much time a student will be working individually per week. A considerable amount of work is expected to be done in the weeks that the students do not have class: the research and actual writing is done in that week.

In the week the students have class, the feedback is given, after which the student revises his article/essay with a writing buddy. | Facilities/classroom: Regular classroom| Literature and Aids: None (the student may use the information given about report writing in the BCN reader semester 2 of year 1)| Compulsory : Compulsory classes: Each student is supposed to follow 8 classes in the semester; if more than 1 of these classes is missed, points will be deducted from the final grade. | Information/Lecturer: Assignments are provided by the lecturer. |