Assignment: GSE Initial Proposal Paper and Presentation

You will select an already existing company and a new country to expand to for a global business venture (or improved sustainability goal). To do this, you will conduct country, competitor, and internal analyses; explore cultural and ethical issues that could impact the firm; propose a firm strategy, structure, and entry mode for the venture; discuss human resource systems to be used in the new venture; and recommend levels of product/service adaptation as well as marketing methods.

The initial proposal paper and presentation will outline the basic steps in formulating strategy, including external environmental scanning and internal resource analysis. The initial proposal paper should be two pages and the initial presentation should be 15 minutes in length covering two major areas as follows.

1. The basic information of the company and the specific product or sustainability goal of interest (number of employees, financial information, geographic presence, production technology, etc.)

2. Host country analysis: what are the opportunities and threats in the given country for the product or service? How does the organization possess any advantages and disadvantaged compared with existing players in the host country? What is the potential for the selected organization to address the product / sustainability issue in the chosen host country?

Country: Japan

Existing Company: choose any company dealing with education

3 GSE Final Paper and Presentation

The final written proposal extends from the initial proposal and is a full report of your Global Sustainable Enterprise proposal. Your report should be 10+ pages, single spaced with double spacing between paragraphs (1-cover sheet, 10-body, 1 works cited/references cited). References should be written in the APA format.

You should base your analysis on pertinent, reliable data about the country and the firm (e.g. annual reports, core competencies, information about products/services). Considering that this is a proposal, you should mention relevant alternatives (e.g., locations, entry modes) and persuasive rationale for your recommendations.

Thus, key to this project is familiarity with the "facts," use of frameworks discussed in class, identification of central issues and problems facing the firm in the proposed venture, critical analysis of the situation, and realistic recommendations for the firm.

Your final paper should be presentable to the firm as a viable proposal for global expansion. It may be helpful to consider yourselves outside consultants or members of that firm's global expansion team when approaching this assignment.

Following is the outline for your final report.

1. Introduction

a. Description of organization
b. Description of product/service
c. Reasons for wanting to go abroad and to the selected country. In particular, what is a sustainability issue the company has the potential to address in the host country?

2. Country Analysis (i.e. opportunities and challenges of the external environment in entering the country or improving a sustainability goal)

a. Political Analysis
b. Economic Analysis
c. Legal Analysis
d. Cultural Analysis (e.g. cultural dimensions, norms, ethical issues)
e. Commercial Analysis (e.g. market demand, industry analysis, major competitors, competitors' strengths and weaknesses)
f. Critical Sustainable Development Goal (reference the U.N.'s sustainable development goals or name one of the economic, social, or ecological sustainablegoal)

3. Internal Analysis

a. Strategic goals/objectives
b. Company strengths and weaknesses (especially with regard to entering the hostmarket)
c. Entry mode (alternatives and recommendations)
d. Strategic pattern (alternatives and recommendations)
e. Organizational structure (recommendations)
f. Product/service adaptation (recommendations)

4. Implementation Issues

a. Timeline
b. Financing (e.g. funding sources, required investment levels within a timeframe)
c. HR systems (e.g. staffing policy)
d. Marketing/advertising approach

5. Conclusion

Note: If there is additional material that is especially relevant to your company, product/service or country, you should include it.