Global & International Business Contexts

The context: You are employed by a consulting company. Your company has been recently approached by a European company that is looking for new business opportunities overseas. One option that has been suggested to the board of directors is soft drinks industry in South Africa. Your task is to evaluate the attractiveness of this industry. You are required therefore to carry out the necessary research to construct an analysis of the overall competitiveness and investment attractiveness of the South African soft drinks industry. You should use a range of published sources of information in this task, such as books, academic journals, periodicals, web resources and relevant databases.

Part 1: Porter's National Diamond Analysis

Apply the extended version of Porter's National Diamond (PND) model to the South African soft drinks industry.

Part 2: Market Entry Strategy

Based on your research and analysis of the country's institutional environment, discuss the advantages, appropriateness and limitations of using Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as an entry strategy to South African soft drinks industry. You need to provide clear recommendations.

Part 3: Contemporary Management Issues

Discuss TWO key management issues that are identified in your analysis (Part 1 and Part 2) that should be taken into account before starting operations in the South African soft drinks industry.

READ THE FOLLOWING GUIDANCE NOTES CAREFULLY!

Guidance Notes

• The word limit for the overall assignment is 3600 words.

• Write your analysis as a piece of business communication in report style, using headings and a numbering system, including any illustrations you think are useful. All the figures, charts and tables used in the main body of the report must be explained and justified.

• There should be no first person references (I, we, us) in the report. If self-reference is required, you may refer to yourself as "the author" or "this report".

• This is a research-based assignment. Your analytical discussion must be supported by a significant number of information sources. Be selective and prioritise to highlight the most important factors.

• Clarity and concision are encouraged and will be rewarded. You should be thorough and detailed in your analysis, and all the points should be fully explained and justified - but there is a balance to be sought between a mass of detail and a thorough, yet relatively concise reasoning.

• The report should have the following structure:

• Cover page - including the module code, title and word count
• Table of contents - including the page numbers
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• List of references
• Appendices (if necessary)

• Make appropriate use of Appendices to support your discussion and analysis in the main body of the report. Appendices should be properly organised with the reader being referred to the appropriate appendix at the appropriate point in the text.

• Appendices must not exceed 5 pages in total. These should be used for supporting of the main analytical points and issues in the main body of the report.

• The work must be word-processed and must be printed on single sided A4 paper. Spacing may either be set at double or one and a half line spacing, depending on the machine used. The body of the report should be in Font size 12. Arial is the preferred font face.

• The assignment requires you to demonstrate that you understand and can use theoretical frameworks in your analysis. It is therefore expected that you apply appropriate models and theories studied on the module when generating your answers. It is not necessary to explain the frameworks that you use.

• Work which is badly written, badly organised and/or badly presented will attract a low grade.

The word count does not include:

• Title and Contents page
• Reference list
• Appendices
• Appropriate tables, figures and illustrations
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Quotes from interviews and focus groups.

Note, in text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)] and direct secondary quotations [e.g. "dib-dab nonsense analysis" (Smith, 2011 p.123)] are INCLUDED in the word count.

Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives:

The following Undergraduate programme goals and objectives.

1. Knowledgeable about the theory and practice of international business and management Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. Acquire knowledge of functional areas of business and management.

2. Acquire knowledge of specialist areas of business.

3. Apply their knowledge to business and management contexts.

4. Conduct contemporary research into business and management.

2. Skilful in the use of professional and managerial techniques and processes Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. Provide evidence of self-reflection as a means of informing personal development planning.

2. Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work in a team.

3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills.

4. Demonstrate problem solving skills.

3. Aware of ethical issues impacting on business and professional practice Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. Identify an ethical dilemma in a business situation

2. Suggest ethical solutions to this dilemma

4. Employable as graduates
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. In the context of securing graduate employment demonstrate the skills of self presentation.

Word count: 3600 words.