The International Business

Project aims to engage students in learning activities where they will apply knowledge gained during the course, and in so doing, work to achieve the learning outcomes.

Students must identify and work with a local company (agreed with lecturer) that could expand outside the UAE in terms of globalisation of markets and potential globalisation of production.

- Each student must croose ONE local company (each student must work with a different company).
- Each student must choose ONE country for potential expansion
- Students should view themselves as International Business Consultants, preparing a report for the company.
- Students should interview company representatives where possible, or otherwise secure publicly-available company facts.

Students must produce an Individual report of 1,500 words, including the following elements:
- Cover Page & Table of Contents

1. Introduction
o The purpose of the report (explain the context of the report, why it has been written)
o The main contents of the report (a clear summary of the report findings)

2. Company Background
o Brief overview of the company
o Brief description of current products/services, geographic markets, and production/service facilities.

3. Country and Market Analysis:
Analyse the suitability of your chosen country into which the company might expand. The analysis should include 10 factors, of most relevance to the business type and the country, across the following factors:

External factors that make the market attractive (e.g. political stability, flee market systems, inflation rates, private sector debt, corruption levels)

Customer/Competitor based factors that make the market attractive (e,g. Product/service availability to meet consumer needs, level of existing competition, efficiency and value of existing competitors)

o Industry and Business related factors (e.g. Trade barriers, suitable labour force availability, Business core competences, Rate of expansion required/company strategy, Transport costs, Costs of establishment/EoS, Level of centralised control required)
- Justify why each chosen factor is relevant to the company.
- Determine the suitability/attractiveness of each factor (e.g. 7/10, unsuitable-very suitable) and include a written justification with references for each factor score.
(The information gathered for Assignment 1 may be used here, or students may use a different country.)

4. Marketing mix & Staffing policy
a Formulate a brief marketing mix for the company in the new market noting the need for Standardisation vs. Local Responsiveness (refer to Product features, Place/Distribution strategy (including where production should be located), Promotion strategy; Pricing strategy) (L03.1
& 3.2).
o Identify and justify which HRM staffing policy the company should use (L03.3). (5) s. Market Entry Strategy (L04)
o Evaluate the potential suitability (advantages/disadvantages) of each of the six Market Entry Modes applied specifically for this company.
o Recommend & justify the best entry mode(s) for this company.
6. Strategy for international business operations (L05)
o Select and briefly justify the most appropriate of the 4 Strategies that the company could use to compete internationally: (Global Standardisation, Transnational, international, or Localisation).