Module Code: SM0380 Module Title: Doing Business Globally & Internationally Distributed on: 6th March 2017 Hand in Date: 16th May 2017 @ 12:00 noon Instructions on Assessment: In Part A, students are required to address the questions below by using academic theory and concepts. (Some suggested resources covering aspects of the case have been posted on Blackboard as a start). In Part B, students are required to apply overall learnings from the module to their own personal development. Students are required to research the latest partnership between global leading concrete machinery maker PUTZMEISTER GmbH with SANY Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. Overall word limit: 3000 PART A 1. With reference to the academic literature and using your analysis of relevant environmental factors, suggest the most important external issues and trends driving the partnership of PUTZMEISTER GmbH with SANY Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. In which areas are the expected internal benefits and synergies for both companies? Why is the Chinese government involved? (20 marks) 2. With reference to the academic literature, how would you describe this partnership? Explain the risks associated with this choice of partnership. Compare and contrast this choice with PUTZMEISTER’s earlier partnership with the Swiss industrial chemical producer SIKA. Justify your view. (20 marks) 3. By applying appropriate theory and using evidence from your research of these companies, analyse the national and corporate cultures involved. Speculate on the impact of both on this ‘partnership’ between PUTZMEISTER with SANY. (20 marks) 4. Drawing upon academic literature and theory, critically discuss the possible effects, both positive and negative, of exchange rate movements on the deal. (20 marks) PART B 5. Identify three (3) specific aspects or challenges of doing business internationally that you have come to appreciate through the seminars or Expert Lectures on this module. Explain why these are significant to you personally and to the future of international business. (20 marks) Important note about ARNA regulations The regulations specify that students must complete every assessment component contributing to the modules on their programme. This applies to all forms of assessment as defined in the module descriptor. Please note that: • if any assessment component is not completed, students will be failed in the module even if the module pass mark has been achieved; • if the requirements for referral specified in section 5 of ARNA1 are met, a resit opportunity will be given; • if unable to complete an assessment component because of extenuating circumstances, students should follow the procedure described in the Student Guide to Extenuating Circumstances1. This change was approved by Academic Board on 12 October 2009 in consultation with the Students’ Union. Students should consult their Programme Leader or Guidance Tutor if they have any queries. Independent advice and support is also available from the Students’ Union Advice & Representation Centre ([email protected]) or from a student adviser in Student Services. 1ARNA and the Student Guide to Extenuating Circumstances Affecting Assessed Work are available from http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/central/ar/lts/assess/assproc/assdocstud/ Word limits and penalties for assignments If the assignment is within +10% of the stated word limit no penalty will apply. The word count is to be declared on the front page of your assignment and the assignment cover sheet. 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. Please 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. If this word count is falsified, students are reminded that under ARNA page 30 Section 3.4 this will be regarded as academic misconduct. If the word limit of the full assignment exceeds the +10% limit, 10% of the mark provisionally awarded to the assignment will be deducted. For example: if the assignment is worth 70 marks but is above the word limit by more than 10%, a penalty of 7 marks will be imposed, giving a final mark of 63. Students are advised that they may be asked to submit an electronic version of their assignment. Submission of Assessment: All assignments must be submitted via the Electronic Management Assessment (EMA) system. That is electronically via the blackboard in the assessment folder. Marked assignments will be returned to students. It is advisable to retain a copy of your assignment for you own records. Your mark will be returned electronically. Referencing your work The APA style (6th edition) of referencing uses the author's name and the date of the publication. In-text citations give brief details of the work you are referring to in your text. References are listed at the end of the text in alphabetical order by the author's name. The general format of an electronic journal reference in the APA style is shown below: Coutu, D. (2009). Why Teams Don't Work. Harvard Business Review, 87(5), 98-105. Retrieved 29th April 2016 from EBSCO http://searchebscohost.com Author/s name and initials are listed first, followed by year of publication in brackets. Then there is the title of article and the journal where the article appears, which is in italics. Then state the volume and issue number (in brackets) along with the pages where article can be located. Finally add the date the article was retrieved and then the name of the database, followed by the web address. Wherever possible use the homepage URL rather than the full and extended web address. For further information on why it is important to reference accurately go to the Referencing and Plagiarism topic in Skills Plus available from the Library website: www.northumbria.ac.uk/skillsplus You will find other useful help guides on Skills Plus to help you with the skills involved in writing your assessments and preparing for exams. For further information on the APA style of referencing see the Concise Rules of APA style and the APA website http://www.apastyle.org/learn or https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Plagiarism and Cheating Your attention is drawn to the University’s stated position on plagiarism. THE WORK OF OTHERS, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS SOURCE (a full bibliography and/or a list of references must be submitted as prescribed in the assessment brief). Please note that this is intended to be an individual piece of work. Action will be taken where a student is suspected of having cheated or engaged in any dishonest practice. Students are referred to the University regulations on plagiarism and other forms of academic irregularity. Students must not copy or collude with one another or present any information that they themselves have not generated. For further information on Plagiarism, see the Referencing and Plagiarism topic on Skills Plus. www.northumbria.ac.uk/skillsplus Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives: This assessment will contribute directly to the following Undergraduate programme goals and objectives. (Insert an ‘X’ in boxes where applicable, referring to Undergraduate Programme Specification Appendix X for mapping details) 1. Knowledgeable about the theory and practice of international business and management Objectives: Students will be able to: X 1. Demonstrate current knowledge and understanding of the major functional areas of business. X 2. Demonstrate current knowledge and understanding of specialist areas of business. X 3. Demonstrate, through the application of knowledge to business contexts and scenarios, their abilities of analysis and synthesis. 2. Skilful in the use of personal, professional and managerial techniques and processes Objectives: Students will be able to: X 1. Demonstrate the application of the following transferable skills: numeracy, literacy, communication and time management. X 2. Demonstrate the managerial skills of customer needs recognition, problem solving and critical thinking. X 3. Apply managerial and leadership techniques of team building, decision making and leadership. 3. Employable as graduates Objectives: Students will be able to: 1. In the context of securing graduate employment, demonstrate the skills of self presentation (through CVs, interviews and assessment centre testing). 2. Demonstrate an active awareness of the graduate employment market. 3. Demonstrate an active engagement with a range of graduate employers and professional bodies. 4. Aware of ethical issues impacting on business and professional practice Objectives: Students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate an understanding approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility and their impact on organisations and individuals. 2. Demonstrate a personal response to an ethical or governance business dilemma. X 3. Demonstrate an understanding of different perspectives towards business ethics including shareholder, stakeholder and critical approaches. Assessment Criteria (NBS) General Assessment Criteria Trait 0 - 29 30 – 39 40 – 49 50 - 59 60 - 69 70 - 79 80 - 100 Knowledge and Understanding Poor grasp of topic concepts or of awareness of what concepts are. Minimal awareness of subject area. Knowledge is adequate but limited and/or superficial. Sound comprehension of topic. Knowledge base is up-to-date and relevant, but also may be broad or deep. Knowledge and understanding is comprehensive both as to breadth and depth. Exceptional scholarship for subject. Structure and Alignment Failure to apply relevant skills. Work is inarticulate and/or incomprehensible. Communication of knowledge frequently inarticulate and/or irrelevant. In the most part, description/ assertion rather than argument or logical reasoning is used. Insufficient focus is evident in work presented. Reasoning and argument are generally relevant but not necessarily extensive. Awareness of concepts and critical appreciation are apparent, but the ability to conceptualise, and/or to apply theory is slightly limited. Higher order critical appreciation skills are displayed. A significant ability to apply theory, concepts, ideas and their inter-relationship is illustrated. A mature ability to critically appreciate concepts and their inter-relationship is demonstrated. Clear evidence of independent thought. Presentation of work is fluent, focused and accurate. Outstanding ability to apply, in the right measure, the skills necessary to achieve highly sophisticated and fluent challenges to received wisdom. Module Specific Assessment Criteria Trait 0 - 29 30 - 39 40 – 49 50 - 59 60 - 69 70 - 79 80 - 100 Application of Theory to Produce Analysis No use of theoretical concepts, framework or theory. Purely historical description. Generic. Sparse or inaccurate use of theoretical concepts, framework or theory. Purely historical description and / or speculation. Mostly general. Minimal use of some single theoretical concepts, frameworks or theory. Some errors in application. Much description and assertion but focusing mostly on the case. Some use of the taught theory, applied with varying skill. Produces acceptable analysis of the case in question but still relies on description. A good use of appropriate theories, sometimes applied together, applied correctly to produce analytical conclusions entirely focused on the case. Very good use of a range of combined theories and concepts, applied well to produce high quality analysis of the case. Excellent use of a wide range of combined theories and concepts, some not taught in the lectures, applied in a sophisticated manner to produce original analysis of the case and beyond. Research of a Case Vague and superficial. Irrelevant. Insufficient research has been conducted. Understanding of the case is incomplete. Minimal use of a narrow range of easily available sources with no critical awareness demonstrated eg relies on corporate websites. Some use of a range of different sources to investigate and analyze the case. A good and appropriate use of a range of sources to help explain and analyze the case. Evidence of criticality in the use of information. Very good range of sources used in an intelligent and critical manner to develop a very good analysis of the case. Sophisticated use of a wide range of (types of) sources and some critical appreciation of their value in analyzing the case. Self Awareness and Awareness of International Business Nothing learned or unable to appreciate what has been learned. Some superficial learnings identified. Rather generic. Little relation to the module. Unoriginal learnings identified in a general manner. Minimal relation to the module. Evidence of some general; and specific learnings from the course and some evidence that these are personal rather than generic. Relevant and appropriate learnings applied to the individual student and clearly derived from the module. Very good personal learnings identified and explained, relevant to the module. Shows self-awareness and good knowledge of today’s international business. Original, analytical and personalized list of learnings from the module demonstrating high levels of self-awareness and an ability to speculate in an informed way about future international business. Note: For those assessments or partial assessments based on calculation, multiple choice etc. Marks will be gained on an accumulative basis. In these cases, marks allocated to each section will be made clear. Students must retain an electronic copy of this assignment and it must be made available within 24 hours of them requesting it be submitted.