Report Planning

Assignment 1: Report Plan – Stage One 30%
Due Date: Tuesday 1st April. Assignment 1 is to be submitted by 5:30pm Tuesday 1
st April
to the electronic drop box labelled Assignment 1 in Learn Online (Moodle).
Length: Maximum 10 pages (Double line spacing with 12 point Times Roman font)
including all diagrams, tables and references.
Value: 30%
Topic/s: Report Planning: A major international business enterprise. This stage of the
project requires you to select a major international business enterprise and
examine its experience in the light of the concepts and theories introduced in
the early part of this unit (i.e. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8) of the text by
Cavusgil et. al. These chapters cover foundation concepts and selected aspects
of the environment of international business studies.
Details: The task is to create a Report Plan as a way of building your research skills by
adopting a systematic approach to the task. This involves library and electronic
database searching, description and evaluation of a range of sources, brief
summaries of material, analysis of the significance of data sources and steps
that will help you clarify and define the main issues relevant to the company
that you select.
This exercise will allow you to use your research sources to develop a viable
plan for research for the Project Report. (The skills learnt here should be
transferable to all other units you study).
You MUST NOT write an essay for this stage of the assignment; brief notes
are appropriate. You need to develop your research skills so that you can
construct a research plan and creates notes that explain how the material in the
listed chapters can be used to understand the experience of and challenges
facing your selected company.
Following these steps should help you complete Assignment One. Listed here
as A-F for your convenience.
A. Identify a major international business enterprise
Use the library data bases to be sure that you will be able to access and
understand the materials you require for the project. You will need to consider
several companies before making a final choice. A crucial consideration in your
choice will be the extent to which the company chosen allows you to explore its
experience using the concepts of this unit.
• Explain why you have chosen this company? Some factors that might
influence your choice are:
• A firm’s role in the global pattern of trade
• Comparative and competitive advantage as they apply to the firm
• Does its activity represent some aspect of New Trade Theory? If so
examine the implications of such theory for its pattern of international
businesses.
• Theories of Foreign Direct Investment and the Eclectic Paradigm
• Does the firm represent an example of the Stages Models of
Internationalisation?
• Its organisational form
• Effects of and implications of culture, legal and economic systems in
the countries in which the firm operates.
• And other concepts or ideas from the relevant chapters of the Cavusgil
et. al. text.
Once you have settled on a company you should list the main issues that are
pertinent to this company and offer examples to illustrate. The emphasis that
you give to international business concepts will be depend upon the relevance
of each to the company that you have chosen. You need use your judgement
here and that judgment needs to be informed by careful reading of the text and
selected journal articles.
B. Search Library Catalogues
Consult a range of catalogues including University of Canberra and the
National Library of Australia (NLA). Data bases such as those for journals and
companies (e.g. Global Mint). These will contain books and articles relevant to your chosen company and the generic international business issues that
confront that company.
C. Use quality items published on the internet:
Find some sources that meet these criteria
• It is authoritative
• The site is clear about its own sources and reliability
• It is up to date or provide material that most likely not been published
in other formats (e.g. refereed journals)
D. Statistics and secondary data used to illustrate your argument.
Look for suitable statistics and data to include in your report. Show the reader a
few examples of the types of evidence you will use in your Report. Cite the
sources and availability of the data, and show how you might compile and
display it. A summary table you have constructed or a diagram that richly
illustrates main points in your research would be ideal.
E. Progress so far – time to pause and reflect.
Reflect and carefully evaluate your progress. Have you covered all the points
adequately and do are you beginning to form a thesis or main line of argument
for your Project Report? Check that you have used the theory of the early part
of the unit to examine key issues confronting your company.
F. Plan for the Project Report
Now as the final step for the this Assignment One construct a plan with section
headings, sub-headings, bullet points or phrases and short paragraphs that
reflect your development of the report and your line of argument up to this
point. It needs to be more than a list of points; the reader should be able to
discern clearly your line of argument from your plan.
An assessment evaluation sheet will be provided on the Moodle site. Read it for
guidance on the presentation of your work. Check you have covered all the
points in this sheet before you hand in the assignment.
Take care to use correct citation methods: use Harvard Author/Date (Check the
UC library site for full information on these methods).
Assignment 1 Marking Rubric
Criteria    Weight
The extent to which the chosen company allows you to explore content/relevant theories covered in the first half of the course. A small discussion (a few sentences) for each point. At least 8 points are expected.    /20
Relevant Books, Journal articles and reputable business magazines at least 3 of each, Referenced properly using Harvard style referencing and a small discussion under each as to their relevance.    /20
At least 3 internet sites Referenced properly with a small discussion under each as to its credibility.     /10
at least 2 sources of reliable data with a small discussion under each of the reliability of the data and its relevance     /10
A clear succinct insightful thesis.      /10
A logical report structure, headings and subheadings, covering key topics with word allocations for each. The degree to which the plan addresses the thesis.       /30

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