THIS COURSE IS NOT SCHEDULED THIS SEMESTER
-
Spring 2015 MGMT 6290-A
International Management
NOTE: This course is offered in a Hybrid Online Format which meets mostly on Tuesdays and a few Thursdays of each week with the balance of the course requirements online. Additional details will be reviewed during the first class meeting. The online content will be accessible through your learning portal. Please visit the learning portal for this course prior to our first class.
Class Room:
Summerville Campus
Allgood Hall
Room N-132Class Time:
March 15/16: Friday 5:30-9:00 PM/Saturday 8:00-5:00pm
April 5/6: Fri. 5:30-9:00PM/Sat 8-5:00 PM
April 19/20: Fri 5:30PM/Sat 8-5:00PMInstructor:
Professor Howard
T: 706-667-4528 (Office)
E: dhoward@augusta.edu
Office:
Summerville Campus
Allgood Hall Room N105
http://spots.gru.edu/dhoward/index.htmlOffice Hours
Office hours are 9:00-10:00 AM and 1:00-5:30 PM on Tuesdays; 9-11:30 AM and 1:00-5:00 PM on Thursdays; 1:30-5:30 PM Friday March 15th, April 5th, April 19th; or at any other time by appointment.
Instructor's Welcome
Welcome to the section of MGMT 6290. I hope everyone enjoys the experience and gains valuable insight into the field of International Management. We will work hard, learn much and along the way have a little fun. I pledge my best efforts in helping you prepare yourself for a successful career in the global business world of today.
Course Description
A case-intensive study of the different aspects of international business including, international politics, culture, economics, finance, technology, marketing, ethical decision-making, strategic planning and management, and human resource development in a global environment.
Prerequisite(s): Completion of 50 semester hours, including successful completion (grade of "C" or better) of at least four of the six BBA core Area F courses, Management 3500 and Marketing 3700.
Course Perspective and Learning Objectives
- To learn the fundamentals and significance of international trade theories and systems
- To understand the various issues, opportunities, and problems related to conducting business in today's dynamic global economy
- To examine how governments and legal systems affect international business; and
- To investigate the social and ethical roles of business in today's global society
Required Text
Hill, Charles W. L., and ,International Business, Nineth Edition (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2014).
Carey, Ray, Democratic Capitalism, AuthorHouse Bloomington, Indiana. Available at Professor Howard's Office (at no cost to student.)
Recommended Outside Reading: The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, New York Times, Financial Times, Business Week, and other periodicals with international content.
Audio- and Video-taping
No taping of the class lectures, presentations, etc. is allowed unless the student receives prior written approval from the instructor. A written request (with convincing justification) to do so must be given to the instructor.
Students With Disabilities
Students with disabilities must contact the Office of Testing and Disability Services (706-737-1469) before the start of the semester. If you require special accommodation, the office will send a classroom accommodation form to affected faculty. Should you require special accommodations, please contact the office before the beginning of the semester to determine how they will be implemented.
Attendance and Participation
The willingness to share relevant experiences during scheduled class sessions will enrich the lecture and materials. Attendance is required and participation is encouraged. Each student is expected to attend class regularly, to arrive on time, and to remain until class is dismissed. Tardiness and leaving class early are disruptive for other students and the faculty and are behaviors that are not acceptable in a business setting. Students who do not arrive promptly or leave early may be noted as absent.
You will be expected to have read each chapter or article assigned before coming to class and to be prepared and willing to participate in class discussions. Please understand that although attendance is necessary for participation, attendance by itself is not participation! Participation includes such things as asking relevant questions and contributing useful comments and examples that illustrate the topic being discussed.
Missing 10% of the class time may result in being dropped from the class. An absence is defined as not attending a scheduled class session, leaving a scheduled class session before it is officially dismissed and/or arriving to class more than 15 minutes late.
Testing Format
Every student is required to take two exams and a final. Exams will be based on the textbook, lectures, and in-class discussions. You are expected to take them when scheduled (on campus, not online), and make-up exams ordinarily will not be permitted. In the event of extenuating circumstances (personal serious illness or death in immediate family), please contact me in advance of the class so that other arrangements can be made. The exams will be given earlier at the beginning (5:30-6:20 PM)of the next scheduled class session. The Final Exam will be on Friday, April 26th at 5:30 PM. Exams will generally consist of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. No cell phones or other types of electronic devices are allowed at your desk during the Exams!
Academic Dishonesty and Classroom Behavior
Academic Dishonesty
The instructor will strictly follow the Augusta University's policies and procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook (see Student Code of Conduct) and the Augusta University General Catalog sections on Academic Honesty. It outlines your responsibilities as a student and mine as a faculty member to maintain the integrity of the learning environment. Unethical behavior of students in any form is not acceptable. Academic Dishonesty-cheating on exams, plagarism of the work of others, unapproved collaboration on graded work, and the like - will not be tolerated and will be dealt with immediately and with clear consequences.
Unethical behavior of students in any form is not acceptable. Academic dishonesty - cheating on exams, plagiarism of the work of others, unapproved collaboration on graded work, use/possession of cellular phones or other types of electronic devices during exams, and the like - will not be tolerated and will be dealt with immediately and with clear consequences. Further, I expressly forbid the use of any cell phone or other communication device in the classroom at any time. Depending on the nature of the problem, a student who is guilty of any such violation may be withdrawn from the course with a grade of WF (counted as an F in the GPA ), given a grade of zero on the assignment, given a grade of F in the course, or otherwise penalized.
Other Distracting Behavior
The classroom should be considered a place of business – academic business. Distracting behavior such as uninvited casual talk among students, use of cellular phones, beepers and online laptop computers, eating snacks, sleeping, or inappropriate behavior toward fellow students or faculty will not be tolerated any more than they would be in a business setting. Faculty have the right and the responsibility to maintain a classroom free of such distractions. Students who persist in such behavior may be asked to leave the class and may be counted absent for the session. Persistent disruptive behavior may affect the student's participation grade or result in withdrawing the student from the course.
Grading
Attendance Required Online Chapter Homework (16 Quiz Average) 15% Case Study: Individual Paper and Presentation 10% Country Manager Simulation Game (Team) 15% Three Exams@20 Percent Each 60% TOTAL 100%
Grades will be awarded as follows: 90-100 points (A); 80-89 points (B); 70-79 points (C); 60-69 points (D); below 60 points (F).
(W) Withdrawal, without penalty - A grade of W will be assigned if the student officially withdraws from the course by semester midterm, unless the student has been charged with academic dishonesty.
(WF) Withdrew, failing - A grade of WF will be assigned after midterm unless the student withdraws because of non‑academic hardship and has a passing average at the time of withdrawal.
(I) Incomplete - Student doing satisfactory work, but unable to meet the full requirements of the course because of non-academic reasons. The maximum time for completing course work to remove an I is one semester; otherwise, the I will be automatically changed to F.
Online Homework Reading Assignment Quizzes (15%)
Your chapter reading assignments are listed in the Course Schedulewhich is available on the course website (http://spots.aug.edu/dhoward) or through your D2L portal. You are required to take the online quiz for each of the chapter reading assignments PRIOR to the class sessions in which the assignments will be covered. The quizzes are available through your D2L portal. There are a total of 16 chapter quizzes and the average score of these quizzes constitutes 15% of the course grade.
Individual Case Study Presentation and Report:Each class member will be responsible for leading the discussion (presentation) of an assigned (see course schedule) case study. A written report (three to five typed pages) of the case should be turned in at the beginning of your case discussion/presentation. The report should include a brief overview of the case, an indepth analysis of the case, and answering the questions provided at the end of each case. Your case is listed in the course schedule and constitutes 10% of the course grade.
Team Market Simulation Project/Game:
Interpretive Software's Country Manager is a market simulation product which provides the student team managers with simulated real world experience in international business (managerial and marketing) descision making and enables them to see the relevance of the principles being taught in the course. The class will be divided into three-person (self selected) teams. Each team will be responsible for developing a marketing and management strategy for operating the firm. The background information for the simulation is in a separate handout which will be available online ?. The market simulation exercise is scheduled during each of the three weekend sessions and will require pre-session preparation. The Market Simulations competition will constitute 15% of your course grade.
"Capitalism: past, Present, Future" Lecture Series by Dr. George Becker, Jr.:
Two lectures on capitalism. Our guest lecturer is Dr. George Becker, Jr. former Rutgers University Visiting Professor and Deputy Asst. Sec., U.S. Department of Commerce. Associated reading assignments from several chapters of Democratic Capitalism by Ray Carey are required. A copy of Mr. Carey's book is made available to each student by the Lecture Series.
Capitalism: Past, Present, Future:
Lecture One: Introduction Background and Experience: of Ray Carey and George Becker in government and the private sector, with particular emphasis on democratic capitalism.
Historical Perspective: Origins of capitalism. Adam Smith and other voices from the past: capitalism during and aftr the industrial revolution; and its development into the most accepted economic system of our time.
Capitalism has not lived up to its potential but Democratic Capitalism (as defined by Ray Carey) is becoming an alternative to the finance capitalism that has created so many problems in the world. What is Democartic Capitalism and how does it work?
The importance of Worker Ownership and Profit Sharing in business today. This concept leads to greater distribution of wealth within society and more economic freedom for the individual (cite examples from the text on the logic of Democartic Capitalism: including comments on Free Trade and Globalization).
Lecture Two: Ultra-Capitalism and the spread of leveraged speculation. Refer to historical sequence of events on pages 243-248. These periods of conflict led to Ultra-Capitalism and its money associated problems. Finance Capitalism became the order of the day.
Trends and conflicts in capitalism including a review of commercial tragedies such as Enron, World Com, AIG Citigroup and Wachovia Bank. All of these and more indicate the failure of the present system and the need for Democratic Capitalism.
How do we achieve a world of peace and plenty? The ten hypotheses set forth in the text represent a logical series of steps to advance the cause of Democratic Capitalism. Concurrently we must be aware of the inroads made by State Capitalism and the growing power of sovereign wealth funds.
AU AND HULL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS POLICIES
Class Attendance
If the student has been absent for more than the equivalent of 10 percent of class time, regardless of cause, then the professor may withdraw the student from the class for excessive absences. It is important to note that the instructor may—or may not—withdraw a student from class based upon attendance. In any case, a student should not assume that the instructor has initiated the withdrawal form. A student not withdrawn from a course who stops attending class (or who never attends class) is subject to receiving a grade of WF or F for the course. Please reference the Class Attendance Section in AU Catalog for further details.
Code of Conduct
Please review the Student Code of Conduct in the Jaguar Student Handbook. It outlines your responsibilities as students and those of a faculty member to maintain the integrity of the learning environment. As outlined in the handbook, disorderly or distracting conduct may result in expulsion from the class. Moreover, any form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Should you be caught cheating or plagiarizing the work of another the procedures as outlined in the handbook and catalog will be followed.
Academic Honesty
In an academic community, honesty and integrity must prevail if the work done and the honors awarded are to receive their respect. The erosion of honesty is the academic community's ultimate loss. The responsibility for the practice and preservation of honesty must be equally assumed by all of its members. Any type of dishonesty in securing those credentials therefore invites serious sanctions, up to and including, a WF in the course, and expulsion from the institution. Examples of dishonesty include actual or attempted cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to any university employee. Please reference the Academic Honesty Section in AU Catalog for further details and specific definitions of cheating and plagiarism.
Disabilities
Students with disabilities must contact the Office of Testing and Disability Services (706-737-1469) before the start of the semester. If you require special accommodation, the office will send a classroom accommodation form to affected faculty. Should you require special accommodations, please contact the office before the beginning of the semester to determine how they will be implemented. Please reference the Testing and Disability Section in AU Catalog for further details.
GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR IN THE HULL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
The Hull College of Business faculty and administration believe that, for students to be prepared for career success, it is important for them not only to know the subject matter in their majors, but also to demonstrate professional, ethical, and responsible business and social behavior. Whether a person is interviewing for a job, participating in a business or academic social event, or attending class, there are some important characteristics of personal behavior that are expected by colleagues and administrators. In the business work environment, employees can be dismissed for behavior that is distracting or disruptive to other employees, customers, or administrators.
In keeping with these expectations and to protect the welfare of all students, the faculty and administration of the College have agreed on the following guidelines, beyond those specified in the Student Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook, for appropriate behavior of students in our programs or attending classes in the College. None of these guidelines is intended to limit normal freedom of speech or expression in any way.
Class Attendance
Each student is expected to attend class regularly, to arrive on time, and to remain until class is dismissed. Tardiness and leaving class early are disruptive for other students and the faculty and are behaviors that are not acceptable in a classroom or business setting. Students who do not arrive promptly or leave early may be noted as absent at the faculty member's discretion. Absences in excess of the maximum prescribed in the course syllabus may result in the faculty member withdrawing the student from the course.
Other Distracting Behavior
The classroom should be considered a place of business - academic business. Distracting behavior such as uninvited casual talk among students, use of cell phones and beepers, sleeping, or inappropriate behavior toward fellow students or faculty will not be tolerated any more than they would be in a business setting. Faculty have the right and the responsibility to maintain a classroom free of such distractions. Students who persist in such behavior may be asked to leave the class and may be counted absent for the session. Persistent disruptive behavior may result in the faculty member's withdrawing the student from the course.
Academic Dishonesty
Unethical behavior of students in any form is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in the Hull College of Business. Academic dishonesty (see definitions below) - cheating on exams, plagiarism of the work of others, unapproved collaboration on graded work, and the like - will be dealt with immediately and with clear consequences. Depending on the nature and severity of the problem, a student who is guilty of any such violation may be: 1) withdrawn from the course with a grade of WF (counted as an F in the GPA); 2) given a grade of zero on the assignment; 3) given a grade of F in the course; or 4) otherwise penalized, at the discretion of the faculty member. Two occurrences of a WF grade for academic dishonesty will result in a student being expelled from the University, per current University policy as described in the University Catalog.
Student Appeals and Grievances
Any student who believes that he or she has been treated unfairly under these guidelines should first address the matter with the faculty member responsible for the class. If the problem is not resolved, the student may meet with the Dean or pursue appeals or grievance procedures outlined in the University Catalog.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY DEFINITIONS IN THE HULL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Any attempt to present intentionally the work or knowledge of others as your own on a graded test or assignment or to contribute to such activities constitutes academic dishonesty. The following illustrations do not include every possible variation of academic dishonesty, but they are examples of the kinds of infractions that will be considered academic dishonesty violations. If you have questions about academic dishonesty, please ask any faculty member or any administrator in the Hull College of Busines. It is your responsibility to recognize and avoid initiating or contributing to academically dishonest behavior.
CHEATING ON A TEST, EXAM, OR ASSIGNMENT
Closed-book, closed-notes tests
The use of any materials except those provided by the faculty member or provided for in test instructions is considered cheating. The use of prepared notes, electronic aids, assistance from others, or the use of any information obtained from others (with or without their permission) during the test is considered cheating.
Open-book, open-notes tests
Assistance from others or the use of any information obtained from others (with or without their permission) during the test, without the permission of the instructor, is considered cheating.
Independent projects or papers
If the faculty member's instructions require independent, unassisted work on a project or paper, no portion of the assignment may be prepared by anyone else. Having any part of the assignment prepared by someone else, or in collaboration with someone else, is considered cheating unless the instructor's instructions specifically call for such collaboration.
Assisting others with test information
Because many courses are taught at multiple times, it is important that students in one section of a course not provide information about a test to any student in another section who will take the same or a similar test at a later time. To do so will be considered cheating.
PLAGIARISM
Failure to give credit to others
On individual and group assignments - projects, papers, presentations, research studies, and the like - no portion of the work may contain quotations of or paraphrasing (rewording) of the work of others unless each such reference is clearly identified with an appropriate footnote or bibliographical reference to the original source and author. To not give credit to others in each such instance is to present the work of others as if you had written it yourself. That is considered plagiarism. Style manuals (such as the American Psychological Association manual) provide guidelines for footnoting, quotations, and other means of giving credit for the work of others. Your instructor may prefer some particular style. If no guidelines are provided, it is your responsibility to use a standard style or ask the faculty member for guidance.
Ghost writing
It should go without saying that having someone else write some or all of a paper or do a project for which you are individually responsible constitutes academic dishonesty. Whether the author is a friend, a paid writer, or a person who offers such services on a web site, the result is an intention to present someone else's work as your own and will be treated as an academic dishonesty infraction.
-
Section(s):
Semester: Summer 2013, Session 4
Date Topic Preparation First Class Meeting
5/16 ThClass Introduction, Syllabus Review and Hybrid Course Overview
HCB Career Center Presentation: HCB CAP Center
*Complete Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Subscription Form Online!
*First Wall Street Journal Session is Tuesday 5/23!
Globalization
Case 1: The Globalization of Health Care (p.40) - Class Homework for in class review and submission - Due 5/21
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 1 and complete online Chp 1 HW Quiz prior to class start time on 5/21, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed 30 minutes to take this first HW Quiz (you are also allowed two attempts for this first quiz)!
Chapter 1 5/21 T Country Differences in Political Economy
Case 2: Egypt, The Troubled Giant (p.87)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 2 and complete online Chp 2 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed 30 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
Chapter 2 5/23 Th Differences in Culture
Case 3: Panasonic and Japan's Changing Culture (p.125)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 3 and complete online Chp 3 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
*Begin Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Discussions/Quizzes
*BUSA 4200-A Cultural Exercise (BAFA BAFA) Class will meet from 2:30-5:10 PM
Chapter 3 5/28 T Ethics in International Business
Case 4: Siemans Bribery Scandal (p. 158)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 4 and complete online Chp 4 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
WSJ
Chapter 4 5/30 Th International Trade Theory
Case 5: Logitech (p.195)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 5 and complete online Chp 5 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
WSJ
Chapter 5 6/4 T Political Economy of International Trade
Case 6: Why Did Global Food Prices Rise? (p.238)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 6 and complete online Chp 6 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
WSJ
Chapter 6 6/6 Th Foreign Direct Investment
Case 7: Spain's Telefonica (p.272)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 7 and complete online Chp 7 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
WSJ
Chapter 7 6/11 T Regional Economic Intergration
Case 8: The European Energy Market (p.308)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 8 and complete online Chp 8 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
MID TERM EXAM REVIEW
Chapter 8 6/13 Th MID TERM EXAM 1/2 (Chapters 1-8) Exam taken on campus, AH Rm # E-150
Also Chapter 9 will be covered after Exam!Review 1 Questions
Review 2 Questions6/13 Th The Foreign Exchange Market
Case 9: Caterpillar Tractor (p.340)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 9 and complete online Chp 9 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
*Country Reports Work Session Reminder
Chapter 9 6/18 T The International Monetary System
Case 10: Argentina's Monetary Crisis (p.376)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 10 and complete online Chp 10 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
Chapter 10 6/20 Th The Strategy of International Business
Case 11:The Evolving Strategy of IBM (p.414)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 11 and complete online Chp 11 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
Country Reports - Group Organization and Work Session - Bring research and written project work to class for review!
Chapter 11 6/25 T Entering Foreign Markets
Case 12: General Electric's Joint Venture (p.440)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 12 and complete online Chp 12 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
Chapter 12 6/27 Th Exporting, Importing, and Countertrade (Including Letters of Credit Review)
Case 13: MD International (p.464)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 13 and complete online Chp 13 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
Chapter 13 7/2 T Global Production, Outsourcing, and Logistics
Case 14: Building the Boeing (p.490)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 14 and complete online Chp 14 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
*Quiz on Letters of Credit!
Country Reports - Group Organization and Work Session
Chapter 14 7/9 T Global Marketing and R & D
Country Reports Due 7/5 - (Due at beginning of Class) (10 Points off per day late!)
Case 15: Microsoft in India (p. 524)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 15 and complete online Chp 15 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
Chapter 15 7/9 T Global Human Resource Management
Case 16: Lenovo (p. 552)
Home work assignment - Read Chapter 16 and complete online Chp 16 HW Quiz prior to class start time, Sect. A: 2:30 PM. You are allowed only 15 minutes to take the HW Quiz (only one attempt, NO second takes allowed)!
All assignments (not already due) must be completed and submitted by this date for any grading consideration!
FINAL EXAM REVIEW
Chapter 16 7/11 Th FINAL EXAM (Chapters 9-16 plus Letters of Credit and Currency Exchange Comp.) Section A: 7/11, Thursday, 3:30-5:30 PM, AH Rm E-150 Review 3 Questions
Review 4 QuestionsNOTE: Schedule may be modified depending on student needs.
-
Section(s): All
Semester: Summer 2015, Session 4
Title: International Management, Country Report Assignments
Your semester project shall consist of a detailed written report covering the social, cultural, economic, legal, and political environments of a particular country. This assignment will be done in teams comprised of 2-3 students each. Each team must select a country (from the following list) and target that country for preparing the reports. Each team should notify the instructor of their country choice and two alternatives before the end of the 2nd week of classes. Countries are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Students may not choose a country if any team member is a native or has a strong cultural background of that country.
There are three main sections to your country report assignments. Section 1 is a report on the social and cultural environment of the country. Section 2 is a report on the economic and financial environments of the country. Section 3 is on the political and legal environments of the country. In addition to these sections, your report should also include brief introduction and conclusion sections. You will also be expected to keep up with current events related to the assigned country during the semester and offer pertinent information and helpful hints for business travelers who wish to travel there.
All written reports are due at the beginning of class on April 30, 2013. In addition to the written report, each team must submit a msword file (less any charts or graphics and no larger than 1.2 megs) of the report on a CD or stick/jump drive. Late reports will be penalized 10% of the allotted grade per day. Your reports must be typewritten (12 point type, double spaced, standard margins) and must have a professional appearance. The body of each report should be approximately 15 to 20 pages (not counting the cover, appendices, references, graphs, illustrations, etc.). It should contain proper references to all borrowed or cited material. No footnotes are necessary as long as references are properly cited in the text with reference page at end of paper. All research and writing for this project must be the group's original work. Violations of academic honesty will not be tolerated. The work of others must be cited exactly, quotations used appropriately, and citations reported accurately on all work submitted for this project. Academic dishonesty (e.g. cheating, plagiarism, etc.) will result in a failing grade (WF) for this course.
Proofread your work! Logical organization of your research is required. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors will result in a poor overall evaluation.
Only one report per group is needed, however, please make additional copies for your records as the reports will not be returned. While I encourage you to use the internet for your research, a good balance of written periodicals and books must also be used. Personal interviews with natives of the country are also encouraged. The often used internet repository, Wikipedia, is not an acceptable reference for this project.
Team Behavior: Today's employers place extraordinary importance on effective team workers. Equal contribution from each team member can improve the overall quality of the project and benefit the entire group. Each team member is expected to fully cooperate with the group and make a significant contribution to the group's overall effort. The complete report should identify the individual contributions of each team member but each team member's grade will be based on the report in its entirety. An exception may be made in cases where a team member has failed to meaningfully contribute to the propject. It is in the best interest of everybody to behave as responsible adults and contribute equally toward the assignments, however, it is not uncommon to have problems while working in teams. If a team is experiencing insurmountable difficulty with a team member, please let me know as early as possible so that I can make adjustments if possible. I will also require an end of the semester peer evaluation of group members. Each one of you (anonymously) will have a chance to evaluate your group members. While the overall grade that you get on each report will form the upper limit for each group member, consistent poor evaluation of any member can hurt their grade independent of the others. Please note that I will be unable to explain to the disadvantaged group member why their group rated them poorly.
List of Countries
Brazil, Portugal, Greece, China,
France, Spain, Switzerland, India,
Germany, The Netherlands, Ireland,
Guatemala, Australia, Finland,
Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Ecuador,
Kenya, Sweden, Argentina,
South Africa, Austria, Singapore.
SECTION 1
This section is on the social and cultural environments of the chosen country. This should describe the demographics of the country and its people and discuss the cultural indicators of those people. In developing this section you may want to use a particular product or service that is being marketed in the country and discuss those cultural variables that may have to be taken into consideration when marketing those products. Also, discuss the cultural differences an American may encounter when visiting as a salesperson or on extended assignment and prepare a trip plan for a business person to visit the country at the end of this semester.
Be sure to search the internet for cultural tips on these countries. Other useful resources are foreign students and faculty whose origins are in the chosen country or faculty who have visited or worked in the chosen country. Be sure to reference all resources used, even personal conversations. One good source of cultural information is the CIA World Fact Book. Another is the Library of Congress Portals to the World.
SECTION 2
This section is on the financial and economic environment of the chosen country. You will be required to assess the economic conditions of the country. For your convenience I have included guidelines that can be used to compile the information. This worksheet focuses on economic growth variables and the balance of payments statement. Also, you can obtain information (for the latest five year period) from the International Financial Statistics (Reference). The financial environment report of the chosen country should examine fluctuations (and the reasons for them) and foreign exchange controls. Illustrate both in a tabular form and graphical form, the prices of the target currency ($ per unit of foreign currency) over time. Also show year-by-year changes in the price of your target currency in the table. In most cases, you can obtain this information from sources like the International Monetary Fund and The World Bank.
In addition, you should look at the quality of life variables (phones, TV's, automobiles, education rates, etc.) and compare them with that of the US or some other reference country. The published data is usually not current. To obtain more recent information, it is advisable to look at the Wall Street Journal Index to find relevant economic information on your chosen country. Also, I suggest that you check out Dr. Jurgen Brauer's International Economic Research Links and those links listed in your D2L site.
SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR SECTION #2
If possible, find the following information on your target country for the last five years by consulting the International Financial Statistics and other international reference sources.
Interest Rates, Total (Hard Currency) Reserves, Consumer Price Index, Total Merchandise Exports/Imports, GDP, Income Inflow/Outflow, Population, Foreign Direct Investment, & Foreign Exchange Rates can help you present or explain the economic circumstances of your country.
Comment on the Economic Health of the Country, for example:
- What is the size of the economy? - GDP Measure of Size
- What portion of the GDP is comprised of Agriculture, Industry, and Service?
- How well off are its people?- GDP/Capita - Indication of development
- How well off are its people?- Look at quality of life indicators and consumption indicators.
- Examine each one the above mentioned calculations and look at the trend of the past five years.
- Do you think the country is making progress or not? Consider Real and Nominal GDP/Capita growth Rate
- Do you think it has adequate reserves?
- Do you think it will practice free trade?
- Do you think it will try hard to attract foreign capital?
- Do you think it will allow foreigners to repatriate interest and profits?
- In general, do you think it will sustain free market policies?
SECTION 3
This section is on the political and legal environments of the chosen country. The political environment section should cover issues such as the type of political system, government's attitude and rules related to trade and investment in the chosen country. Give a brief description of the political history of the country and then discuss in detail the current political climate of the country. In addition, comment upon the legal system and rules imposed on foreign companies wanting to do business there. These might include tariff and non-tariff restrictions on competition, product, promotion, pricing, and distribution. Also, comment upon regulations concerning entry of firms and repatriation of profits and capital and discuss to what regional and international trade associations the country belongs.
-
Additional Information