Fundamentals of International Business Assignment # 2 – Business Report: Company Analysis
You are an analyst in the Industry Department of the government of a developing nation (for this assignment, the particular country is not important). Like many developing nations, the majority of your workforce is unskilled to semi-skilled, and your country is trying to develop an industrial base which will provide jobs and help raise the standard of living of the population. However, your government is wary of letting foreign companies set up operations in your country that might harm, or treat unfairly, the county, its people or its resources. A number of companies have recently petitioned your government for permission to set up operations in your country. The company you are analyzing is GUESS INC. You have been asked by the Minister of Industry to analyse your choice of any one of the companies on the list provided.
The Minister is a very busy person so it is important that the report be written in a clear and concise manner. It will be judged on the factual information it contains, the clarity of your argument and the depth of your analysis. Please note that you should not try to gather data that supports only one side or the other of whether or not to give the company permission to proceed. Rather, you should gather all the pertinent data and let your analysis guide you to the best recommendation.
The report is to be seven to ten pages maximum (doubled spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font, 2.54 cm margins) plus title page, table of content, references and appendices. The title page must contain your name, student number, name of course and professor, date, and the company you have chosen from the list provided. The first half page (maximum) of the report will be an executive summary of the report’s highlights, including your recommendation. The remainder of the pages will cover the material noted in the rubric below with marks allocated as shown.
Please number the pages and use the items listed in the rubric as headings in your report. Only the first seven to ten pages (starting by your executive summary) will be read and graded. Relevant appendices are expected. Please save in PDF to upload to cuLearn.
The report must cite at least six different sources. Information sources could include the globalEDGE Website (http://globaledge.msu.edu), Forbes Global 2000 (http://www.forbes.com/global2000/), the company’s own website and annual reports, the list of databases provided on cuLearn (as well as below), and from business journals, business newspapers, business websites, etc. Be wary of relying too heavily on any one source, especially a company’s own website as they will most certainly put a positive spin on all of the company’s activities. Do not use Wikipedia. Ensure that all data is cited – Automatic zero for the assignment for references not cited. Please use the referencing guidelines I posted under Assignments in our cuLearn. In this report, there should be few, if any, quotes. If you do use a quote, ensure that it is in quotation marks and properly cited. Keep in mind that if a quote is not in quotation marks and properly cited, it is considered plagiarism.
Items / Headings
Item % of Grade
Description
Executive Summary
10
A concise and very well written summation of the whole report, including recommendation and conclusion. Maximum length one- half page.
Company Description
10
The industry or industries the company operates in, the size of the company in annual revenue and workforce size, where the company is headquartered, where the company has operations, the types of goods and services the company provides, how stable and successful the company seems to be, and any major news stories about the company over the last few years. Other relevant information.
Company’s International Strategy
15
The company’s strategy (in your own words), particular regions in which it concentrates, where it does research and development activities (R&D) and why you think it chooses these regions/countries. Who the company’s competitors are, what the company’s major strengths and weaknesses seem to be. Your views on their strategy for the short as well as the long terms.
Company’s Marketing Approach
15
Where the company sells its products and why you think it chooses these regions/countries, product/ service marketing strategies especially with respect to the level of standardization or customization of products/services, distribution channels and communications methodologies the company uses in different countries.
Company’s Logistics Approach
10
Where it produces goods and services and why you think it chooses these regions/countries based on country factors, technological factors and product factors.
Company’s Human Resource Management (HMR) Approach
10
Any information relative to the company’s approach to HRM in international settings and how this may affect its impact on operations in your country.
Analysis
15
An analysis of the risks and benefits inherent in allowing the company to do business in your country. This section must be a logical distillation of most important facets of the previous sections.
Recommendation and Conclusion
5
Your recommendation regarding allowing the company to set up operations in your country. This section must be a logical follow-on from the summary of risks and benefits.
Presentation and appendices
5
Presentation: Structure, spelling, grammar and clarity of writing. Relevance of appendices.
References
5
Use of at least six different credible sources. Accurate use of the author-date style citations. MISSING REFERENCES = 0% for the whole assignment.
100
Databases with Company Specific Information:
• FP Advisor
o First stop for Canadian companies.
o Select Company Snapshots from left hand side
o Key in company name and click on your company name
o Look for Historical Report (if your company is a large company FP will provide
a Historical Report.) Contains history and data on company from date of
incorporation
o Look for Corporate Analyzer – here you will find financial data for 7 years o Explore remaining table of contents for full picture of company
• SEDAR – from the Ontario Securities Commission – find official documents such as 10k report (A form 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission).
• TSX-E Review – from the Toronto Stock Exchange Global (includes Canadian data)
• Mergent Online
Includes Mergent Industry Reports. Excellent source for comparing companies within
an industry
• EDGAR Security Exchange Commission – find 10k etc
• Factiva
o Best source for non-North American companies and news for all companies. o For company data select Companies/Markets from top tool bar
o Click on Company
o Scroll down initial page and explore table of contents on left side.
• GMID
o Provides company profiles plus data on size of industry by country, industry
profiles, forecasting by country, etc.
