The Assessment Task
Part A should cover the following 5 sections:
1) The brand and product selected (background company information).
2) Choice of a country and analysis (it is not necessary to justify why you have chosen one
developing market over another), but you must explain why the selected product
would be suited to that market and why the market is attractive for investment
(demographics, culture, nature of competition, GDP growth, ease of doing business
index, etc.). Use relevant data and business theories to support your discussion.
3) Select and justify an international business strategy that firms could adopt considering
pressures for price reductions and local responsiveness. What structure and control
mechanisms would you recommend for the strategy to be adopted considering the
cost or implication for using vertical differentiation, horizontal differentiation, need for
coordination, performance and need for culture control (as applicable to the structure
and control mechanisms recommended by you)?
4) Select and justify an FDI entry mode strategy for entering the developing market (e.g.
joint ventures, franchising, turnkey project, etc.).
5) Select and justify strategies that your firm could use to increase its profitability either
reducing cost or adding value in the existing market. Use relevant theories and
empirical examples to support your answers.
Part B: Reflect upon the assignment.
Consider the learning activities, in-class workshops and e-tivities. What have you learnt
from these? How has your personal development progressed, identifying transferable
skills and knowledge? 250 words (Not to be assessed and not part of the word
count).
It is important to point out that you cannot select a product that already exists in the
developing market you have chosen. For example, Coca-Cola is already sold in Poland, so you
would not be able to choose this for the assignment.
It is important to point out that you cannot select entry modes that are not aspect of FDI.
You must use relevant business theories/models/framework to support your answers in
sections 2, 3, 4 & 5.
You ‘re advised to use relevant data to answer section 2.
Please, check the module guide (handbook) for further details on how your portfolio
should be structured/organised

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Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes that are being assessed in this assessment are:
a) Evaluate current debates over the nature and processes of globalisation for
understanding the macroeconomic factors as well as political issues that MNEs
have to consider.
b) Analyse the global interaction between transnational corporations, governments
and global institutions.
c) Analyse the differing impact of, and responses to, global economic transition and
transformation on the part of specific regions and states.
d) Interpret the use appropriate models and frameworks to analyse empirical
scenarios for developing necessary managerial skills of doing business abroad.
e) Critically reflect upon your own personal development in order to identify
transferable skills and knowledge.
Your grade will depend on the extent to which you meet these learning outcomes in the way
relevant for this assessment. Please see the grading rubric at the end of this assessment brief
for further details of the criteria against which you will be assessed.
Word Limits
Your portfolio must:
 be 2,000 words in length for part A, excluding references and appendices. However, you
will be penalised if appendices are abused. You are allowed 10% above or below the
word count only;
 be expressed clearly in grammatically correct English;
 use relevant theories to analyse empirical data;
 draw relevant conclusions from the analysis; and
 be fully and correctly referenced both in the text and at the end using the Harvard
system.
 250 words in length for part B (Not to be assessed and not part of the word count)
Assignments handed in up to one week late will be marked but will receive a maximum grade
of D-. Assignments that are received more than one week late will not be marked. All requests
for extensions to deadlines should be made well before the deadline, using the standard
form.
For information on Global market opportunity data, analysis and cultural differences, please
refer to Global Edge site, http://globaledge.msu.edu/, World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business
Index http://www.doingbusiness.org/, MarketLine site
http://advantage.marketline.com.ezproxy.northampton.ac.uk/., Geert Hofstede Cultural
Dimensions, http://www.geert-hofstede.com/, Christopher Liechty: Experiments & Culture
Map
http://christopherliechty.com/culture-map/, Erin Meyer – Interactive Culture Map
http://erinmeyer.com/tools/interactive-culture-map-exhibit/

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In accordance with the Assessment and Feedback Policy, as stated in section 4.40 where a
submission exceeds the stipulated word limit by more than 10%, the submission will only be
marked up to and including the additional 10%. Anything over this will not be included in
the final grade for the assessment item. Abstracts, bibliographies, reference lists,
appendices and footnotes are excluded from any word limit requirements.
In line with section 4.41 of the same Policy, where a submission is notably under the
word limit, the full submission will be marked on the extent to which the learning
objectives have been met.