Strategic International
Business Management
Assessments Briefing –
Group 1
Dr Adrian Monaghan
Module Leader
Maxwell 324
[email protected]
Overview of Assessments
All programmes
Assessment 1
Assessment 2
1 x 30-minute group
presentation (no marks)
PLUS
1 x 3000 word group
report (50%)
1 x 2-hour examination
(50%)
Week 3, Semester 3
Week 6, Semester 3
• Briefs for Assessment 1 are on the ‘Assessments’ section of
Blackboard.
• You will receive feedback for Assessment 1 ten working days after the
submission deadline.
Group Presentation / Report Deadlines
Group 1
Presentation
Report
Monday June
22nd 2015
via Turnitin by
16:00 on
Thursday June
25th 2015
ALL PROGRAMMES
ASSESSMENT 1 –
GROUP PRESENTATION /
REPORT
Group Presentation
• You are required to create a group of 6 members
– Please complete the group membership form which
will be handed out to you now & return it to your
tutors before the end of this session
• You will be advised by Blackboard / e-mail at the
beginning of the second week of the module of the
time and venue where your presentation will take
place.
Group Presentation / Report – TASKS (1)
•
Using BBVA’s retail banking* (http://www.bbva.com/TLBB/tlbb/ing/index.jsp) as a
case study, prepare a report that:
1) Identifies a potentially attractive target market for BBVA’s retail banking’s future
international expansion strategy. You will be provided with 5 specific countries to
choose from. In order to identify which of these 5 countries represents a potentially
attractive target market, you are required to undertake a comparative analysis of the
macro-environmental factors (PESTEL analysis) of the 5 countries.
- Worth 20% of the overall mark; not included in the word count.
This background analysis must be included as an appendix.
2) Discusses your rationale for the selection of your chosen market. Your rationale
should be justified with a more detailed discussion of your PESTEL analysis of the
macro-environmental factors of your chosen market which you have presented in the
appendix.
- Worth 20% of the overall mark; 825 words.
Your rationale and more detailed discussion of your analysis of the macroenvironmental factors of your chosen market should be presented in the first
section of the main body of your report.
Group Presentation / Report – TASKS (2)
3)
Critically analyses the key strategic issues the firm faces in expanding into your
chosen market:
i) opportunities and threats in the firm’s industrial environment in your chosen
market (5-Forces analysis)
- Worth 20% of the overall mark; 825 words.
•PLUS
ii) strengths and weaknesses in the firm’s internal environment which may support
or challenge the firm’s expansion into your chosen market (VRIO analysis)
- Worth 20% of the overall mark; 825 words.
Your analysis of the key strategic issues the firm faces in expanding into your
chosen market should be presented in the second section of the main body of your
report.
4)
Evaluates the various modes of entry available to the firm and recommends – with
justification based on the findings of your analyses in Tasks 2 & 3 above – the most
suitable mode of entry that will enable this strategic international expansion to be a
success for the firm
- Worth 20% of the overall mark; 825 words.
Your evaluation of the various modes of entry available to the firm, and your
recommended / justified mode of entry, should be presented in the final section of
the main body of your report.
*A Note on Retail Banking…
• *Retail banking is when a bank executes
transactions directly with consumers, rather than
corporations or other banks. Services offered
include savings and transactional accounts,
mortgages, personal loans, debit cards, and
credit cards. The term is generally used to
distinguish these banking services from
investment banking, commercial banking or
wholesale banking.
Countries to choose from:
•You are required to undertake a comparative
analysis of the macro-environmental factors of
the following 5 countries in order to identify a
potentially attractive target market for BBVA
(Task 1):
•Denmark
•Ecuador
•Pakistan
•Panama
•South Africa
You may also wish to download the latest version of the firm’s Annual Report if available in the
public domain.
Links Between the Group
Presentation & Report
• You are required to begin researching for the group
report once your teaching in the first week of the module
has finished.
• You are also expected to have written a substantial
amount of your group report prior to your group
presentation in the third week of the module.
• You will receive verbal feedback on your presentation;
this feedback should be taken into account when
completing and reviewing the final draft of your group
report.
Group Presentation
• 20-minute group presentation (+10 minutes for
questions / answers)
• Based on the assignment tasks above (Slides 6 & 7),
prepare a group presentation that outlines:
1. the progress you have made to date in researching the
assessment’s topic
2. the progress you have made to date in preparing your
group report
• You are strongly advised to present your progress to
date in the same order as the assignment tasks on
Slides 6 & 7
Group Report
• Based on the assignment tasks above (Slides 6 & 7),
prepare a group written report of 3000 words (+ / 10%); the suggested word limits in the ‘Details of the
Assignment’ are based on your using the extra 10% and
are merely indicative (word count excludes references,
tables, diagrams, appendices).
• Your group written report should incorporate any
feedback from your tutors that may be suggested at your
presentation.
• You are strongly advised to structure your report in the
same order as the assignment tasks (Slides 6 & 7).
• The written report should indicate (on the cover page)
the contribution by each member of the group.
Group Report
Remember to:
1. Include a front sheet (not counted in the word limit), on
which you include the names and student numbers of all
group members, and their main area of contribution
2. Number the pages, starting with the first page
3. Include a list of references used at the end of the report
(presented Harvard style).
SOME GENERAL ADVICE
FOR ALL STUDENTS FOR
ASSESSMENT 1
Selecting a Country (1)
• Look at the countries in which the firm operates – is there any
discernible pattern or logic? E.g. operating in a particular
geographical region, countries that are culturally close, or evidence
of moving into emerging economies (BRICS, CIVETS, MINTS)?
• Develop a rationale to compare the 5 countries against a range of
criteria before selecting your chosen market (see next slide)
• Make the reasons for the selection of your chosen market specific
• Be objective in your selection of country – not because it may be
your home country or because you have been on holiday there!
Selecting a Country (2) – Examples of
Evaluation Criteria
Country
Political
Stability
Economic Stability
& Growth
(see next slide for
example criteria)
Socio-Cultural
Factors
e.g. cultural
preferences
which influence
customer
behaviour
Technological
Factors e.g.
basic
technological
infrastructure &
I.T. literacy
Environmental
Factors e.g.
strict
regulations
regarding waste
/ pollution
Legal Factors
e.g. restrictions
on 100%
ownership by a
foreign firm
1
Stable / unstable?
Which criteria are
relevant to your firm?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
2
Stable / unstable?
Which criteria are
relevant to your firm?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
3
Stable / unstable?
Which criteria are
relevant to your firm?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
4
Stable / unstable?
Which criteria are
relevant to your firm?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
5
Stable / unstable?
Which criteria are
relevant to your firm?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Relevant to your
firm? Why?
Selecting a Country (3) – Examples of
Economic Criteria (which of these are
relevant to your firm?)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Population: the highest represents the largest domestic market
Inflation rate: reflects the extent to which there is a healthy spending environment
with low being good, high being bad
GDP/capita: the higher this is, the higher the potential purchasing power of the
market
GDP growth: the higher this is, the more the economy is growing and the higher the
growth potential in the market
GINI Index: the lower this is, the better the distribution of wealth across the
population i.e. a larger middle class in the population
% of population below poverty line: the lowest means the more people who could
afford a product or service
Household consumption as % of GDP: all purchases of goods by households
(excluding property) to meet their everyday needs; the higher this is, the more
attractive the market for a firm that makes/sells products/services that meet
households’ daily needs
25-54 year olds as % of population: most likely to have highest disposable income
/ purchasing power but need to consider whether there is an ageing population
Selecting a Country (4) – Useful Resources
See Blackboard: Assessments  Assessment 1  Assessment 1
Briefing Slides  Useful Resources
Selecting a Country (5) – Ranking Countries:
Example
Technological
Factors
Environmental
Factors
Legal Factors
Ranking – which country seems
most attractive based on your
PESTEL evaluation criteria?
Country
Political
Stability
Economic
Stability
& Growth
Socio-Cultural
Factors
1
Very
unstable N
Minimal growth;
high corruption
N
Not relevant to my
firm / sector N/A
Little
infrastructure or
literacy N
Not applicable to
my firm N/A
No foreign
ownership
allowed N
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!
1/5
2
Unstable N
Rapid growth
but limited to
natural
resources
POSS
Not relevant to my
firm / sector N/A
Emerging
infrastructure but
limited; minimal
literacy POSS
Not applicable to
my firm N/A
Reducing
barriers to
foreign direct
investment
POSS
HIGH RISK!!!
2/5
3
Stable Y
Stable with
sustained &
encouraging
growth year on
year Y
Not relevant to my
firm / sector N/A
Well developed
infrastructure &
very high literacy
Y
Not applicable to
my firm N/A
100%
ownership
allowed;
subsidies for
foreign firms
offered Y
VERY ATTRACTIVE
5/5
4
Very
stable Y
Stable with
sustained but
small growth
year on year Y /
POSS
Not relevant to my
firm / sector N/A
Well developed
infrastructure &
very high literacy
Y
Not applicable to
my firm N/A
100%
ownership
allowed, but
high tax rate for
foreign firms Y
ATTRACTIVE
4/5
5
Relatively
stable
POSS
Rapid growth
but risks
overheating
soon POSS
Not relevant to my
firm / sector N/A
Developed
infrastructure &
high literacy Y
Not applicable to
my firm N/A
50% joint
venture with
local firm
required POSS
ATTRACTIVE BUT SOME RISKS
3/5
Applying Models / Frameworks
• Applying models & frameworks does not mean ‘filling in all the
boxes’ – ask yourself ‘which aspects of the model or framework are
relevant to my company?’ e.g.
– The ‘environmental’ dimension of a PESTEL analysis may be irrelevant – if so,
then do not include it
– The ‘threat of substitutes’ in a 5-Forces analysis may not be relevant – if so,
then do not include it
• Applying the VRIO framework – you need to ask yourself ‘which
resources and capabilities does the company possess that will
facilitate its entry into the target market?’ and ‘which resources and
capabilities does the company lack but needs to develop in order to
facilitate its entry into the target market?’
• SWOT is NOT an analysis – it is merely a table that summarises the
Opportunities & Threats that you identify in your PESTEL and 5Forces analyses and the Strengths & Weaknesses that you identify
in your VRIO analysis. If you wish, you can include a SWOT table
after your 3 analyses to use as a point of reference when deciding
upon which mode of entry would be best.
Literature Searching
• Check the back of any relevant book chapter for further
references
• Most textbooks referred to in a book chapter will be
available in the Library in hardcopy; some may be
available electronically through the Library’s online
catalogue
• Most journal articles referred to in a book chapter will be
available electronically through the Library’s online
catalogue
• NOT QuickMBA, business dictionaries or websites
selling essays online!!!
Data Gathering
• Company websites
• Media of good repute – Financial Times / The
Economist / BBC
• World Economic Forum
• CIA World Factbook
• NOT Wikipedia, blogs or websites selling
essays online!!!!!!
Study Skills Guides
The following Study Skills guides are available for you
to download from the module’s Blackboard page
•Plagiarism
•Reading & making notes
•Reviewing literature
•Critical analysis
•Writing your assignment
•Writing at Masters Level
•Harvard referencing
•Group work
•Presentation skills
•Revising & exams
•Time management
Any questions about your
lecture materials or about your
assessments?
• Please contact your module tutors by e-mail or
by visiting them during their drop-in times. Tutor
drop-in times can be found on the module’s
Blackboard site.