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GROUP PROJECT

This section will be randomly divided into teams. Team members will meet in person (for those who can), or virtually, either by a group video chat or by conference call or just via emails, as necessary, to complete assigned cases and presentations. Students will then provide a report on the discussions. Detailed instructions and due dates for the Discussion Reports will be announced later.

Some class periods before the presentation slides due date will be designated work days. We will not hold a formal lecture on those days but I will be available to answer any questions you or your group may have. This allows you and your group the opportunity to seek one-on-one guidance related to your specific project.

Presentation: Each team will be responsible for one 15 minute case presentation. Presentations may not be less than 12 minutes but may not exceed 18 minutes. All members of the team must present during this team presentation. Full instructions on how to do this will be posted on Blackboard later. All group members must present. Additional presentation instructions will be available later.

Notes about the Group Project  Different individuals within a group may receive different grades.  Presentation grades will be based on two parts: 1. I will assess the quality of your presentation; 2. Each group member will be asked to rate

their group members and other groups if possible. Grades will be posted after all projects have been completed. Please understand that it may take some time to tabulate grades.

 The presentation guidelines should serve both as a guide for your presentation and as a guide for how you critique others. Violating these guidelines will result in a lower score.

Steps to Completing a group project

1. Become familiar with the annual report and any materials that you can find about the company. 2. Identify at least one foreign country that the firm may have potential business opportunity

 The foreign country that you identified should be one where the company is not currently doing business or only has a minor presence.

 If you find the company has already expanded businesses in a large number of countries, and it’s very difficult to find any other potential foreign markets, then you may consider just examining the existing foreign markets and identifying at least one current foreign market that company need to change the strategy or operations to improve its performance.

3. Foreign country information (You may consider the following factors if relevant to your group case)  Specific location, Demographics, Language – relevant to company products  Political – government regulations, relations to foreign businesses, corruption, stability  Economics – income level, index of economic freedom (http://www.heritage.org/index/ranking)  Related industry, technology, competitors from the foreign local market  Infrastructure – e.g., transportation  National Culture, company culture  Accounting practices  Labor cost, labor relations, global human resources (selection, training, global leadership), marketing, corporate governance

4. Propose market entry modes  Choose a market entry mode – direct exports, indirect exports, licensing / franchising, turnkey projects, R&D contracts, co-

marketing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, acquisitions  Selective products / services  Human resources issues, local marketing issues, corporate governance issues

5. Build a professional presentation that summarizes what you did  Refer to effective presentation recommendations (below)

6. Remember – this is not just your opinion.  You need to provide evidences (e.g., sales revenue and other relevant financial indicators) to supports your arguments.

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Guidelines for Effective Presentations (Violation of the basic guidelines will adversely affect your grade).

1. Basic Rules

 Have your presentation as immediately available as possible. Arrive early and save it on the desktop or have a thumb drive ready – logging onto email and accessing the presentation should be for emergencies only!

 Introduce yourself. Make sure the audience knows your name. Consider restating names if you transition speakers.  Assume the audience is judging you at all times and keep that in mind as you prepare and present.

▫ Their job is to critique you – assume they are critiquing everything possible.  Business presentations are NOT history reports – assume the audience has a general idea of the situation.

▫ Instead, provide only information relevant to the problem at hand before getting into your analyses  Business presentations are NOT opinions

▫ Provide evidence (using viable analytical tools) to support your statements and recommendations 2. Reading vs. Presenting

 In a perfect world, you will commit your presentation largely to memory ▫ Use the slides or any notes as a guide - glance at them but do not look at them for any duration ▫ DO NOT turn your back completely to the audience to view the slides. ▫ DO NOT read off of the slides or your notes – slides are a guide for the audience.

 Avoid using note cards or a note page (use the slides/computer screen as a guide). This can be hard in a group presentation and classroom setting as computers may not be ideally situated for your use as a guide (hence, commit to memory). If you must have notes, make sure they are small and professional – they stand out. Consider hiding them with the podium or portfolio (again, memory is best!). Your eyes should not go down for more than a glance.

3. Attire/Appearance

 No hats. No gum, candy, or other items in your mouth. No exceptions.

 Dress appropriately for the setting. You never know what might catch the eye of an audience member.

▫ You may find it valuable to get your professional attire ready for job interviews or your career by wearing these clothes for a day or

two as a practice run. This may help you identify, for example, whether you can wear your shoes and dress clothes comfortably for

multiple hours and whether certain items need replacing. Consider setting an appointment with Career Services both as a practice

run and to get feedback.

4. Speaking

 Speak clearly, slowly, and loud enough for people to hear. Use voice inflection (not monotone)

 Avoid “ums,” “ahs,” “like,” etc.

 Be careful using jargon and DO NOT use slang (use formal English in ALL professional communications).

5. Body language

 Watch your movement. DO NOT move too much.

 Have an appropriate stance with good posture at all times (even when another is presenting). DO NOT lean (on walls, podium, etc.),

cross legs or arms, put hands on hips or in pockets, etc. Options for hands when not speaking: at your side or clasped hand-in-hand with

arms fully extended in front or back of your body.

6. Slides

 Make sure they are professional in appearance – they should all look alike and not be overly ‘busy looking’.

 Consider what the audience can see - Light on dark or dark on light (i.e., background and words) and appropriate size font. Use block font

and bold typeface if possible (easier to see). Avoid hard contrasts (e.g., black on red, yellow on white) and overly ‘busy’ slide designs.

 Avoid a ‘blank screen’ – last slide should be a ‘thank you/questions welcome’ slide that remains up for Q&A.

7. Style

 Watch out for movie clips and the like – they can be too long and hard to keep in context. Choose carefully.

 Carefully consider any anecdotes, jokes, or political references – they may offend or confuse someone.

 Have “Back-up” slides that are not part of your core presentation but that have supporting material you can draw on if necessary, particularly for FAQ’s, additional charts, detail that was omitted from a slide that might be beneficial, etc.