International Business take-home exam
1. This is an open-book, take-home exam. It is an individual assignment and should not be discussed in any way with others.
2. Your answers are not to exceed 1,800 words in total for the combined exam plus exhibits (if any). Please use 12-point, Times New Roman font, and double-space your answers. Number all pages. Clearly identify which question you are answering each time. All answers are to be written in English.
3. Read through the entire exam and articles and PPT before beginning to answer.
4. Think about the structure of your answer before you start writing it.
5. Answer each question separately and make sure the full answer is included in a single question. You may reference something from a previous answer rather than re-writing it (if needed), but do not answer all the questions in one large report.
6. Logistics for returning your answers:
a. HOW? Word Document file: double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, numbered pages, no more than 1,800 words for the total document.
A. Academic Honesty
1. Statement of Policy
All students must be honest and forthright in their academic studies. To falsify the results of one’s research, to steal the words or ideas of another, to cheat on an assignment, or to allow or assist another to commit these acts corrupts the educational process. Students are expected to do their own work and neither give nor receive unauthorized assistance.
When a student includes their name on a group assignment, that student is verifying the authenticity of the entire work. Therefore, it is important to know how others in the group obtained the material they contributed. If a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy is determined, all members of the group will share responsibility, unless the identity of individuals involved in the dishonesty can be determined. In cases where a student claims no knowledge of or involvement with dishonesty in group work, it will be the responsibility of that student to demonstrate this lack of knowledge and involvement.
a. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the inclusion of someone else’s words, ideas, images, or data as one’s own. When a student submits academic work that includes another’s words, ideas, images, or data, whether published or unpublished, the source of that information must be acknowledged with complete and accurate references and, if verbatim statements are included, with quotation marks as well. By submitting work as one's own, a student certifies the originality of all material not otherwise acknowledged. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
i. The quotation or other use of another person’s words, ideas, opinions, thoughts or theories (even if paraphrased into one’s own words) without acknowledgment of the source; or
ii. The quotation or other use of facts, statistics or other data or materials (including images) that are not clearly common knowledge without acknowledgment of the source.
Fabrication is the use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings. Fabrication includes, but is not limited to:
i. The false citation or acknowledgment of a direct or secondary source, including the incorrect documentation of a source;
ii. The citation, in a bibliography or other list of references, of sources that were not used to prepare the academic work;
iii. The inclusion in an academic work of falsified, invented, or fictitious data or information, or the deliberate and knowing concealment or distortion of the true nature, origin or function of such data or information;
iv. The unauthorized submission of an academic work prepared totally or in part by another; or
v. The submission of fabricated or altered documentation in support of any completion of academic work, an excusal from class, postponement or extension of a due date or a change of grade.
Cheating is an act or an attempted act of deception by which a student seeks to misrepresent that he or she has mastered information that has not been mastered. Cheating includes, but is not limited to:
i. Copying all or any portion of another’s academic work and submitting it, in part or in its entirety, as one’s own;
ii. Allowing another person to copy one’s own academic work - whether intentionally or unintentionally;
iii. The unauthorized use or possession of a class textbook, notes or any other material to complete or prepare an academic work;
iv. The unauthorized collaboration with any other person on an academic exercise, including collaboration on a take-home or make-up academic exercise;
v. The unauthorized use of electronic instruments, such as computers, cell phones, translators or personal response systems (clickers) to access or share information; or
vi. The unauthorized completion for another person of an academic work, or permitting someone else to complete an academic work for oneself, including through the use of personal response systems (clickers).
Academic misconduct is any other act that disrupts the educational process or provides a student with an academic advantage over another student. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
i. The unauthorized possession, copying, distribution, sale or other transfer of all or any part of an academic exercise, or the answers or solutions to an academic exercise, whether or not the exercise has been administered;
ii. Changing, altering, attempting to change or alter or assisting another in changing or altering any grade or other academic record, including grades or records contained in a grade book or computer file, that is received for or in any way attributed to academic work;
iii. Entering any University building, facility, office or other property, or accessing any computer file or other University record or storage for the purpose of obtaining the answers or solutions to an academic exercise or to change a grade;
iv. Continuing to work on an academic exercise after the specified allotted time has elapsed;
v. Bribing another person to obtain an academic exercise, including answers to questions of an unadministered academic exercise;
vi. Failing to adhere to standards of professional behavior established by a faculty member, academic program or college in conjunction with an academic course; or
vii. Posting of notes or other materials from a class (whether the student is enrolled in the class or not) on the Internet, whether or not for a fee, without express permission from the faculty member.
e. Other forms of academic dishonesty not described here but in violation of the Academic Honesty Statement of Policy.
Please answer all questions listed below. Answer each question separately. Make sure you use conceptual frameworks as appropriate. The questions are based on the following materials and PPT:
· “Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.” Credit Suisse, March 25, 2006. Focus mainly on pp 1-18. The rest can offer you a basic overview, but the details are not important. Focus more on the overall international strategy and performance, what Wal-Mart tries to leverage globally, and the cases in Brazil, Germany and the UK.
· “Special Report: Wal-Mart.” The Economist, April 17, 2004, pp. 67-69.
· “The Next Wal-Mart?” Business Week, April 26, 2004, pp. 60-62.
· “Heading for the Exit,” The Economist, Aug 3, 2006.
1. Assess the retail industry in order to define an effective worldwide competitive strategy? Please use an appropriate framework of analysis with detailed support from the material for the evaluation. (30 points)
2. Why do you think Wal-Mart, while successful in several markets, has failed in the German market? Please use an appropriate framework of analysis and detailed support from the materials. (25 points)
3. How would you characterize the worldwide strategy that Wal-Mart is currently pursuing? If necessary, please distinguish among different activities undertaken by Wal-Mart along the retail value chain (upstream with supply-chain logistics versus downstream with branding, organization of stores and sales etc.) Please use an appropriate framework of analysis and detailed support from the materials. (25 points)
4. Consider the pace, place, and manner Wal-Mart has expanded and entered into different countries. Make two recommendations to Wal-Mart that might make the company more successful in its international expansion. (20 points)
Please remember that the total sum of all your answers is not to exceed 1,800 words (in English) plus exhibits (if any).
You must use PPT's knowledge to answer. IT IS DUE 12/9 8:AM.