checkpoint

INT 113 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview The final project for this course is the creation of a country analysis PowerPoint presentation that will answer the following prompt: What country-specific information is important in the consideration of market entry? How do cultural differences impact business communication and decisions? Your assessment for this course will require you to place yourself in the role of an international business professional. Imagine you work for an organization that has decided it wants to enter a foreign market, but has not settled on the region or country. Your boss has received the directive to research some countries for market entry and, in turn, has asked you to select a country and perform a country analysis for market entry. Your boss expects you to present your research and general recommendations for market entry. Keeping this scenario in mind, select a country other than the United States for your research. When selecting a country, consider the following:

 What countries have you visited?

 What countries would you like to visit?

 Does your company maintain a presence in another country?

 What is your heritage? Once you have selected your country, you will begin your research on the relevant forces—including cultural, political, and economic—that could impact business operations and decisions. You will then determine your final recommendations, communicating all in a PowerPoint presentation. The research will be communicated in presentation format, giving you the opportunity to practice business communication skills. Checkpoint submissions will be posted within Modules Three and Six, which will allow the opportunity for you to upload your project-in-progress for a participation score. You should follow the Final Project Guide and use research incorporated into the weekly discussions to complete the checkpoints. Project elements will be covered in the weekly discussions to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. Your comprehensive final PowerPoint presentation will be submitted in Module Seven. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Apply macroenvironment business research to an analysis of international market conditions

 Analyze the dimensions of culture as they apply to and inform market analyses and business communication

 Examine market entry strategies and multinational business practices applicable to global organizations in preparation for market entry

 Articulate the impact of forces of global trade for informing international business opportunities and determining risks

Prompt Your country analysis should answer the following prompt: What country-specific information is important in the consideration of market entry? How do cultural differences impact business communication and decisions? Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed in consideration of your country of choice:

I. Introduction and Country Choice A. Rationale: Select your country and share why you chose your specific country for further analysis. B. Location: In what region is your country located? Is the country landlocked or does it have water access? Describe the geography of the region

and include a map for visual impact.

II. Macroenvironment: Address the following with respect to your chosen country. A. Sociocultural Environment

i. Country Composition: What are elements of country composition that impact business decisions? Consider literacy rates, urbanization rates, heavily populated cities, age structure, major religions, and educational data.

ii. Values and Communication: How do cultural values shape communication and behaviors? Highlight cultural norms that align with Hofstede’s and/or Trompenaars’s cultural dimension models. Outline major languages and nonverbal communication. For example, you could include nonverbal cues, physical contact, and body language.

iii. Business Etiquette: What are some behaviors in business that are driven by culture? Highlight five rules of business etiquette that are pertinent in the region. For example, consider gift giving and greetings.

iv. Observation Deck: In what ways do sociocultural elements apply to business practices and market entry? For example, highlight cultural issues that impact marketing or consider the following areas: employment, consumer demand, managerial approach, and business etiquette.

B. Political–Legal Environment i. Government and Ideologies: Who is the ruling political party and leader? Has there been a recent change in ruling parties? Does a large

opposition group exist? ii. Corruption: How do unethical practices impact business? What are three measures of corruption that characterize risks in the market?

Explain your findings. iii. Trade Regulations and Legal Considerations: What are four measures of government influence on trade and employment? Consider

sanctions, tariffs, labeling requirements, restricted items, or other barriers to trade, minimum wage rates, employment-discrimination laws, or environmental regulations.

iv. Observation Deck: How would a company apply political and legal information to market-entry decisions and business practices? Make an observation regarding political and legal risks or opportunities. For example, consider safety risks, additional costs, industry barriers, high corruption rates, risky ideologies, and so on.

C. Economic-Infrastructural Environment i. Economic Measures: What are some economic measures and development data that impact business? Include data on interest rates,

unemployment, inflation, GDP growth rate, exchange rates against the USD, exchange rate regime, GDP, labor force, major industries, and FDI rates.

ii. Trade: Describe the important aspects of trade in your country of choice. Specifically, answer the following questions: a. Trade partners: Who are the most significant trading partners? What percentage of trade do they fulfill? b. Imports: What are major imports to the region? c. Exports: What are major exports to the region? d. Trade agreements: What are some important regional trade agreements (RTA) impacting the country? Who are the members of the

agreement? iii. Transportation and Telecommunication: How does infrastructure impact trade? Identify major airports, seaports, railway stations,

internet users, mobile providers, and the Logistics Performance Index rating. iv. Observation Deck: What economic and infrastructural elements apply to multinational business practices and market entry? For

example, consider ease of distribution, economic growth, and telecommunication barriers.

III. Final Recommendations A. Market Entry Strategies: Based on the research findings and your knowledge of market entry strategies gained in this course, which market

entry strategy is most attractive? Considering the risks, should the company enter this market? B. Cultural Awareness: What specific cultural considerations should be addressed if the company were to enter this market?

Checkpoints Checkpoint Submission One In Module Three, you will submit your project-in-progress. Use the work completed in Modules One through Three discussions and transfer your work into the Presentation Template document. This will cover the following critical elements of the final project: Rationale, Location, Country Composition, Values and Communication, Business Etiquette, Sociocultural Environment Observation Deck, Government Ideologies, and Corruption. This checkpoint submission is for participation credit only. Checkpoint Submission Two In Module Six, you will submit your project-in-progress. Use the work completed in Modules Four and Five discussions and transfer your work into the Presentation Template document. This will cover the following critical elements of the final project: Trade Regulations and Legal Considerations, Political-Legal Environment Observation Deck, Economic Measures, Transportation, and Telecommunication. This checkpoint submission is for participation credit only. Final Submission: Country Analysis Presentation In Module Seven, you will submit your country analysis PowerPoint presentation. It will include cultural, political, and economic research that may impact business operations and decisions. You will determine your final recommendations, communicating all in your PowerPoint presentation. The research will be communicated in presentation format, giving you the opportunity to practice business communication skills. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing

all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. Your final submission will be graded using the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your PowerPoint presentation should be approximately 11 to 15 slides—not including the title slide and reference slide—with all references in the most recently published APA format.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Introduction: Rationale

Meets “Proficient” criteria and rationale is exceptionally well detailed or includes examples to emphasize rationale

Provides detailed rationale for country choice

Rationale is present but is unclear and/or includes few details

Does not provide rationale for country choice

3.04

Introduction: Location

Meets “Proficient” criteria and is exceptionally detailed or informative

Accurately illustrates the location and geography of the chosen country with a map for visual impact

Illustrates the location and geography of the selected country with a map but with gaps in accuracy

Does not illustrate the location and geography of the selected country with a map

4.6

Sociocultural Environment:

Country Composition

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes substantive details to illustrate country composition

Accurately identifies elements of country composition, including literacy rates, urbanization rates, heavily populated cities, age structure, major religions, and educational data

Identifies elements of country composition but information is limited or inaccurate

Does not identify elements of country composition

4.6

Sociocultural Environment: Values and Communication

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes examples to support the analysis

Analyzes cultural norms of the country that correspond to Hofstede’s and/or Trompenaars’s models and describes the cultural values that shape communication, including major languages and non-verbal communication

Analyzes cultural norms of the country that correspond to Hofstede’s and/or Trompenaars’s models and describes the cultural values that shape communication but analysis includes gaps in details

Does not analyze cultural norms and values of the country

7.66

Sociocultural Environment:

Business Etiquette

Meets “Proficient” criteria and description is supported by examples

Describes five rules of business etiquette pertinent to the region

Describes five rules of business etiquette pertinent to the region but with gaps in accuracy or key information

Does not describe five rules of business etiquette pertinent to the region

7.66

Sociocultural Environment:

Observation Deck

Meets “Proficient” criteria and shows keen insight into applying sociocultural elements to business practices of the chosen country

Applies sociocultural research to business practices in the chosen country

Applies sociocultural research to business practices in the chosen country but with gaps in appropriateness or detail

Does not apply sociocultural research to business practices in the chosen country

5.75

Political-Legal Environment:

Government and Ideologies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and explanation is supported as necessary with sources or examples

Explains governing parties and political ideologies in the country, including research on political leaders, opposition groups, and any recent changes to leadership

Explains governing parties and political ideologies in the country but misses key information or is inaccurate

Does not explain governing parties and political ideologies

7.66

Political-Legal Environment:

Corruption

Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides examples to contextualize explanation

Accurately explains three corruption measurements

Explains corruption measurements, but with gaps in detail or accuracy

Does not explain corruption measurements

4.6

Political-Legal Environment: Trade

and Legal

Meets “Proficient” criteria and including examples to highlight accuracy of explanations

Explains four elements of government influence on trade and employment

Explains four elements of government influence on trade and employment, but with gaps in detail

Does not explain four elements of government influence on trade and employment

7.66

Political-Legal Environment:

Observation Deck

Meets “Proficient” criteria and shows keen insight in identifying risk and opportunity, based on political and legal research

Applies political and legal research to business practices, identifying risks and opportunities

Applies political and legal research to business practices, identifying risks and opportunities, but with gaps in details or accuracy

Does not apply political and legal research to business practices

5.75

Economic: Economic Measures

Meets “Proficient” criteria and description shows insight into economic measures

Describes economic measures of the country, including interest rates, unemployment, inflation, GDP growth rate, exchange rates, exchange rate regime, GDP, labor force, major industries, and FDI rates

Describes economic measures of the country but with gaps in detail

Does not describe economic measures of the country

4.6

Economic: Trade

Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides examples to support the description

Describes aspects of trade in the country, including major trading partners, list of imports/exports, and details of RTAs and member countries

Describes aspects of trade in the country but with gaps in details

Does not describe aspects of trade in the country

7.66

Economic: Transportation and Telecommunication

Meets “Proficient” criteria and supports description with examples or illustrations

Describes infrastructural elements that impact trade, including major airports/seaports/train stations, internet users, mobile providers, and a Logistics Performance Index rating

Describes infrastructural elements that impact trade but with gaps in detail or relevancy

Does not describe infrastructural elements that impact trade

4.6

Economic: Observation Deck

Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides examples to support the accuracy of application

Applies economic and infrastructural research elements to business practices and market entry

Applies economic and infrastructural research elements to business practices and market entry, but with gaps in detail

Does not apply economic and infrastructural research elements to business practices and market entry

5.75

Final Recommendations:

Market Entry Strategies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and recommendation is substantiated with research, examples, or substantive detail to show keen insight into market entry

Provides logical, applicable market entry recommendation based on previous research

Provides market entry recommendation but lacks logic or applicability based on previous research

Does not provide market entry recommendation based on previous research

5.75

Final Recommendations: Cultural Awareness

Meets “Proficient” criteria and elements described demonstrate keen cultural awareness regarding market entry in the country of choice

Describes reasonable and relevant elements of culture that should be addressed during market entry

Describes elements of culture that should be addressed during market entry but with gaps in reason or relevancy

Does not describe elements of culture that should be addressed during market entry

7.66

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Total 100%