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Week 1 – group familiarisation with the task

The first day of Week 1 we will have a seminar to brief you in regard to the whole module procedures. An overview timetable is below; please check your timetable on NOW for rooms.

Date	Time*	Room*	Activity	Lecturer
16/04/18	10:00-12:00		Introduction, meet your teammates; Project introduction; Work Ethos	Kostas Galanakis Claudia Bordogna Martin Lycko
	12:00-14:00		Plan your work & contingencies; Initiate the themes of the project; Resources available to you.
19/04/18	10:00-12:00		Group meeting with the supervisors – explore the directions of your project	Kostas Galanakis Claudia Bordogna Martin Lycko
20/04/8	By appointment		Arrange a first skype discussion with your client

*Note that the information regarding the time and location is accurate at the time of publication. You should consult your NOW timetable for the latest information.

During the first week of the module you are expected to investigate the wider directions of the project as has been described on the brief and generate an initial plan of handling the issue in hand. Your activities on this first week might include: to visit the website of the firm and find more details of what is the core operations, value proposition etc; investigate the theory around the central question of the company; identify major competitors or other firms similar to them, explore market reports etc.

What is important though is during this first week to meet regularly as a team and discuss your individual expectations, work habits and establish a team-work ethos .

Finally, you need to arrange for a first communication by email (welcoming and introduce yourselves) and discussion on skype with your clients by Friday 20 April.

Weeks 2 & 3 – actual group work and presentation

Following the first week we will have a two-week long study tour on a partner institute that provides to us their facilities to meet and work with our clients (see detailed schedule on the excel file included on the learning room).

The first direct meeting with the firm that you have been allocated will take place on our host institution the first day of the study tour. This first meeting with your client is a form of introduction, aiming to confirm various details, clarify any queries, set achievable objective(s) and arrange a plan. Having proceed with the plan during the first week, some evidences and proposed directions would be already considered by your team. It is advisable to arrange another meeting with the client, talk through your proposal and agree any alterations by mutual consent. This meeting will also include clarification of any data or further information that your client might already has and may be available to the project team. In particular it is important for the team to agree convenient meeting times, and method of communication with the primary company contact. It may also be useful for the students to carry on discussion with their supervisor after this briefing to further clarify the priorities that have been agreed.

Ideally you will be able to meet your client, or Skype them, once more or twice on the beginning of the second week of the study tour. During these meetings, you need to present to your client your ideas and confirm with them the validity of your directions and priorities well in advance before the final presentation to them.

Remember this project is for the benefit of your Client and not just an academic piece of work!

The schedule of the work during these two weeks broadly will include morning sessions and workshops that relate to international entrepreneurship. The afternoon sessions will be dedicated to independent group work with the guidance from your supervisors and visits to local businesses presenting relevant themes to your study.

On Thursday of the second week, you will present directly to your client and we discuss the proposition providing feedback by your client and the academic team.

Contact and Guidance during the project weeks

During the two project weeks, students should primarily be working as an independent team. The work completed by the groups during these weeks will be considered to be part of the overall assessment, and therefore it is the responsibility of the team to effectively communicate progress to the University supervisor. If the University supervisor feels that further face to face discussion is needed to move the project forwards, or need additional discussions between the client and the project team this may be arranged. However, it is important that the team makes best use of the time dedicated to the project as well as the clients and supervisor’s time.

Both client and supervisor must be kept informed of developments throughout the work period. No changes should be made to the agreed work plan without prior consultation with the client and the University supervisor. Any contact with external agencies (e.g. via questionnaires or interviews) cannot be undertaken without the explicit authorisation of the client. In particular confidentiality is paramount and will you be expected to adhere to the formal code of behaviour associated with your host organisation.

Work Plan

Your time will need to be carefully planned to take into account the project deliverables. The group presentation is due on Thursday 3rd May and so you will need to shape your work plan to ensure that you deliver at this point. It is expected that as each individual will engage with the work for 40-50 hours during the two project weeks. This time is further to the participation on the morning seminar sessions.

The presentation will also have to be handed to the client after the completion.

Group work Principles

Working in groups (or teams) is complex and often challenging but is recognised as an essential skill required at work in any small, medium or large organisation. The purpose of setting group work in your course is to help you identify and develop the professional behaviours that promote effective group work. Prioritising your learning from group work experiences now will help you substantially in your future career.

The expectation is that all group members contribute equally to the group work task and that you support each other in this endeavour. To promote this expectation all groups will be expected to:

1. Complete a short collaborative working agreement identifying the groups mutually agreed ways of working (a Collaborative Working Agreement template will be provided)

2. Keep a record of attendance at all meetings and notes of actions allocated to individuals (a Meetings Record template will be provided)

3. Complete (individually) an assessment of their own performance and the performance of their peers in contributing to the work of the group and the group output (a Peer Assessment Form will be provided).

4. Submit the above documents to the Learning Room Dropbox (the peer assessment form should be individually submitted by each group member).

Where it is evident that all group members have contributed equally to the group task, then the grade for individual group members will be the grade awarded to the group task output.

Where there is unequal commitment and contribution by different group members and this has impacted on the quality of the final output this should be recorded by individual group members using the Peer Assessment Form. These forms are not revealed to other group members. In determining individual grades, tutors will review the evidence submitted by the group (collaborative working agreement, meeting attendance and notes of action points, and peer assessment forms). Where there is good evidence of a differential commitment and contribution to the group output then the tutor can adjust the individual grades by a maximum of two grade points (higher or lower) from the group grade. Normally only one or two group members would be expected to have their grades adjusted. Where a tutor has additionally observed differential contribution and performance through their oversight of the group, or through interventions made during the group work, then the tutor can as appropriate take this into account in determining an individual grade for a student that exceeds the two grade maximum adjustment.

Where there is clear evidence of no engagement by a student with the group then a tutor can fail the student in the group presentation.

In order to provide opportunities during your course to work with, and learn from, individuals with different educational, experiential and cultural backgrounds staff allocation is the default approach but module leaders can also adopt student self-selection. The only exception to this is where students are completing work for external clients.

In the main group work proceeds efficiently and effectively within University and you are encouraged to support your group in agreeing and promoting a set of group work behaviours that can support this aim. However, should issues arise in the operation of your group you are advised to advise your tutor as soon as possible. When working in your team you will be asked to develop team rules which will further develop the following core group work principles:

• To treat others with respect

• To share ideas and information willingly so that the group fully understands the tasks and what has been and has yet to be completed

• To speak in English. This is the working language of the programme and should be spoken at all times during group work. (The only exception is when someone does not understand something, and with group consent, a colleague may explain this briefly in the appropriate language but must then revert back to English)

• To share work out on an equitable basis across group members acknowledging that different group members may have different skills and that work may be allocated to take advantage of such skills

• To listen to others’ points of view (accepting that others might have a different opinion to yours) and contribute positively and constructively to group discussions

• To ensure that work is completed and delivered on time including doing any preparatory work for group meetings

• To attend all meetings and attend them punctually. Attendance at group meetings takes precedence over all other social meetings. (If there are legitimate reasons for non-attendance the non-attendee must inform all other group members in advance that they are unable to attend but must complete any associated work and ensure that this is forwarded to another member of the group so that it can be considered at the group meeting)

• To be ready to acknowledge when you have not worked as hard as you should for your team and be prepared to apologise and make recompense.

Group Roles

You will need to think carefully about the roles played by each member of your team and may like to consider the following suggestions.

• Appoint a Project Manager. The role of the PM is to oversee the project, ensure policy is adhered to and be final arbiter in decision making. The PM should also take responsibility for keeping records of all formal group communications.

• Appoint a Team Recorder to keep records and minutes of meetings and communicate / share them with the group. This is a large role so may need rotating.

• Appoint a client liaison role who will be the one key point of contact with your client.

• In distributing work and agreeing roles identify members’ strengths and recognise implications of different learning styles and skills so that members can contribute in different ways.

• Agree the operating principles of group in the first meeting, including methods and frequency of communication.

• Agree a regular schedule of meetings in the first meeting.

• Keep minutes with action points identified at end of the meeting which are reviewed at the start of the following meeting. These will form part of your reflective report evidence base.

Problems

As you will know from previous team work to date many day to day problems can occur within a team. These are largely as the result of not adhering to the team principles listed above or poor project management. Part of your management challenge with this module is to try to ensure that you recognise and attempt to address problems as they arise. This is an opportunity for you to explore performance management tactics within your team and reflect on your attempts to steer your team in your personal reflective assignment. You need to keep clear records of team involvement in the project so that in extreme cases where team members absent themselves on several occasions or repeatedly fail to produce promised work they can be penalised if necessary. The default position is that the group pieces will be marked on a group basis, but your supervisor may choose to ask all students to individually complete group evaluation sheets, if they feel there may be justification for redistributing group marks.

Occasionally company related problems may arise, and to preserve the project and/or the good name of the University, some form of intervention by your supervisor may be necessary. This could simply involve some re-negotiation of the terms of reference or modus operandi, or in more extreme cases, it could be necessary to terminate the project prematurely. This has only happened once in previous years, but the consultancy group must be both aware of the dynamics within their team and the organisation within which they are undertaking the project in order that any necessary action is taken by the team themselves. It is the team’s responsibility in the first instance to address any operational problems internally. However, if anything serious looks like it may arise, it is important to inform your University supervisor at the earliest opportunity. If your supervisor is unavailable and the situation is critical then get in touch with your Programme Module Leader.

Preparation and Presentation of the Group Report

After completing the work, the team members have to produce and distribute a professional ‘consultancy’ presentation addressed to the client. Once the supervisor has received a copy of the draft presentation they will be able to offer some feedback on structure, style and content. However, though the supervisor may prevent the team from making any blatant errors, the proposition produced for the client must be the consultancy team’s own work.

A final copy of the presentation should be prepared and delivered both on the module’s dropbox (by Friday 4th May, 11:00pm) and to the client directly. The group should make any effort to incorporate comments and suggestions into the final copy of the presentation, which might occur during the group presentation from your client – in accordance to the objectives that agreed in the proposal phase.

Follow up – individual reflective report

Following the completion of your group work, you will be able to generate a reflective report on international entrepreneurial decision making. A drop-in session by appointment will be arranged for Tuesday 8th May.

Module Expectations

What is expected of the group?

• Use of up to date research information via on-line databases on financial performance, market research analysis, newspapers and journals.

• The ability to analyse a situation from a variety of perspectives supported by the application of appropriate frameworks and concepts.

• The ability to develop commercially relevant recommendations.

• Confidentiality – we recognise that each business is operating in a commercially sensitive environment and that access to confidential information makes it imperative that this information is not divulged outside the group in any form. (You should be willing to sign a confidentiality agreement).

• A commitment to the company and its welfare and respect for its employees.

• A high standard of professional behaviour including punctuality, politeness, responsiveness, sensitivity and a proactive approach to your project.

• Operation of the project in line with the agreed consultancy brief proposal.

• Open mindedness and the ability to ask searching questions and explore the company from new angles.

What do we expect of the clients?

Below are the expectations that we have agreed with the clients involved:

• Challenging projects that are potentially of benefit to the organisation.

• Finding time to discuss issues and genuine problems with students.

• Sufficient access to the organisation for students to gain an understanding of the organisation and its environment.

• Provision of a contact with someone within the organisation throughout the project period.

• Provision of feedback at agreed times relating to the project progress and direction.

• Timely response to:

  • The initial student consultancy project proposal.

  • Reasonable student requests for additional information.

What can you expect of the University supervisor?

The University supervisor will be involved from a very early stage and will support the student’s activities in assembling the initial proposal and in resolving any issues that emerge with the client. They will encourage the students to make best use of their available resources, identify problems with progress and help students adhere to the agreed consultancy proposal. They will also help reviewing draft presentations, and provide supervisory support to help start the thought process of the individually assessed parts of the module.

Assessment

The assessment for module consists of 2 elements:

Task	Weighting
Group Presentation	25% weighting
Individual reflective report	75% weighting

Although all students will be expected to participate positively in their group work the assessment of the group presentation involves the association with the Peer Assessment (see Group work principles) in relation to the engagement and contribution of each member. It is possible that individual grades are then assigned to each member of the group.

Group Presentation

The theme of your presentation is defined by your client in collaboration with your team during the initial meeting and the early stages of the project. Your supervisors ensure that the scope is achievable, realistic and ambitious enough based on the level of your study.

The group presentation will be given to both your client and supervisor and should give an overview of the project findings with particular focus on your recommendations. This will either take place at the client organisation or the host University and the timing for this should be confirmed with the client near the start of the project. If it is to be at the University we have a number of rooms booked already. You will need to demonstrate effective oral communication skills as well as the capability of working as a team.

Timing: 20 minutes with up to 10 minutes for questions and discussion.

Individual Reflective Report

Produce a 2500 word reflective report on international entrepreneurial decision making.

Consider the theories, models and approaches that you have been introduced during this module, the group work and throughout your year of study. The following areas should be considered: (a) introducing products and services to local culture and buyers behaviour; (b) international branding and product/service decisions; (c) distribution and logistics; (d) international communication and marketing; (e) ethics and sustainability. Reflect on how these might become applicable either to:

1. your own venture case: adapt relevant concepts to your venture’s needs, resource availability, prioritisation and context; or

2. your client’s firm: identify how these practices can be realistically applied, considering the comments during the discussion after your group presentation, your client’s priorities, resource availability and context.

You must identify and provide a critical reflection of both the areas in which the propositions might be successful (and identifying the key factors which contributed to that success) and the areas which might be problematic, identifying key issues and suggesting alternative courses of action which would have improved the viability of the proposition.

Content and Format

The reflective report should have at least the following three (3) parts:

1. A comprehensive description of the approach or model of internationalisation (entry strategy) that you have considered as appropriate for the case or your own venture in order to internationalise the business. Discuss and justify the reasoning behind the choice based on examples and evidences (use references appropriately). Limitations and constrains of this approach should clearly be reflected based on theoretical and practical understanding (use relevant references).

This part should be in standard business report format including an introduction, some key sections identified by you and a references list (max 800 words);

1. A Mind Map that provides the logic and the steps of internationalisation (entry strategy) in alignment with the areas of implementation: (a) introducing products and services to local culture and buyers behaviour; (b) international branding and product/service decisions; (c) distribution and logistics; (d) international communication and marketing; (e) ethics and sustainability.

Each area of implementation is a different branch of the mind map. The ‘steps’ of each branch need to demonstrate the alignment with the overall strategy, possible barriers and solutions. A 100 words paragraph should accompany each branch. These will have the format of an abstract presenting the why this direction/steps have been chosen, the main objectives and expected outcomes.

An A3 size mind map is equivalent to 1000 words. The mind map should provide clearly the starting point and the aim of the internationalisation strategy as well prioritising different options available to firms in relation to the level of development or sequence of each of the above areas of implementation;

1. An executive summary of the mind map reflecting on the overall strategy, the flow of milestones’ achievement and barriers of achievement in the different areas of implementation. This provides the ‘big picture’ of the proposed strategy (max 800 words).

When attempting the assignment you should bear in mind certain issues:

• This is a reflective report but it is important to demonstrate that you understand the theory or approach that you are examining.

• Within your answer ensure that you critically reflect using appropriate theory and examples to reflect on your experience rather than merely describing it. In doing this, you may wish to make reference to alternative approaches which you have found for any problem situation you identify.

• Material which is purely descriptive, either of the literature of the theory/approach or the business application of the theory/approach, will not gain high marks, but clarity, focus and attention to detail will.

• Generalised coverage will attract few marks, whereas focus and application under the specific needs and context will attract high marks. You may need to explain why you are focusing on a particular proposition based on evidences.

• Remember that this is an individual assignment, although it is fine to discuss issues as a team the submission must be your own work.

• Academic sources used must be appropriately attributed using the Harvard referencing scheme.

How will you receive feedback in this module?

The feedback on your assessment will be provided on a grading matrix which you will receive along with the assessment brief.

Furthermore, throughout the module you will receive feedback based on the activities during the meetings. The group work will be discussed during the relevant session with your supervisor providing ideas for improvements and raising the good points.

Reading list

You will need to undertake a wide range of research to support your project and the content of this will vary according to the nature of your project. Examples for subjects may be: modes of internationalisation; business models; international marketing; value chains management etc. The following general sources may be useful reference sources, to support the project and your writing:

BUZAN, T. (2003). The Mind Map book, BBC worldwide.

HISRICH, R. D (2012). International Entrepreneurship: Starting, Developing, and Managing a Global Venture, 2nd Edition, SAGE.

MAYLOR, H. (2010). Project Management. Edinburgh: FT Prentice Hall.

ROPER, S. (2013). Entrepreneurship: A Global Perspective, Routledge.

RUZZIER, M. K., RUZZIER, M., HISRICH, R. D. (2013) Marketing for Entrepreneurs and SMEs: A Global Perspective, Edward Elgar.

You can find a series of books and material at the library in relation to the principles of Mind Maps and how to draw them.

Guidance for independent study in this module

Some extended reading will be necessary during the project It will be especially important for the success of the consultancy project and your assessment. You might relate relevant literature for your reflective report, which is scheduled for the last week of the module, however it is strongly advised to start the review in parallel with the consultancy work and leave only the writing of the report for the later dates. This will help you to provide an informative, robust and justified group proposition.

You will also need to conduct your own research, searching for articles and examples from newspapers, the web, etc., to support your ideas and propositions. At this point you cannot rely only on your opinion, but you need to justify and support it with examples and published data.