Economy situation of Greece and Turkey

BUAD 843

Seminar In Global Business- Greece and Turkey

Spring, 2015

Guidelines for Integrative Report

The purpose of this project is to provide an opportunity to integrate your study abroad experience with the academic research you did earlier. To accommodate the diversity of our group, the instructions that follow are necessarily, and purposely, general and flexible. The integrative research report is due on May 8th. The report should be focused exclusively on the context of each of the countries we visited.

Begin by identifying one or, at most, two central themes or subjects that are (a) of interest to you, and (b) that you feel you gained valuable insight and/or knowledge about during the trip. Then develop a discussion around that topic (or topics) that integrates earlier academic study of the region with your study abroad experience. Examples are: finance practices and conditions that are unique to Greece and Turkey; financial reporting issues and concerns faced by auditors and businesses in the region; the role culture plays in business management practices in these countries; the opportunities, challenges and impediments to foreign investment and foreign direct investment in Greece and Turkey; how culture and geography impact trade, and trade relationships, with Greece and Turkey; the economic crisis, its impact on Greece and Turkey, and how these countries are responding.

These examples are, of course, only examples. Many other subjects or themes are possible. The only requirement is that the topic(s) or theme(s) you choose (a) must be focused on business in some way, and (b) relate specifically to the context of Greece and Turkey.

One you have identified a subject or theme, next structure the report by developing a list of specific questions about that subject that were addressed during our recent visit. The goal is to (a) identify insights and learnings you gained from study abroad, and (b) integrate these into your earlier academic study, especially, perhaps, as these relate to your own career focus and interest.

The questions you choose should be well focused on the subject or theme, for they will serve as a kind of map to guide your discussion. As an example, if the topic is the impact of the economic crisis, and responses to that crisis, on the two regions, you might use these kinds of questions to provide structure to the discussion:

1. How did the economic downturn and recovery impact business in Greece and Turkey? How do these countries differ in that respect, and what economic, political, or cultural explanations might account for any differences?

2. Which industries seemed to be more (less) affected?

3. How are key industries, e.g., technology, banking, retailing franchising, being impacted and how are they managing?

4. How is the global downturn and subsequent recovery being shaped by the political, regulatory, and/or financial tradition and framework of each country? For example, how has membership, or non-membership, in the EU, impacted the business being conducted in each country?

5. How does financial and political infrastructure (e.g., auditing, taxation, reporting regulations, and state/community autonomy) interact to exasperate or mitigate the impact of global economics?

6. How does culture play a role in how the various businesses we visited seem to be responding?

…… and so on.

The number and kind of questions you choose is open and up to you. I would suggest using as many as are needed to give the report a solid structure, without, on the other hand, using so many that the report is choppy and loses focus (i.e., “can’t see the forest for the trees” kind of problem).

After you have provided structure for the report using topical questions, the next step is to write up a discussion that addresses each question. In completing this part of the exercise, you are encouraged to use, as reference material, earlier readings, appropriately cited, new material, as needed, and, in particular, antidotal evidence from your study abroad business visits and experience.

The last step is to write a short paragraph or two that summarizes your findings and presents any conclusions that you are able to draw.

When completed, the integrative report should not exceed 10 typewritten pages, double-spaced. There are two submissions that you should make with respect to this project. First, please submit, no later than April 17th, a brief outline that identifies (a) your integrated topic(s) or subject(s), and (b) the questions you plan to address. The questions you identify are not fixed in stone, and you are free to change them as necessary later. The general nature, however, of the finished report should be consistent with the outline you submit.* Second, please submit the actual integrative report to Lisa Berry, PUR 207, on or before May 8th.

*If you run into problems with this, contact me and we will discuss it.