Entrance Test (Jan 2021)

Question 1. Please tell what is wrong in the following references. There may be more than

one mistake in each reference.

(1) MLA in-text reference

“When studying the role of money in the economy, economists usually use a slightly different

version of the quantity equation than the one just introduced” (Mankiw, macroeconomics, 108).

Intext citations for short quotations in MLA are indicated by providing the author and specific

page number after the enclosed quotations. The author and the page number are enclosed in

parenthetical citation; periods, commas, and semicolons should not appear inside the

parenthetical citation. In the case, coma has been used to separate the author and the page

number. Additionally, the title of the source has been included in the parenthetical citation.

(2) APA reference list

Singh, Jackson. (2020). Employee satisfaction and customer delight-insights from Indian

hospitality industry. International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 24.

It lacks hanging indentation. Additionally, In APA, Author’s last name should be provided first

while the Authors' first and middle names should be written as initials. In the case, all names are

provided without the use of initials. The journal tittles are not italicized as required in the

specifications of APA 7th edition. The volume number should also be provided in APA along

with issue number and page numbers. Lastly, APA 7 advises writers to include a DOI when

provided even when using the print sources.

(3) APA in-text reference

According to Bezdek et al, (2008), The protection of the earth is an activity conducted by
environmentalists to manage, maintain, and restore the environment from being degraded by

humans and other animals.

APA requires that In et al., et should not be followed by a period and that only "al" should be

followed by a period and not a coma. In the case, al has been followed by a coma instead of a

period. A coma is only use in parenthetical citation to separate author or authors with the year of

publication.

Question 2. Please write a counterargument and a rebuttal to the counterargument based

on the following thesis. Only one sentence is needed for each argument. However, each

argument should be supported with sound proof.

Thesis: The administration of Joe Biden will bring rapid recovery to the US economy.

Counterargument: Admittedly, it remains unlikely, especially given the ravaging impacts of

COVID-19 on the economy that can impair the recovery efforts.

Rebuttal: However, President Biden spearheaded the 2009 Recovery Act as Barack Obama’s

vice president, an effort that rescued the country from the worst economic collapse since the

Great Depression (Purdum, 2020).

Question 3. Please carry out a SWOT analysis of Starbucks in the Mexico market in the

form of bullet points. Three and three only academic sources are required.

Strengths

 The company has an established brand name globally. According to Clements (2019), the

company, Starbucks is recognized around the globe as a leader in the coffee and café

industry, specifically due to its significant presence; Starbuck operates in nearly 30,000

locations globally.

 Additionally, the company has well structured corporate social responsibility that can

allow the organization to penetrate any society. Clements (2019) notes that through its
 SRC, Starbucks has developed programs that benefit the communities it exists in as well

as its store employees, such as providing college funding for workers.

Weaknesses

 One of the major weaknesses of Starbucks in Mexico is its high prices. Clement(2019)

notes that, high prices pose a serious issue when considering expansion, mainly when

expanding to emerging markets.

Opportunities

 The country has excellent infrastructure to support enterprise development. According to

Garber (2019), places such as s Sonora boasts a well-developed infrastructure system that

supplements its strategic geographical location nearby the United States allowing for

effective cross-border enterprise development.

 The country is a producer of coffee which are raw materials for the company

 Increased market share allows the company to develop new segments. Cipra(2006) notes

that Starbucks has the opportunity to take a small niche market and, using its established

brand equity, increase both market share and to diversify the product line.

Threats

 The threats to Starbucks in Mexico include Potential future political unrest. Cipra (2006)

notes that political events such as presidential elections have the ability to provoke

investor nervousness.

 Other threats included coffee-consumption legislation that can exacerbate competition.

References
Purdum, T. S. (2020, April 13). What Biden Learned the Last Time the World Stopped. The

Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/04/joe-biden-oversaw-

recovery-during-last-recession/609646/.

Clements, M. (2019). Strategic Audit: Starbucks. Retrieved from

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/honorstheses/191/

Garber, H. E. (2019). Conducting Cross Border Business and Entrepreneurship Opportunities in

Sonora, Mexico. Retrieved from https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/632855

Cipra, E. (2006). Strategies for International Product Introduction: Starbucks DoubleShot©

Meets Mexico (Doctoral dissertation, Miami University).