Faculty of Management and Commerce

Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Department Management Programme B.B.A.
Semester III Batch FT2020
Course Code 19BMC202B Course Title International Business
Course Leader(s) Nisha Francis

Assignment
Reg. No. Name of Student

Evaluator
Sections

Second
Marks
Marks
Max.
RBL
CO

PO
Marking Scheme

Cultural differences between India and the

A .1 2 1, 2 2, 4 7
selected
country
Part A

Business etiquette required for professionals in

A .2 2 7, 8 4 6
the selected Middle East country

Part-A Max Marks 13

Bring out the trends in the global competitiveness of

B1 3 1, 2 4 5
the
Indian pharmaceutical industry
Drawing upon new trade theory and Porter’s theory
Part B

of national competitive advantage bring out the

B.2 32 7, 8 4 7
factors that give competitive advantage for
pharmaceutical
industries
Part-B Max Marks 12
Total Assignment Marks 25

Signature of First Examiner Signature of Second Examiner

1
Instructions to students:

1. The assignment consists of 2 parts: Part A, and Part B

2. Maximum marks is 25
3. The assignment has to be neatly word processed as per the prescribed format
4. The maximum number of pages (Answer Part) should be restricted to 6
5. The printed assignment must be submitted to the course leader
6. Submission Date: 28th November 2021
7. Submission after the due date is not permitted
8. IMPORTANT: It is essential that all the sources used in preparation of the assignment
must be suitably referenced in the text
9. Marks will be awarded only to the sections and subsections clearly indicated as per
the problem statement/exercise/question

Preamble

International business refers to the trade of goods, services, technology, capital and/or
knowledge across national borders and at a global or transnational level. It involves cross-
border transactions of goods and services between two or more countries.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of International Business.
Students are taught the concepts of International Business Practices and its importance.
Students are sensitized to cultural differences, ethics and introduced to International Entry
modes.

Part -A (13 marks)

Suppose that you are preparing for a business trip to a Middle East country where you will
need to interact extensively with local business professionals. Therefore, you would like to collect
information regarding local culture and business practices prevalent in that country prior to
your departure. A colleague from that country recommends you to visit the “Centre for
Intercultural Learning” and read through the country insights provided for European country.

Select a Middle East country of your choice and prepare an essay on the most striking
cultural characteristics that may affect business interactions in the selected country.

Your essay should address the following:

A.1.Cultural differences between India and the selected Middle East Country touching upon the
six major determinants of culture
2
A.2. Business etiquette required for professionals in the selected Middle East Country.

3
Part B (12 marks)

In the process of industrialization, pharmaceuticals have been a favourite sector for

policymakers in the developed as well in many developing countries, including India. This
special policy preference has been due to the criticality of the pharmaceutical products for the
health security of the populace as well as for developing strategic advantages in the
knowledge‐based economy. However, not all developing countries succeeded in enhancing
local capabilities in the sector. The growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the developing
region is largely confined to a few countries like India, China, Singapore, Korea, Czech Republic,
Brazil, and Argentina. Among these countries, most often the case of Indian pharmaceutical
industry is projected as the most successful case of a developing country scaling up the
indigenous capabilities.

In the context of Indian pharmaceutical industries answer the following questions:

B.1.What are the trends in the global competitiveness of the Indian pharmaceutical industry
when compared to global peers on pharmaceutical value‐added, productivity, research
and development and trade performance?

B.2.Drawing upon New Trade Theory and Porter’s Theory of National Competitive Advantage
bring out the factors that give competitive advantage for pharmaceutical industries

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