Assignment Brief

Submission Deadline Marks and Feedback

Before 10am on:
12/04/2024 20 working days after deadline (L4, 5 and 7)15 working days after
deadline (L6)10 working days after deadline (block delivery)

Click or tap to enter a date.

Key assignment details

Unit title & code International Business Management BSS044-3
Assignment number and title Assignment 1
Assignment type Written Report
Weighting of assignment 40%
Size or length of assessment 3,000
Unit learning outcomes 1. Demonstrate the following knowledge and understanding
To demonstrate understanding of how international businesses operate within their strategic context
2. Demonstrate the following skills and abilities
To use appropriate research concepts and frameworks to evaluate international business practice

What am I required to do in this assignment?

Apply your understanding of international business, market selection and entry modes to a specific company (which will be
allocated to you) and recommend a new market to enter, the optimal entry mode and any other relevant particulars.

You will need to utilise both theoretical knowledge and necessary frameworks/tools relevant to the assessment alongside
strong consideration of practical issues and potential obstacles. You need to apply your research skills to find information and
literature on the allocated company and potential markets. You are expected to also address the impact of relevant current
issues, such as the shift in trade patterns due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other trends.

Required Elements

- Formal Report Structure

- Focused on a company which has been agreed with the tutor/UC or has been assigned to you by the tutor/UC
- Recommendations of a new market to enter with an entry mode to use
- Process Log (Self-Assessment) using the provided template on the BREO Shell as Appendix A (approx. 300

ABT2020_V1
 words)
- Reflection on the Assessment process using a reflective model (recommended to use Gibbs or Kolb) as
Appendix B. (approx. 300 words)

Recommended Elements

- It is strongly recommended that your report contains consideration of at least some of the following unit
concepts, models and topic areas to support your recommendations and develop your argument.
- Political risks
- Legal systems
- Cultural distance
- International supply chains
- Economic and trading blocs
- International marketing
- FOREX and currency risks

There will be a Checkpoint before Week 8 of the unit where you will be expected to discuss your approach and ideas for the
assessment with the tutor. This will use the Assessment 2 Checkpoint Template document on the BREO shell and you are
expected to record the feedback given on the Process Log.

Additional Guidance

1. The balance between market analysis and the actual planning/recommendations– ensure that your submissions are
balanced with regards to analysis and recommendations. For example, do not use a lot of space summarising the
analysis, at the expense of developing your recommendations and considering potential issues.
2. Vagueness – planning needs to be very specific; stating that you will entry country X using entry mode Y is not enough.
You need to explain the rationale behind your choices, the academic tools/frameworks used, the issues that you took
into consideration and also demonstrate that you have given some thought to the implementation and implications of
your recommendations.
3. Academic content – you are expected to include academic material into your report rather than relying upon online
sources alone. You need to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical background of international business
through your citation of relevant academic content.
4. Executive summary – an executive summary should be written in a way that allows the executive who reads it to know
what the problem is and how it is to be solved. Essentially, it is a summary of your problem statement, objectives and
how to achieve them (i.e. how to solve the problem).
5. Secondary data use – Analysis should be supported with secondary data (from the literature). You should demonstrate
wider reading and acknowledge the sources of your information, both in the main body and in your bibliography.
Information pertaining to the potential markets and selected company should be sourced from reliable sources rather
than through general web search, you should speak to an Academic Librarian if you require assistance with this.
6. Presentation and structure – to achieve an excellent grade, your presentation needs to be immaculate – this includes
numbering tables, referencing correctly etc. Do not present a lot of data and information in tables as appendices. Data
or statistics that refer directly to your discussion in the main body, should be presented in the main body. Tables and
figures – tables and figures need to be numbered and each should have a title that is self-explanatory. Your analytical
 content must be high, demonstrating critical thinking and the ability to apply relevant marketing concepts
7. Word limit – 3,000 words. This will exclude the executive summary, reference list, title page, table of contents and
the appendices. Please, note that your cover page must have your Full Name and ID Number.

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

Structure a complex project in which you use academically derived concepts to inform an analysis and understanding of the key
issues in a portfolio.

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

Please make sure to make use of academic skills support services provided to you at the University of Bedfordshire some of which are
listed below:

1. Referencing support
https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/a-guide-to-referencing/

2. Academic study and assessment writing skills:

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/studyhub

3. Studiocity: Login in to your account to get writing and referencing feedback in just hours, services available 24/7
https://studiosity.com/connect/partners/the-university-of-bedfordshire/student_home

4. Process logs:
Make sure to complete the process log documenting the various steps you have taken on your learning journey. Process logs will help you
identify gaps in your learning and seek help where needed. You can find the template for process logs in your BREO shells under Assessment
& Feedback page.

How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?
All scheduled sessions will be dedicated to working on tasks related to the completion of your group projects which will feed
into the writing of the individual report. You will be asked to present your progress as a group, initial findings and analysis
as well as completing activities aimed at helping plan and run the project effectively.

How will my assignment be marked?

Your assignment will be marked according to the threshold expectations and the criteria on the following page.
How will my assignment be marked?
You can use them to evaluate your own work and consider your grade before you submit.

70%+ (Ist Class) 60-69% (2:1) 50-59% (2:2) 40-49% (3rd 30-39% (Fail) 0-29% (Fail)
Class)
Threshold
Standard
Process Log is Process Log is Process Log is Process Log is Process Log is Process Log is either
complete with a complete with a complete with a complete with a substantively missing or mostly
high level of detail good level of detail reasonable level of basic level of detail incomplete with incomplete.
and insight. and insight. detail and insight. and insight. very limited detail A superficial or
Exceptionally Contains a Provides a Lacks sufficient and insight.
incomplete
comprehensive substantial moderate level of detail and An incomplete process log
and detailed amount of detail and information and poorly lacking self
evidence for self information about information about about self organised process assessment,
assessment, self assessment, self assessment, assessment, log lacking evidence of
assessment assessment assessment assessment evidence for self research or
development and development and development and development and assessment, lessons learned
lessons learned, lessons learned, lessons learned, lessons learned, research or providing minimal
providing a capturing key capturing key capturing key lessons learned, information about
thorough account activities and activities and activities and providing little the steps taken or
1 Process Log and of the research stages. stages. stages however information about omitting crucial
Reflection and writing A good reflection on There is a reflection with incomplete the steps taken or stages of the
process at each the assessment on the assessment evidence. omitting crucial research process.
(20%) stage of included with some but lacking in detail There is a reflection stages of the No useful reflective
development of insight into the or scope. Partial or on the assessment research process. points identified. No
the assessment. research and writing limited application but mostly Poor attempt at a attempt at a
process. Application of one reflective descriptive rather reflective model or reflective model.
An excellent
of at least one model. than reflective. incomplete attempt
reflection on the
reflective model Attempted at a reflective
assessment included
that yields some application of one model.
with real insight into
results. reflective model.
the research and
writing process.
Application of at
least one reflective
model that yields
useful results.

2 Selection and Selection of Selection of Selection of Selection of Poor or No use of

application of frameworks is frameworks is frameworks is frameworks is inappropriate appropriate
appropriate entirely appropriate and appropriate and appropriate but selection of frameworks or
appropriate and clearly selected clearly selected generic. Some frameworks with extremely poor
frameworks.
clearly selected after comparison after comparison errors in the limited attempt at
after comparison with alternatives. with alternatives. application of applicability to the application which
(35%)
with alternatives. Frameworks are Frameworks are frameworks are situation at hand. fails to elicit any
 Selection shows applied in the applied in the shown. Major errors of useful output.
understanding of correct manner correct manner understanding
their strengths according to their according to their and/or application
and weaknesses design and their design. of frameworks.
and the usage leads to
application insight.
reflects this.
Frameworks are
applied in the
correct manner
according to their
design and their
usage leads to
insight.
Recommendations Recommendations Recommendations There is evidence Recommendations Little to no
and solutions stem and solutions are and solutions are that the and solutions are attempt to
3 Analysis to from rigorous drawn from the drawn from the recommendations only tenuously generate any
generate analysis that analysis and will analysis but are and solutions are connected to recommendations
recommendations examines the show differing likely to be derived from the analysis or appear or solutions with
project perspectives in obvious or analysis and are to be mostly no connection to
and solutions.
specification from the analysis. generic. not solely drawn statements analysis.
different from opinion. without
(35%)
perspectives. justification or
evidence.

Excellent Material is well Some Some Presentation is Presentation and

organisation and organised and inconsistencies in inconsistencies in inconsistent structure are
presentation of presented. Good presentation of presentation of and/or of a poor haphazard with
material. Excellent style. Well material. Good material. Style standard. Poor little logical flow
4 Structure, style. Excellently expressed with style. Satisfactorily inappropriate in attempt at and major and
presentation, expressed with very few mistakes expressed but places. Weakly referencing with frequent errors
referencing, perfect grammar in grammar and several mistakes expressed with omissions and and omissions in
spelling and and spelling. All spelling. Almost all in grammar and mistakes in errors. referencing and
grammar. references are references are spelling. Most grammar and spelling/grammar.
correctly cited correct, both in references are spelling. A
(10%)
both in text and in text and in the correct in text, reasonable
the Reference Reference section. with appropriate attempt with
section. page numbers and several errors
listed in the both in text and
Reference section. in the References
section.