Outline Description

You should submit a management report analysing the issues affecting the global business environment from the point of view of the case study SME (TAKIMAKI). The report must also utilise information from a range of sources, including on-line sources such as newspapers, websites etc. which should be located in appendices.

It is important that you complete all the supplementary tasks for this module and participate in the discussion forums as they will help you complete this piece of assessment, which is based on the first two topics.

Learning Outcomes

This piece of assessed work contributes to the following learning outcome for this module:

- Demonstrate an understanding and ability to critically analyse, evaluate and appraise the key internal and external contexts in which global business operates, and the ways in global business reacts to those contexts and changes in them in terms of comparison, evaluation, and subsequent strategy integration, synthesis, formulation and validation
 
Detailed Instructions

1. The assignment brief indicates the themes to be covered in this assignment. Specifically this means that themes 1 and 2 are the ones to be focused upon.

2. Specifically, the topics should be related to the TAKIMAKI case study (Themes 1 and 2). This means that your assignment should answer the following questions from the case study :-

- From theme 1.Identify the factors that you think TAKIMAKI should collect information on for creation of its internationalisation strategy, and present these within an appropriate analytical frameworkfor the 3 countries you think TAKIMAKI should consider internationalising to, ensuring that you are also able to compare with Japan.
- From theme 2:Using an appropriate analytical framework, undertake an appropriately weighted internal and external analysis for TAKIMAKI, for the external factors analysing 3 countries we should consider internationalising to comparing with Japan, concluding with decisions onwhich country to internationalise to, how, and why).

3. It is essential that you include (properly referenced to in the text using the Harvard system) current information from the internet, news items etc. which pertain to Global issues and the electronics industry in particular, as well as using relevant academic journal articles and books. The minimum number of SEPARATE SOURCES that should be used and referenced for this assignment is 10.

4. The reference list should be included as a Reference List at the end of the assignment (this list will not be included in the word count). Any citations may be put in appendices and will not be included in the word count.

5. The word count is 3000 words, + / - 10%, which means that assignments with word counts in the range of 2700 words to 3300 words are acceptable.

6. Diagrams and Tables which are directly relevant to the topic should be placed in the main text.

7. Depending on the task, you may wish to use SWOT, STEEP, PEST/PESTEL, etc., as frameworks for your analysis.

8. This assignment, written in report form, should contain your own individual analysis. You do not need to include everything that your group collected/presented.

9. Any group work that is used (e.g. diagrams, text, etc.) should be clearly labelled with your group and placed in an appendix.

10. The Tutor is permitted to answer specific questions related to structure and presentation but cannot give feedback on draft assignments.

11. Use of relevant case study material is essential to successful completion of the assignment. You are able to make a start now, since the assignment is split between the distinctive themes1 and 2

12. Make sure that you back up (i.e. save) any presentations or notes that will help you develop your individual report.