Major Project to Research a Host Country Profile (40%)
Instructions
Read through this full set of instructions for the Major Project at the beginning of the course so you can familiarize yourself with the expectations. Also, it’s not too early to start thinking about a country of interest for international business that you might want to work on for this project. In order to develop a high quality project, it is recommended that you have frequent and ongoing consultations with your Open Learning Faculty Member.
Introduction
Instead of a final exam, you will complete a major research project. The Major Project is an individual project, not a group project. It is a mandatory component of the course and you must pass the research project to be eligible to pass the course.
The Major Project involves selecting a country for your international business and developing a thorough country analysis regarding the opportunities and obstacles for international business. The projects are individual projects, and each student will work on one project.
The BBUS 3511 Major Project will be the practical application of various concepts you study during this course. To start, select a country other than Canada that you think is a suitable host for your international business. For the purpose of this project, you can think of yourself as a manager of a large international firm or an owner of a small business with products and/ or services that have potential demand in the host country. You are seeking to enter this country and to participate in international business. The aim of this project is to assess the suitability of the host country for your international entry, based on all the issues you studied in this course (cultural, political, economic, etc.).
Major Project Proposal (submitted as Part C of Assignment 1)
The business idea and its products or services should be innovative, but practical and realistic, and should not be pure fantasy. It is not important to finalize your selection of a host country in the proposal, but you should identify at least two target countries. Once you have decided about the host country, you will develop and submit a two- to three-page proposal for your Major Project
You will submit the Major Project proposal at the end of Lesson 3 as Part C of Assignment 1.
If the proposal is satisfactory, the Open Learning Faculty Member will approve your proposal; otherwise, he or she will return the proposal with feedback and you will resubmit the revised project proposal within one Lesson.
Learners will be advised to redo Part C if the good or service is deemed inappropriate for the Major Project. This may include projects deemed immoral, illegal, impractical, insignificant, or uncreative (i.e., because they are already chosen by others or were over-used in previous course offerings).
Once approved, any further changes to the project proposal can only be made with prior approval of the Open Learning Faculty Member.
Distribution of Marks
- The Major Project report will carry 40 marks (i.e., 40% of the final grade). An additional 5% is earned for completion of the proposal included as part of Assignment 1.
Major Project Report (submitted by the end of Lesson 14)
You are strongly advised to start working on the Major Project as soon as your project proposal is approved. You are encouraged to consult the Open Learning Faculty Member regularly. Each assignment has questions that pertain to the Major Project and it is strongly recommended that you work on your projects as you progress through the lessons and not wait till the very end of the course.
See Appendix B for a suggested format for the Major Project report. You are at a liberty to make suitable changes as you deem fit, basing on your individual project requirements. However, sticking to the broad suggested format will help you in developing the required skills faster in a structured and modular manner.
Country analysis reports normally vary in size from 25 pages to 40 pages (excluding attachments), depending the nature of review and the depth of knowledge needed. You will submit a comprehensive formal project report of 25 pages or more (keeping the scope and nature of your project in mind), excluding attachments, by the end of Lesson 14, to your Open Learning Faculty Member. The suggested size is only for guidance, and size alone will not be the basis of assessment. It may also be noted that the Major Project marks will be awarded on the quality of the contents of the project and not just for following the format given.
Any late submission will attract a penalty of 15% per day, and one week delay will result in zero marks.
Making sure that the project objective, scope is clear, and methodology is correct is the responsibility of students. Pursuing the project with false presumptions may lead to wrong conclusions and poor quality work, and might result in low marks. The only way to avoid such a situation is through active and continuous consultations with the Open Learning Faculty Member. You are advised and encouraged to have a continuous interaction with the Open Learning Faculty Member. In case of any doubt, get clarification immediately with him or her.
Sources for Research Data
To learn more about primary sources and to begin to find sources online, please consult the Thompson Rivers University Library guides on primary sources for international business.
Web-Based Resources
Google Public Data Explorer (beta)
Formatting
APA Style is required for your Major Project. For examples and information on how to cite various sources in these styles, refer to the following web links.
For APA citation style (6th edition), refer to the TRU Library resource:
http://www.tru.ca/library/pdf/apacitationstyle.pdf
Submitting your Major Project
Use the “Assignments” link, submit the Major Project.
Proposal (Submitted as Part C of Assignment 1)
The proposal is marked out of 50 marks and is worth 5% of your final grade in the course.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the proposal portion of the Major Project.
Criteria for Evaluation
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the proposal for your Major Project.
Substance (40 marks)
- The project is in the area of international business. It involves the analysis of a country and its suitability for your international business. (2 marks)
- The proposal is for a real or realistic and practical business. (2 marks)
- The host country has been selected based on a sound business prospectus. (2 marks)
- There is enough preliminary data from secondary sources like Industry Canada or other international sources listed above justifying your project (supported by a minimum of one primary source and five secondary sources of data). (2 marks).
Writing Style and Format (10 marks)
- Paragraphs are unified, developed, and coherent, with transitions between ideas.
- Sentences are grammatically correct; words are chosen for accuracy and impact.
- The writing follows the conventions of spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
- Format follows proper footnote citations and provides a properly formatted bibliography (use APA Style).
Major Project
The Major Project is marked out of 100 marks and is worth 40% of your final grade in the course.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the Major Project:
Substance (80 marks)
- Introductory information and Executive Summary (5 marks)
- The project objective and scope of project, company information, products, and background (5 marks)
- Host country information (geography, size, population, demographics, etc.) (5 marks)
- Analysis of culture of host country and its impact (5 marks)
- Analysis of political system of host country (5 marks)
- Analysis of legal systems (5 marks)
- Analysis of economic system (5 marks)
- Analysis of government and business relations (5 marks)
- Opportunities for foreign direct investment(5 marks)
- Country’s integration into regional unions ((5 marks)
- Financial system and management of foreign exchange (5 marks)
- Political risks (5 marks)
- Economic risks(5 marks)
- Discussion and findings about suitability (10 marks)
- Recommendations (5 marks)
- Appendices (if any) and bibliography (5 marks)
Writing Style and Format (20 marks)
- Paragraphs are unified, developed, and coherent, with transitions between ideas.
- Sentences are grammatically correct; words are chosen for accuracy and impact.
- Writing follows the conventions of spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
- Format follows proper footnote citations and provides a properly formatted bibliography (APA Style).
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