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MMM095 – Multinational Enterprise Strategy and Performance (Postgraduate level)
Individual Assignment
International Business and Strategy
2023-2024
Resit individual assignment.
Note: Mark for resit will be capped at 50.
The deadline for electronic submission on Turnitin is before 14:00 pm, August 15, 2024.
Write a piece of an individual coursework of maximum 1,500 words in total (+10% variation is already included in the maximum word limit). The word limit includes the introduction, the main body, conclusion, tables and figures, citation, appendices, notes, and end notes in the text, but excludes the front cover sheet, and references. Your materials in the appendices will be counted towards the word limit. So, please do not exceed the maximum word limit. Any paper exceeding the word limit will be penalized and marked down.
You are expected to use the appropriate materials from module MMM095 and your research. You should consult various sources of information and data (lecture materials, core textbook, reading lists, books, websites, full accounts/ annual reports, documents, and filings with Companies House, academic journal articles, business and financial press, such as BBC Business, the Financial Times, the Economist, the Forbes, Reuters, Associated Press (AP), Bloomberg, the Guardian, the New York Times, the Washing Post, Der Spiegel, Nikkei Asian Review, Yahoo Finance, etc.
You are assigned the UK subsidiary of a multinational enterprise (MNE). Analyze the international business strategy and financial management of this foreign subsidiary. Support your answers with specific, relevant, well-explained, well-analyzed and real hard facts, data, and examples of this subsidiary.
You should refer to the detailed guidance in Appendix 1, which explains clearly what is expected in your answer to each question.
Visit the UK Companies House website, search for the assigned subsidiary. You will find the subsidiary’s “full accounts” (annual reports) under the “filing history” tab by following the below link (All you need to do is to cut and paste the link into Google to search for the UK Companies House website. When you are at the UK Companies House website, you will be able to find the assigned subsidiary. Make sure that you use exactly the assigned subsidiary name)
This is your assignment:
- Make plausible arguments whether your subsidiary builds its strategy based upon Porter’s single diamond (Porter, 1990), or whether it uses Rugman & D’Cruz’s/ Rugman & Verbeke’s double diamond (Rugman & D’Cruz, 1993; Rugman & Verbeke, 1993)/ generalized double diamond approach (Moon, Rugman & Verbeke, 1998). Critically analyze all attributes of the theoretical model which you have just identified to analyze the location advantages of the host country (also known as host country-specific advantages - host CSAs) which your subsidiary has accessed and exploited. Examine four dimensions of distance (Ghemawat, 2001) between the home country and the host country, and analyze whether or not distance is really a challenge? How has your subsidiary overcome the distance?
- Use Rugman, Verbeke and Yuan (2011) diagram of re-conceptualization of national subsidiary roles along the value chains to discuss clearly what role(s) your subsidiary has? Explain and illustrate your answer with a diagram.
- Show detailed calculations, analyze, compare and comment the financial performance trend of your subsidiary for each year of the three-year period of 2020-2022 for each set of the financial ratios (sales and profit growth/ decline); profitability ratios of gross profit margin ratio, EBIT ratio, net profit ratio, ROA; gearing ratios of debt-to-total assets, debt-to-equity, times interest earned; liquidity ratios of current ratio, quick ratio, working capital; operating efficiency ratios of inventory turnover in days, account receivable turnover in days and account payable turnover in days. In case your subsidiary exports, analyze sales in domestic markets and international markets. You should present the financial statements of your subsidiary in the appendix in the format of image.
- Analyse in detail all the major financing sources of your subsidiary for the period 2020-2022? Discuss whether or not your subsidiary has any role in foreign exchange risk management. How are foreign exchange risks managed in your subsidiary? Critically analyze whether or not your parent firm has used various mechanisms to shift profits in your subsidiary. Support your answer with specific well-explained data, facts, and examples.
Evaluation
Marks will be given for the application of critical thinking, analytical and integration skills using the frameworks developed in this module. You should make plausible answers backed up by whatever relevant hard facts, data, and examples you can access on the activities, strategy, and financial management of your subsidiary. The marks for the assignment will be awarded equally for all questions (Each question has the same marks/ the same credits).
Format (see also Appendix 2 for submission format and reference style guidelines)
You should use headings and sub-headings. Notes or Endnotes should be used only if absolutely necessary and must be identified in the text by consecutive numbers, enclosed in square brackets and listed at the end of the essay.
Front page: essay title (including the subsidiary name), your group, your team number, your name, your student ID number, and total word count (word count excludes the front page, and references).
Introduction: briefly introduce the company background information. You may explain the main objective of this essay, the main arguments/findings, and the limitations of this study, etc.
Main body: you need to cover all the issues in the format of answers-to-questions. There is no need to rewrite the questions in your submitted work. This will give you more space to present your answers. You need to state explicitly the concepts and theoretical framework that you use to answer the questions.
You are expected to demonstrate that you are capable of applying these concepts and frameworks to critically analyze the subsidiary you are studying. A good piece for this module should focus on a persuasive analysis and argument, based on the data, facts, and examples you find. In addition, you are expected to present consistent and interactive arguments of the issues, e.g., hard data and thorough explanation could support your analysis on the strategy and performance (see detailed guidance in Appendix 1).
Specific expectations
• Research skills: find relevant, interesting, specific, real examples, data, information, and hard facts to support your answers.
• Insights: identification of key issues; a clear and consistent focus.
• Analysis: a presentation of information that exhibits an understanding, a capable application of key concepts. The rationale and reasoning are explained logically and clearly.
• Synthesis: relevant incorporation of various concepts and pieces of information.
• Appearance: clear and concise organization and overall style; good grammar and spelling.
• Coherency: the paper must appear coherent.
• Consistency: all evidence should be supported by your discussion.
• Originality: an ability to be creative and innovative in research and presentation of information.
Conclusion: a brief summary of the essential arguments/findings for the work.
Tables and figures: It is your decision to put the figures/tables separately or in the text. Each figure/table needs to be fully referenced and explained. Please do not insert any of them without explanation.
References and plagiarism: All sources (e.g., books, articles, internet sites, etc.) used in the assignment must be listed in the text and in the reference lists. Reference must be Harvard style, and you can find the Harvard style reference guidance at the end of the assignment (appendix 2). Marks will be deducted if students fail to correctly reference.
Plagiarism is defined as falsely claiming the ideas, passages, data, etc., of another work or author as your own. This is a serious offence and may result in you failing your degree and the circumstances of the plagiarism being placed on your records for further reference. It is therefore essential to be meticulous, to keep a full and careful record of all references as you proceed with your research and then citing them in your coursework.
Please note that the electronic copy of your coursework will be checked by the University’s anti-plagiarism programmes and other checks may also be undertaken.
Appendices: you are expected to include the financial statements (balance sheet and income statement) of your subsidiary for the three-year period in the format of the picture. These documents must be extracted from the subsidiary’s full accounts from the UK Companies House, not from any database.
Assessment criteria
The assessment criteria are in accordance with the policy of the University of Reading, Henley Business School, Assessment criteria (see Appendix 3 for Henley Business School, marking and feedback e-proforma form where detailed assessment criteria are fully listed).
Marking criteria
Each question has the same marks. Marks will be awarded for the quality of research, analytical reasoning, critical thinking and integration of theory and evidence (examples, data and facts).
Marking criteria will be in accordance with the University policy – Assessment Handbook – Section
10 – Annex 1 – University marking criteria for level 4-6.
http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/files/qualitysupport/10_Marking_withannexes.pdf
Marking scheme
The pass mark is C or 50%+ The merit mark is B or 60%+
The distinction mark is A or 70%+