INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Instructor: Dr. Jim Johnson
Office: Crummer 204
Class Time: Friday 8:30-11:30 AM
Classroom: Crummer 318
Phone: 407-646-2486
E-mail: jpjohnson@rollins.edu
You are encouraged to contact me whenever you have a question on any aspect of the class. You may
contact me at any time throughout the semester. I am usually available when you need to meet.
Sending an email is always the best way to reach me.
Course Description: CRN 14005
This course will focus on the strategy and tactics needed for success in international business. In the
first part of the semester, via text readings, case studies, and discussions of current events, we will
examine the economic, social, political, technological, and environmental settings in which international
business operates. In the second part of the semester, we will examine how the global business
environment affects international business strategy and the decision to enter new markets. Throughout
the semester, student teams will gather data on two assigned countries. Using tactical tools such as a
Political-Economic-Social-Technological (PEST) analysis, each team will develop a portfolio that
compares and contrasts the relative attractiveness of these countries for expansion by a global retailer.
This course serves as a foundation for elective INTL courses.
Course Objectives
 Understand the impact of globalization and the cultural, political, economic and technical
environments on international business
 Develop and utilize frameworks for market selection and mode of entry decisions
Required Text/Cases/Subscription
1. Global Business Today (7th Edition), Charles W. Hill (McGraw Hill, 2010). ISBN: 978-07-813721-1
2. Case studies (3) available to download from Harvard Business School Press at
http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/9204528 You will need to register first and use a credit card
to download the cases. It is not permissible to photocopy another student’s cases: this is
infringement of copyright and it is illegal.
3. The Economist All students are required to subscribe to The Economist for the semester. A 15week student subscription is available for $24 at http://www.EconomistAcademic.com/ Enter my
faculty ID: 1676. This identifies you as a student in my course and gets you the discounted student
rate.
Course Requirements
Assignment
% of Grade
Team Portfolio
25%
Team Portfolio Presentation
10%
3 Case Analyses – team based
15%
Chapter Quizzes (on BBoard)
15%
Constructive Engagement
10%
Final Exam
20%
Individual Assignment (Project Week)
5%
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
PERCENTAGE DESCRIPTION
A 90-100
Indicates consistently excellent work, executed to a professional standard. In other
words, someone would pay you for it.
A- 87-89
Indicates consistently excellent work, superior to the expectations of a graduate
student.
B+ 84-86
Indicates work of the quality normally expected of a graduate student
Indicates work of the quality normally expected of a graduate student
B 80-83
B- 77-79
Indicates work that is below the quality expected in graduate study
Indicates work that is below the quality expected in graduate study
C+ 74-76
F
73 or below
Indicates work that is unacceptable in graduate level of study
I
Incomplete indicates that the student and instructor have agreed that outstanding
work will be completed and the grade changed to A, B, C or F by the mid-term point of
the following term
Course Policies and Procedures
Student obligation: Students must follow the letter and spirit of the code of academic conduct of the
Crummer Graduate School of Business. If you have any questions, please ask me or your program
director.
Crummer Dress Code: Please adhere to the student dress code – business casual.
Class preparation: All reading assignments for the day should be completed before class so that
students are prepared to discuss their content.
In-class activities including ‘pop quizzes’ may be utilized to assess preparedness for class discussion. The
efforts on these activities will be included in Constructive Engagement portion of grades.
Team-based exercises are assigned to reinforce and provide practice, in a helpful and non-threatening
team environment, with critical tools. They also are assigned as total team activities, with all team
members contributing to the processes and outcomes from team deliberations on each exercise.
No exercise is to be “assigned” to one person on or a sub-set of the total team for completion and each
team member must participate fully in each exercise. It is acceptable to rotate note-taking on
deliberations and/or write-up duties among the team members, although that does not excuse the
person doing those duties from contributing during the team’s deliberations. Anonymous peer
appraisals will be submitted as noted in this syllabus, by each team member, to acknowledge the
contributions of each team member.
Team Dynamics: While I expect all members of the team to do their best to contribute to the project, I
appreciate that this does not always occur. You will be given the opportunity to evaluate your team
members (form posted on BB). I will use these evaluations to determine the final overall grade that
individuals receive for the team projects. A credit or a penalty must be recommended by at least two
members of the team to become effective; the extent of the credit or penalty is at the discretion of the
instructor, but will be at least ½ a letter grade (i.e., “B+”  “B”).
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
From time to time, an individual consistently under performs, to the detriment of the team. While I
expect you to deal with such situations as professionally as possible within the team, I recognize that it is
not always possible to do so. In the first instance, you must send written notice of the team's
dissatisfaction to the offending party, with a copy to me. I will ask the EAMBA Program Director to
mediate with the team. If this does not resolve the situation, you may fire the person from the team
within 10 days of the written notice, again with a copy to me. The individual must then complete
individual assignments on the same topics. The final deadline for firing a team member is Week 9.
Peer Evaluation: 50% of your total grade is based on teamwork. You will each have an opportunity to
provide feedback on your teammates based on three criteria: contribution to the research, contribution
to the written assignments, and citizenship (see Appendix 1). The peer evaluation is due in Week 12
(July 15) and should reflect the team members’ efforts on the team portfolio and cases throughout the
semester. I will use these evaluations to assess the individual grade allocation for the team
assignments. If an individual fails to submit an evaluation, her/his individual constructive engagement
grade will be reduced by 10%. PLEASE SUBMIT EVALUATIONS VIA BLACKBOARD ASSIGNMENTS
FUNCTION.
Self Evaluation: The self evaluation is an opportunity for you to reflect on your efforts during the
semester and it serves as a “reality check” on your perceived performance (see Appendix 2). The self
evaluation is also due in Week 12 (July 15) and should reflect your own perception of your contribution
to the team portfolio and cases throughout the semester, and your assessment of your overall
performance in this course. If an individual fails to submit an evaluation, her/his individual constructive
engagement grade will be reduced by 10%. PLEASE SUBMIT EVALUATIONS VIA BLACKBOARD
ASSIGNMENTS FUNCTION.
Submitting work:
Individual Assignments: Please use the Blackboard Assignments function to submit all individual work.
Label documents as: LASTNAME_FIRST NAME (e.g., DOE_JANE).
Team Assignments: Please email a copy of the work to the professor (jpjohnson@rollins.edu) .
 Be sure to put your team number & name on the document:
TEAM#_ASSIGNMENT_NAME (e.g., TEAM12_PORTFOLIO1_DOE).
 For team assignments, please ensure that only 1 copy of the final submission is sent. If multiple
copies are sent, the first one in chronological order will be accepted as the final submission.
Late Submissions: For each 24 hour period the assignment is late, the grade will be reduced by ½ a letter
grade (e.g., A-  B+).
Students with disabilities: Rollins College is committed to equal access and does not discriminate
unlawfully against persons with disabilities in its policies, procedures, programs or employment
processes. The College recognizes its obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 to provide an environment that does not discriminate against persons with
disabilities. If you are a person with a disability on this campus and anticipate needing any type of
academic accommodations in order to participate in your classes, please make timely arrangements by
disclosing this disability in writing to the Disability Services Office at (box 2613) or call 407-646-2354.
Students should also notify the EAMBA program director of any special needs.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Tardiness policy: As a sign of professionalism and respect for all class attendees, students should be
prepared for each class and ready to start class on time. If you are unavoidably delayed, please enter the
class quietly and take the first available seat until there is a break.
If you are unable to attend class please make every effort to inform the professor in advance.
Mobile Phones: Unless you have an emergency, please switch off cell-phones, beepers, or other portable
communication devices during class.
Laptop Computers: Professional use of computers as educational tools to enhance the classroom
learning is expected, not use for entertainment or checking email during class. Please confine the use of
your laptop to class-appropriate materials. Please close the computer when asked and always during
team presentations and/or guest speaker presentations
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Daily Schedule (subject to change). Each class will start with a summary of current events. Teams are
encouraged to share relevant current information about their portfolio countries.
Week 1
Read Chapter 1: Globalization + Quiz
4/29/11
Reading: “The Globalization Backlash” (BBoard)
Course introduction and expectations.
Assign countries for Team Portfolio.
Week 2
Read Chapter 3: Culture + Quiz
Note the change to Monday this week only.
5/2/11
Simulation exercise: Bafá Bafá
Class meets 1-4 pm, room 222.
Team Portfolio Assignment 1 due 8:30 am Friday 5/6.
Week 3
Review Chapter 3: Culture
5/13/11
Reading: “The cultural relativity of organizational practices and theories” (BBoard)
Visit IKEA store in Orlando and IKEA corporate website (in your own time)
Week 4
Read Chapter 2: Differences in Political Economy + Quiz
5/20/11
Team Portfolio Assignment 2 due 8:30 am
Week 5
Read Chapter 6 , Political Economy of International Trade, pp. 202-221; pp. 234-236
5/27/11
Read Chapter 8, Regional Economic Integration + Quiz
In-Class Reading: “Globalization with a human face” (BBoard)
Week 6
*****PROJECT WEEK: NO CLASS MEETING*****
6/3/11
Read Chapter 4: Ethics in International Business.
Reading: “The corruption eruption” (Bboard)
Complete Individual Assignment (assignment questions posted on BB Assignments
Function). Submit via BB Assignments function on June 3 before 5:00PM.
Week 7
6/10/11
Week 8
6/17/11
Week 9
6/24/11
Week 10
7/1/11
Week 11
7/8/11
Week 12
7/15/11
Team Portfolio Assignment 3 due June 6 before 5:00PM.
Read Chapter 9, The Foreign Exchange Market + Quiz
Read Chapter 10, International Monetary System pp. 342-346, 356-360; 371-375
In-Class Reading: “The Big Mac Index” (BBoard)
In-class assignment (BBoard)
Team Presentations: Portfolio 1-3 Compare/Contrast Countries
Team Portfolio Assignment 4 due 8:30 am
Read Chapter 11: Strategy of International Business + Quiz
Case Study discussion : Grupo Bimbo (team report due 6/27/11: 12 noon)
Read Chapter 12: Entering Foreign Markets + Quiz
Case Study discussion: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (team report due 7/5/11: 12 noon)
Guest speaker: Allen Kupetz
Read Chapter 15: Global Marketing and R&D + Quiz
Case Study discussion: Colgate Max Fresh (team report due 7/11/11: 12 noon)
Read Chapter 16: Global Human Resource Management + Quiz
Final Team Portfolio due 8:30 AM. Submit via e-mail
Individual and Peer Evaluations due by 1:00PM. Submit via BB Assignments function
Week 13
7/22/11
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Final Exam
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Individual Requirements (50%)
CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT (10%)
Not to be confused with attendance (which is expected), constructive engagement is the practice of
engaging your professor and fellow students during presentations and discussions with thoughtful and
timely contributions:
 Come to class prepared. Do the assigned reading(s) in advance and be ready to share your thoughts
and observations.
 Please make every effort to be recognized by the discussion facilitator (vs. speaking out of turn).
Many cultures and communication styles find it difficult to interject into active communications.
Being recognized before you contribute allows all to have a turn.
 Opinions vary, civility is constant. You should feel free to question or disagree with other students;
however, such disagreement must be based on the idea and not the person. Respect for your peers
and professor is the sine qua non of great discussions and great learning experiences.
 As part of the constructive engagement grade, each student must submit a completed peerevaluation form AND a self-evaluation form. Available on BB and due via Assignment Function by
1:00 PM on July 15.
These are the elements I will consider in evaluating your Constructive Engagement:
1. Are you a good listener?
 Do you contribute to the learning environment by sharing your relevant business and personal
experiences and those you read about?
 Do your comments show evidence of thorough analysis?
 Do you ask constructive questions of other students that help to deepen everyone’s
understanding?
 Do you distinguish between different kinds of data (i.e., facts and opinions)?
 Are you willing to share ideas and information in a collegial fashion?
 Are you willing to test new ideas, or are all comments “safe” (e.g., a repetition of the case facts
without new insights)?
 Are you willing to interact with other class members to help refine ideas?
 Do your comments build on earlier comments to advance the discussion or are you merely
repeating earlier comments or raising points that do not fit into the current discussion?
 Do your comments incorporate concepts presented in lectures, readings and earlier cases?
 Do you make your points succinctly?
2. Hierarchy of comments – more comments toward the top of the hierarchy (#5) result in higher grade
 Stage 1: Agreeing with someone else’s statement
 Stage 2: Describing events/repeating content of reading
 Stage 3: Explaining events/ expanding on content in reading
 Stage 4: Demonstrating an understanding of the situation/problem in reading
 Stage 5: Synthesizing events in the reading with knowledge developed during the discussion,
prior analysis, and from readings/lectures to develop a higher level of understanding and
recommendations
FINAL EXAM (20%) – details to be confirmed later in the semester.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
CHAPTER QUIZZES - online (15%)
 9 chapter quizzes will be taken via BlackBoard . There will be a quiz on the following chapters only:
Ch. 1, 3, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16
 A grade of 0 will be assigned to a missing quiz.
 To access the weekly Chapter Quiz on BlackBoard: Go to Course Documents  Chapter 1 (for week
1)  Chapter Review Quiz, and follow the instructions.
 Each chapter quiz will be available 48 hours before the start of the class until 5 minutes before class
starts. So, in Week 1, you will be able to access the quiz from 8:30am on Wednesday April 27 until
8:25 am on Friday April 29. Please do not wait until the last minute to access the quiz: allow enough
time to deal with any technical problems that might arise, especially the first time.
 Read the assigned chapter before attempting the chapter quiz. Each chapter quiz must be taken
prior to the start of class in which that chapter will be covered. The quizzes will no longer be
available 5 minutes before the start of class covering that chapter.
 Each quiz consists of 10-15 multiple choice and T/F questions. The questions are randomized and
will be presented to you one at a time. Since this is an online quiz completed outside class hours,
you may consult your textbook and/or notes. You may attempt each quiz up to 3 times: however,
the questions and the order in which they appear may differ each time.
 The first quiz is on Chapter 1 -- Globalization. Normally, you will have 15 minutes to complete the
quiz, but since this is the first online quiz, you will have extra time: 20 minutes to complete it.
 This is strictly an individual assignment and the Crummer honor code applies.
INDIVIDUAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT (5%)
Read Chapter 4: Ethics in International Business (assignment questions posted on BB Assignments
Function). Submit via BB Assignments function on June 3 before 5:00PM.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Team Requirements (50%)
CASE STUDIES (15%)
All students must be prepared to discuss the case during the class meeting. The written report will be
due by 5:00 PM the following Monday.
Team Written Assignment for each case: 2 page maximum (single spaced). Assigned teams may be
asked to present aspects of the case assignment in class.
1) Grupo Bimbo (Case 1): Class discussion 6/24/11: Report due 6/27/11, 12:00pm.
a) 1 paragraph case summary including key decision faced by main actor of case
a) How would you propose to address the challenges that Grupo Bimbo faces in Brazil? Be specific
about which actions you would take and which problems those actions would solve.
b) Was going to China the right decision for Grupo Bimbo? Why, or why not? If Grupo Bimbo
continues its expansion in China, what (if anything) should change about its strategy there?
2) Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse: The High Stakes of International Expansion (Case 2): Class discussion
7/1/11: Report due 7/5/11, 12:00pm.
a) 1 paragraph case summary including key decision faced by main actor of case
b) Select the top three (3) country opportunities Hannah should pursue. Discuss and rationalize the
variables used to select these locations, and explain how you weighted these variables. (Hint:
It’s worth doing a sensitivity analysis to see how different weightings of the variables affect your
decision.)
c) Hannah was focused on franchising as the primary mode of entry. Analyze the various entry
modes available to Hannah and explain the best entry mode for the top 3 countries selected
above (b).
3) Colgate Max Fresh: Global Brand Roll-Out (Case 3) Class discussion 7/8/11: Report due 7/11/11,
12:00pm.
a) 1 paragraph case summary including key decision faced by main actor of case
b) Were CP China’s changes to the CMF marketing launch program justifiable? Explain.
c) What are the costs and benefits of adaptation for a product like CMF?
TEAM PORTFOLIO (25%)
&
TEAM PORTFOLIO PRESENTATION (10%)
See Appendix 3 for instructions
Reminder: No exercise is to be “assigned” to one person on or a sub-set of the total team for
completion and each team member must participate fully in each exercise. All team
members are expected to review/edit the final draft to ensure that it is complete and errorfree.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Appendix 1: PEER EVALUATION FORM FOR TEAM PROJECT(S)
Team Name/#:__________________
Your Name ___________________
GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNING GRADES
A= Attended all meetings. Work turned in on time. Work was of high quality. Outstanding contributions
to Team goals.
B= Attended almost all meetings. Work of good quality. Contributed well to Team goals.
C= Unreliable attendance/punctuality at meetings. Occasionally late with deadlines. Work of inadequate
quality. Made little effort to contribute to team goals.
F= Missed most of the meetings. Work was uniformly late. Work was of poor quality. Made no effort to
contribute to team goals.
Please do not grade yourself on this form. On the next page is a self-evaluation form.
NAME
SCALE
1._________________________ A-----B-----C----F
Given the opportunity, I would voluntarily work with this individual again: Yes NO
2._________________________ A-----B-----C----F
Given the opportunity, I would voluntarily work with this individual again: Yes NO
3._________________________ A-----B-----C----F
Given the opportunity, I would voluntarily work with this individual again: Yes NO
4._________________________ A-----B-----C----F
Given the opportunity, I would voluntarily work with this individual again: Yes NO
5._________________________ A-----B-----C----F
Given the opportunity, I would voluntarily work with this individual again: Yes NO
For each member assigned A, C, or F, provide a brief justification for your assigned grade.
Submit by 1:00 PM on July 15. A late form will result in
a 10% deduction from your Constructive Engagement grade.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Appendix 2: SELF EVALUATION
YOUR NAME: _________________________
CLASS: ________________
TEAM # __________
Using the following scale please rate yourself related to the team project.
1. EFFORT: I demonstrated initiative and expended sufficient time on the project(s).
Totally Disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 Totally Agree
2. PARTICIPATION: I was in attendance for team meetings. I exhibited responsiveness and timeliness
when tasks were handled remotely and/or electronically.
Totally Disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 Totally Agree
3. COMMUNICATION: I made my thoughts and ideas known to the group and was willing to listen to
others’ points of view.
Totally Disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 Totally Agree
4. ACHIEVEMENT: I was successful in understanding the project and contributed significantly to the
finished project.
Totally Disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 Totally Agree
5. TEAM SCOPE: I was able to relate to the overall team mission and to plan and act in the best
interest of the team’s success.
Totally Disagree 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 Totally Agree
TOTAL POINTS AWARDED: ______________
6. SELF GRADING: Based on the self-rated scores above and the written comments, I would assign
myself the following grade for the team portion of the class assignments.
D
C
B-
B+
A-
A
In 100 words or less, indicate what you believe your own major contributions (or lack thereof) were to
the team’s project.
Submit by 1:00 PM on July 15. A late form will result in a
10% deduction from your individual grade.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Appendix 3: Team Portfolio
The discount furniture store, IKEA (www.ikea.com), is planning further international expansion. The
Senior VP for Global Marketing, Dr. Johansson, has assigned each team a country-pair combination from
the list below as potential markets for screening. Each week, the team will gather data on each country
on topics such as its political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological environments, as well as data
on the ease of doing business in each country. Also, scour the business press for articles on IKEA. Regular
draft sections will be submitted for review and will be inputs into the final team portfolio.
Each team will become the ‘country experts’ on the markets selected. As such, teams may be asked to
discuss or present portions of their information to the class at any time throughout the semester.
Sharing information among class members enables a 360° learning environment.
The final portfolio must be submitted by Friday July 15, 8:30 AM.
Country pairs:
Indonesia / Brazil
Argentina / Egypt
Vietnam/ Nigeria
[See www.ikea.com
South Africa / Venezuela
for a current list of IKEA’s
Team Portfolio Assignments:
Assignment # Due Date/Time
Topic
1
Week 2 (5/6)
Map & General Info
2
By Week 3 Visit the IKEA store
(5/13)
Orlando & website
Week 4 (5/20)
Socio-Cultural
3
Week 7 (6/6)
Political & Economic
Week 8 (6/17)
Team Presentation
4
Week 8 (6/17)
Currency/Technology
5
Weeks 8-11
Week 12 (7/15)
Develop Team Portfolio
Final Portfolio
EAMBA 18
Bulgaria/Malaysia
markets]
Notes
in
Submit a good color map of each country
along with basic info: e.g., size of country,
population, cities, GDP per capita (PPP),
economic activity, current issues, etc.
Familiarize yourself with IKEA’s products,
store, and philosophy
Language(s), religion, ethnic groups,
human development indicators; cultural
dimensions, cultural do’s and don’ts,
implications for doing business.
Type of govt. Current political parties,
current govt. policies, political stability,
current issues, openness to trade &
business, ease of doing business, trade
agreements, state of the economy,
trends in GDP, GDP/capita, etc.
Implications for IKEA.
Each team will deliver a 20-minute
presentation to compare/contrast their
two countries on the dimensions above.
Currency and foreign exchange: trends in
past 3-5 years & future projections;
indicators of technological development;
implications for IKEA.
See “Developing the Portfolio” below.
Basic country info; PEST analysis; market
assessment and comparative analysis;
market entry recommendation.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Familiarization: By Week 3 (May 13), each team will have visited the IKEA store in Orlando (Conway
Road) and have thoroughly explored IKEA’s website – both the US website and the corporate website.
The aim is to gain a thorough understanding of IKEA’s range of products, its business model, and its
philosophy. (Try the Swedish food in the cafeteria, too. Yum!)
Developing the Portfolio: Weeks 8-11, the team will assess the suitability of both markets for launching
the product/service. Questions to be asked include, but are not limited to:
 Is there a market for the product/service?
 If so, how large is the market and what is the expected growth rate?
 Are there IKEA stores in nearby countries that might cannibalize the market?
 Who are the main local competitors?
 What barriers to entry exist?
Excellent sources of information include the Olin Library’s Euromonitor database, the business media,
and interviews with people from your target countries. Using the data gathered, the team will then
conduct a comparative market analysis. Which of the two markets is more attractive to IKEA? Why?
Then, focusing on the more attractive of the two markets, the team must determine:
 How should IKEA enter the selected market? (see Ch. 12)
o Franchise
o Joint venture
o Wholly owned subsidiary
 Where should the store(s) be located?
o Nationwide? Selected cities? Rural areas? Why?
 What changes should be made to the marketing mix, and why?
Guidelines for the Final Team Portfolio:
 Aim for a professional-looking presentation.
o Include a cover page and a table of contents (ToC).
o Use size 11 or 12 font with 1-inch margins.
o Number the pages and appendices (if used).
o Maps, tables, diagrams, etc. should be pleasing to the eye, in color, and labeled with a
title (e.g. Table 1: Economic Indicators) and explained to the reader in the text.
o End the main body of the report with a Conclusion section, summarizing the main
findings and recommendations.
o The main body of the report should not be more than 25 pages (excluding cover page,
ToC, appendices)
 Use your judgment in selecting what data to include, and draw conclusions from the data
provided. For example, “Age Structure --15-64 years: 66%” tells us that 66% of the population is
between 15 and 64 years of age. So what? Is this useful data? If not, do not include it. If it is
useful, explain why. Similarly, draw conclusions from analytical tools such as a PEST analysis or
Porter’s 5-Forces industry analysis: what do the data tell us? What are the implications for
doing business in the country?
 Use instructor’s comments and suggestions from earlier drafts to improve the final version.
 Be sure that the report will pass the plagiarism test: it is not acceptable to include large sections
cut-and-pasted from outside sources. Be sure that all sources are properly cited.
 Cite sources in the text with numbers or in-text citations (e.g. World Bank, 2010) and include a
detailed list of references at the end of the report. Provide a complete URL of each online
source cited, not just the generic website; where possible, provide the name of the document &
author.
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
 Check and re-check the final draft (multiple sets of eyes!) to make sure that there are no
spelling, grammar or punctuation errors, missing words, or missing pages. Many otherwise “A”
reports are spoiled by unnecessary errors.
 Is the report logical? Do the recommendations follow clearly from the data presented, or is
something missing?
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INTL 501 – Business in the Global Environment – Summer 2011
Useful Research Links
 Global Edge (http://globaledge.msu.edu/)
-- a powerful resource for international business information, maintained by Michigan State
University.
 Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD)(http://www.oecd.org)
-- tons of statistics on the richest 33 countries in the world (but some
are restricted to subscribers)
-- data available on individual OECD countries at
(http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=CSP2010)
 The Economist (http://www.economist.com/countries/). Archived articles are available to all
subscribers.
 BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/) Current world affairs from a non-US perspective.
 Everything International (http://faculty.philau.edu/russowl/russow.html)
 World Bank
o Country Data (http://data.worldbank.org/country)
o Data by Topic (http://data.worldbank.org/topic)
o Economic Indicators (inc. GDP, GNI, BoP, inflation)
(http://data.worldbank.org/indicator)
o Doing Business around the World (http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings )
 Executive Planet (http://www.executiveplanet.com/)
 Federation of International Trade Associations (http://fita.org/webindex/index.html)
 Intl Telecommunications Union (http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/)
 NationMaster World Statistics (http://www.nationmaster.com/index.php)
 Transparency International (http://www.transparency.org)
 Doing Business in ....... Country Commercial Guides prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce
(http://www.export.gov/about/eg_main_016806.asp)
 US State Department’s Background Notes (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/)
 World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
 Some of the above and many others can be found at the Olin Library Int’l Business Resources
o Consumer Research via Euromonitor (Olin login required)
o ABI/Inform – search for news reports and articles on industries & companies (Olin login
required)
Notes:
1. Keep a careful record of any sources that you use for course assignments.
2. Cite the sources that you use for all data, and for information that is not common knowledge.
3. Citations must include the author (if available), title of the article or webpage, the complete
URL, and the date accessed. For example:
“Bolivar/USD exchange rate. http://fita.org/countries/venezuela.html Accessed 12/05/2010.”
4. Always cite the most recent data available, especially regarding the government, economy,
population, and exchange rates. If a particular source does not provide up-to-date statistics,
find them from another reliable source.
5. Your sources must be reliable and verifiable. Do NOT use Wikipedia or any other open-access
resource as a sole source. Some of the sources listed above have links to wiki pages, which
should not be used for citations. All wiki data must be verified by another reliable source.
6. Avoid plagiarizing: explain concepts/facts using your own words and limit the use of direct
quotations. Wholesale cutting/pasting from online sources will result in a failing grade.
EAMBA 18
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