GBK344.135 Global BusinessSummer 2016 (8-week session): June 6 – July 29

Instructor: Visiting Assistant Professor D. Tevis Noelting, J.D., M.B.A.College of Business Administration Phone: (254) 519-5437Summer Office Phone in Germany: (Download What’s App and invite this number to call/text for free (+49)-172-79-44433)Office Room Number: Founder’s Hall, room #323u (Note: I am in Germany for the summer (Berlin time zone).Office Hours: By appointment via Facetime, Skype, What’s App, or similar.Email: dnoelting@tamuct.edu It is recommend that you keep course-related communication inside Blackboard via course messages, and use TAMUCT email only when Blackboard is not available.

Instructor-Students Correspondence: During the office hours listed above, I will be available for virtual consultation. If you wish to meet by phone or web-conference, please email me with a time “window” you will be available and I will respond with a confirmed time. I check my emails daily during weekdays and will respond to your messages within 24-48 hours. I also check Blackboard (Bb) daily.

Required Reading and Textbook

Wild, J. J., & Wild, K.J. (2013). International business: The challenges of globalization (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall (ISBN-10: 0133063003 • ISBN-13: 9780133063004)

Reference Guide for Professional WritingAmerican Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.ISBN-13: 978-1-4338-0561-5

ArticlesGood Internet access, MS Word, and Adobe Acrobat for pdf files.

NOTE: A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from a university-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

This course is a 100% online course via TAMUCT’s Blackboard Learn system (https://tamuct.blackboard.com). An online course offers great flexibility but only students with strong self-discipline can enjoy the benefit and succeed in passing the course . Students often find an online course more time consuming than a traditional face-to-face course. Specific guidelines for taking an

Instructor and Contact Information

Course Materials

Method of Instruction

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online course using TAMUCT’s Blackboard classroom are available under the “Distance Learning” tab on the left-hand panel. Tutorials for using Blackboard can be found under the “Student Resources” tab. Note: Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement or deadline – make sure your computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines.

Course Management

Technology Issues & TroubleshootingFor technological or computer issues, students should contact Help Desk Central. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:Email: helpdesk@tamu.edu Phone: (254) 519-5466Web Chat: http://hdc.tamu.edu

When calling for support please let your support technician know you are a TAMUCT student. Professor Noelting should be consulted via the “Course Q and A” discussion forum or messages for course issues (NOT technology issues--they should be directed to the Help Desk).

UNILERTThe Emergency Warning System for Texas A&M University – Central Texas (UNILERT) is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central Texas the ability to communicate health and safety emergency information quickly via email, text message, and social media. All students are automatically enrolled in UNILERT through their myCT email account. Students can connect at www.TAMUCT.edu/UNILERT to change where they receive alerts or to opt out. By staying enrolled in UNILERT, university officials can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of one’s location.

Course Description: Broad coverage of key concepts and issues in the 21st century global business environment. Emphasis on the political, financial, cultural, regulatory effects on the operations of businesses operating in a global environment.

Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are to increase the student's understanding of both the complexity and the continuously evolving nature of Global Business. To accomplished these objectives, course discussions and activities focus on global business issues such as the role of trade, investment liberalization, economic integration, the multinational enterprise, and the influence of cultural, social, religious, economic, political, geographic, philosophical, and environmental forces on the competitiveness of an international business.

At the conclusion of the course the student will be able to:

1 Develop cross-cultural sensitivity to interact with individuals from different cultures in a business setting.

2 Analyze the cultural, legal, political, and economic forces of international business environment.3 Understand specific trade and investment theories.4 Understand the impact of government intervention and trade agreements on global business

decisions.5 Explain the reasons and methods of entering international business through foreign markets and

through domestic import/export markets.6 Select appropriate entry modes and business organization models to match strategic international

business marketing and/or production objectives.

Course Description and Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes

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7 Apply basic marketing, management, and human resource principles to doing business in various countries.

Objectives Disclaimer: The above are simply the main focus areas, but they are by no means the only areas where assignment or exam questions may come from. All material in the text, lectures, videos, and articles posted on Blackboard are fair game. The in-class lectures are beneficial for both general knowledge and also for assignment, discussion, and exam success.

Grading Criteria and Conversion to Letter Grade:

Final grades will be calculated using a traditional scale (90% A = Excellent, 80% B = Good, 70% C = Acceptable, 60% D = Needs improvement, 59% and below F = Unacceptable).

The assessments below will measure the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) stated above that correspond to the material covered in that assignment or exam. In some instances, a particular outcome may be assessed by multiple methods, for example, homework and an exam question.

Syllabus Quiz (5 points): Please complete the syllabus quiz to understand both the structure and content of this course.

Student Profile and Course Agreement-Meet and Greet! (10 points): To earn the full credit of this assignment, you are required to post your information on the discussion board under “Meet and Greet” Monday, June 13th by 23:59 via the assignment link provided under the Assignments folder. This assignment facilitates the mastery of Course Outcome # 1. Please see Appendix A at the end of the syllabus for the details of completing this assignment.

Weekly Discussion Board Assignments (DQs) – 100 (20 points each): It is imperative for you to keep up with the course schedule in an online course by consistently and actively participating in class discussions via the Discussion Board Assignments. Please see Appendix C at the end of this syllabus for the assignment rubric. You will select one of the provided discussion questions in each designated learning week. Discussion question responses should be at between 150-300 words. Post discussion question responses in the Discussion Questions forum in the threads provided. To respond, highlight the appropriate thread, click on Reply, type your response, and send. Please do not start a new thread for the weekly discussion questions in the Discussions Questions forum. Discussions facilitate the mastery of all Course Outcomes.

I expect your discussion question responses to reflect critical thought. For each discussion question, cite at least one reference supporting your answer. References may include the course’s current textbooks and articles from the Texas A&M University – Central Texas online library. Please make sure to proofread carefully. Grammar and spelling errors may affect other students’ understanding. References and citations

Grading Information

Course Requirements

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1. Syllabus Quiz 5 Points2. Student Profile and Course Agreement 10 Points3. Group contract/Country Selection 40 Points4. Discussion Board Assignments (5 @ 20) 100 Points5. Participation Discussion Board (10 @ 10) 100 Points6. Exams (3@100 points) 300 Points7. Country Research Assignments (4 @ 60) 240 Points8. Country Project (Written & Presentation) 200 Points9. Peer Evaluation 5 Points

Grade Base is 1000 Points

must also be formatted according to APA. See Schedule below for due dates.

Participation (10 points per participation question):

Participation is only counted in the Participation forum (Participation Discussion Thread). This is a required part of your grade. Participation consists of messages you post above and beyond graded assignments (i.e. discussion question answers are not considered participation). Participation consists of new ideas, perspectives, on-point follow-up questions that I post, etc. Participation must relate to the weekly learning topics (see the instructor notes for the week). Responses to other students’ answers to a discussion question will count towards the class participation requirement. However, the discussions regarding the DQs must be “brought” to the Participation Discussion Thread. Participation is not restating the definitions of concepts from the text. However, participation may include the restatement, if the student also discusses an application of the concept. Participation facilitates the mastery of assignments and thus, all course outcomes. Please see Appendix C at the end of this syllabus for the assignment rubric.

You will find it is much easier to keep up with an online class when you are logging in and participating regularly. Please note that both quantity and quality are important considerations when participating. A post like "I agree" does not constitute participation because it does not add anything of substance to the discussion. Note too that all of your participation posts must be supported from academically sound sources accompanied by an in-text citation crediting a source (paraphrasing, quoting, or summarizing the source), and a list of references at the end of your post. Reference lists and in-text citations must be formatted according to APA. The length of a participatory post should be between 100 – 250 words. See Schedule below for due dates.

Examinations (300 points): There are three multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in the-blank, and short answer examinations during the semester. All examinations are non-cumulative—each exam will include only materials covered in prior sections of the course. Exams facilitate the assessment of one’s mastery of all Course Outcomes.

Exams will be closed book and closed notes. You are on your honor. See Schedule below for due dates.

Group Contract/Country Selection (40 points): The contract is designed facilitate the sharing of each group member’s expectations in regard to group work generally and for each group assignment. An outline of the formalized, written group contract you should use is provided in the Appendix B . Your group should structure the group contract so as to ensure each group member’s commitment and contribution to the group work on the cultural research assignments, presentation, and written proposal.

Second, each group will select one country from emerging markets to research, create a product entry proposal, and class presentation thereof. Your contract should reflect the country chosen by the group.

The group is required to submit the written contract as well as the documentation of the group interaction. It can be a picture of face-to-face group meeting, a chat record or recording of a Blackboard Collaborate meeting, or other means. Assignment details for the group’s country selection are attached in the assignment link on the Blackboard. The group contract and country selection are Monday, June 20 th by 23:59.

Country Research I-IV assignments (240 points): Four country research assignments are scheduled in the course. Each group research assignment addresses a major section of the country project. These smaller group assignments are critical for your final successful group project as the instructor will give you specific feedback on the points of discussion. Assignment details concerning the country project research assignment can be found in Appendix D at the end of this syllabus, and in the Blackboard classroom (click on assignments). These research assignments are the foundation for the Country Project Written Proposal and thus facilitate the mastery of all Course Outcomes.

Group members should work individually – according to the group contract - to research the country and then as a group share the individual responses to the listed discussion questions in order to complete each country research assignment in a manner reflecting group member’s contributions. Initial deadlines should be established in the group contract outlining member work due dates, in order that each group research

assignment is submitted on time.

A common procedure for completing country research assignments is for group members to divide up the questions and each group member can do independent research and information entry. Then all group members can pitch in to edit the researched info. In the group contract, you are advised to specify the question each individual is going to take on and an individual who is in charge of the final submission of the final group work. Your group is free to choose to share the researched information using various group tools, such as file exchange, group wiki, discussion board, etc. Once the information is shared, all group members are responsible for critically synthesizing the information compiled as the final submission. The group member who is in charge of the final submission has the right to demand corporation from all group members to work with the deadline.

Except for correctly crediting the sources and a coherent and complete discussion of the research questions, specific formatting of the group research assignment is not required. In other words, you can submit the document using the list of questions and responses. When submitting each cultural research assignment, you will specify the names of the group members who contribute to the assignments.

Even though the country research assignment grades will be based on overall group performance, individual members who do not participate in any information entry and/or editing will receive a zero grade on the assignment. See Schedule below for Country Research due dates.

Group Work : Country Project Written Proposal and Presentation

I will assign you into a group at the start of the third week, based on the composition of the class members. The goal is for you to work with people from diverse background and you will work together towards the final country proposal and presentation. The country project is designed for group members to share and challenge each other when analyzing the research on a given country. Note that I will not re-assign individuals to a different group after the initial assignment has been made. It is the group’s responsibility to work together because it is a great way to develop workplace skills like diversity awareness, and communication and collaboration skills at a distance, with people from different backgrounds.

Firing Policy : Students desiring guidance on working with group members are welcome to ask me for advice. If group members are unable to work together, they have the right to fire themselves or another group member(s) from their group. In this case, the fired individual(s) must complete a different country proposal project individually, with the same specifications described above. Fired individual(s) should email me about being fired so that I can provide them with a different country to research individually. I recommend that you consider the firing option as the last resort, since an individual country project usually scores lower than a group’s work.

Country Project Written Proposal (100 points)

Each group will select one country from emerging country/markets to research. For that country, your group will survey the socio-cultural, economic (specifically including the trade and monetary environment), political & legal, and technical environments. Using the information from this survey, each group is expected to outline the challenges and opportunities of conducting business in the country, and then provide guidelines for a successful international business product launch in the country based on the group’s survey and research about the country as well as international business principles. Your guidelines should not be such that they could apply to any country – the guidelines must be tailored to and for the country that the group chose to research. Note: This is a key point that many students forget.

The written proposal should include the following major topics (also reference the outline attached in the appendix) and conform to the grade rubric which describes how the following should be completed for each grade level:

1 An introduction summarizing the country details important to your proposal - history, climate, etc.

2 An analysis of the socio-cultural (esp. cultural determinants, cultural dimensions, business etiquette), economic (esp. trade and monetary), political–legal, and technical environments.

3 A discussion of the challenges and opportunities of doing business in the country (your discussion should integrate information from your country research as well as from other parts of your written proposal).

4 A (new) product proposal outlining how the product will be introduced to the country, and explaining how your proposal will be profitable, sustainable and beneficial to the country.

Your research must include at least 10 references (2 peer-reviewed journals, 2 academically-sound journals or magazines, 3 well-reputed Internet articles, and 3-4 books (web-download in lieu of a book is not acceptable) and all references must be used [and cited] in the body of your written paper, using APA citation style. Using times new roman size 12-font, your group proposal must be 12 typed, double-spaced pages (not including the cover page, TOC, and reference list page, and also excluding any appendices of attached data/material for the key figures, charts, etc. used in your paper. Your proposal, in-text citations, and list of references should conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style rules. Assignment details concerning the Country Project Written Assignment can be found in Appendix E at the end of this syllabus, and in the Blackboard classroom under the Assignments folder. This assignment facilitates the mastery of all Course Outcomes. All groups will post their written proposal in the assignment folder Tuesday, July 26th by 23:59.

Country Project Group Presentation (100 points)

Each group will present a brief summary of its findings, including all group members in the presentation. Group presentations should be 15 minutes in length and should cover key points. It is not necessary to present everything in your proposals: you should focus on a sub-sample of the most interesting and relevant points of each section of the proposal and include major challenges and opportunities as well as recommendations for successful international business product launches in the country.

Creativity is encouraged in all presentations. You may wish to consider using role plays, mock business meetings, interview formats, or other devices to maintain interest. At the minimum level, a set of slides with voice over the slides should be put together as a group. Country project presentation details are presented in Appendix F and in the Blackboard classroom under the Assignments folder. This assignment facilitates the mastery of Course Outcomes # 1 and 7. All group must post their presentation on the discussion board set up for this purpose Sunday July 24 by 23:59.

Peer Evaluations (5 points): By the time the group is ready to submit the final country proposal presentation, all group members need to fill out the evaluation for the rest of the group members before I can post the final country project grade for group members. The evaluation is based on a 4-point scale. Individuals need to have an average rating of above 2.5 to be able to receive the full group grade. When an individual has an average rating of below 2.5 and above 1.5 from other group members, the individual will receive 60% of the group grade. If an individual receives an average rating below 1.5, the individual will receive zero on the country project.

Late Assignments will be reduced by 10% of the total point value for the assignment per day, unless prior coordination is conducted with the instructor. Late assignments will not be accepted after the third day (weekend days are included).

Written Assignments: All written assignments will adhere to the American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual requirements. Students will submit the country research assignments, the written proposal, and presentation to the Turnitin plagiarism checking service through the link provided in the Blackboard Classroom prior to submitting the assignment to your assignment folder in Blackboard.

o Submit your assignments under the correct assignment in Blackboard and then log off the web site.o Return to the web site after 10-45 minutes (time varies based on the size of the paper and program

usage).o Check your Similarity Index, both color (should be green) and number.o The ideal index is between <1% and 0% (Correct and resubmit as needed).o Essays and research projects with 5% or less will be accepted for grading, all others will be returned

for revision and will be counted late (see late assignments statement).

o Consider your assignment turned in (once submitted to TURNITIN) when the due date/time has passed. Note: I will not download the assignments from TURNITIN.

o Save the Turnitin Report as a Word file. Submit it with your assignment in Blackboard to your assignment folder (for group work, to the group assignment folder).

o Any assignment with 20% or more similarity will earn the grade of zero (0). o Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. Review the academic honesty policy below.o Recycling assignments from previous courses is not allowed.

NOTE: If you submit your paper to TURNITIN multiple times, the processing delays for the second and subsequent submissions will be between 24-48 hours, for each submission - plan accordingly.

Drop PolicyIf you discover that you need to drop this course, you must go to the Records Office and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always the responsibility of the student. The record’s office will give a deadline for which the form must be returned completely signed. Once you return the signed form to the records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into WarriorWeb and confirm that you are no longer enrolled. If WarriorWeb reflects that you are still enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office immediately. You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid penalty for absence. Should you miss the deadline to fail to follow this procedure, you will receive an “F” in the course.

Academic Honesty (Texas A&M University-Central Texas Catalog)Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of honor in personal and scholarly conduct. Any deviation from this expectation may result in a minimum of a failing grade for the assignment and potentially a failing grade for the course. All academic dishonesty concerns will be reported to the university's Office of Student Conduct. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism and improper citation of sources, using another student's work, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. When in doubt on collaboration, citation, or any issue, please contact me before taking a course of action. More information can be found at: http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/studentconduct/academicintegrity.php

Any violation of academic integrity, such as copying the existing work and submitting as your own work, will result in a zero grade on the assignment and be reported to the university's Office of Student Conduct.

Library ServicesLibrary distance education services aims to make available quality assistance to A&M-Central Texas students seeking information sources remotely by providing digital reference, online information literacy tutorials, and digital research materials. Much of the TAMUCT collection is available instantly from home. This includes over half of the library's book collection, as well as approximately 25,000 electronic journals and 200 online databases. Library Distance Education Services are outlined and accessed at: http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/library/deservices.php

Information literacy focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and work in an information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the development of critical reasoning, ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques. Help may include, but is not limited to: the exploration of information resources such as library collections, the identification of appropriate materials, and the execution of effective search strategies. Library Resources are outlined and accessed at: http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/library/index.php

The University Writing Center The University Writing Center at Texas A&M University-Central Texas is a free workspace open to all TAMUCT students. The UWC is located in 416 Warrior Hall. The center is open 1pm-6pm Monday-

TAMU-CT PoliciesTAMU-CT PoliciesTAMU-CT PoliciesTAMU-CT PoliciesTAMU-CT PoliciesTAMU-CT PoliciesTAMU-CT Policies

Thursday during the summer semester. Students may work independently in the UWC by checking out a laptop that runs the Microsoft Office suite and connects to WIFI, or by consulting our resources on writing, including all of the relevant style guides. Students may also arrange a one-on-one session with a trained and experienced writing tutor. Tutorials can be arranged by visiting the UWC. Tutors are prepared to help writers of all levels and abilities at any stage of the writing process. Sessions typically last between 20-30 minutes. While tutors will not write, edit, or grade papers, they will help students develop more effective invention and revision strategies.

Disability Support & Access ServicesThe Office of Disability Support and Access is responsible for ensuring that students with a disability enjoy equal access to the University’s programs, services and activities. We are committed to promoting the full participation of all students with a disability in every aspect of University life. This is achieved through advocacy, growing universal access, and collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. We believe that every student should have an equal chance to succeed and has the right to an education that is barrier-free. Services and Resources We Provide include: Accommodations Counseling and Coordination, Auxiliary Aids and Equipment, Accessibility Training and Information, Assistive Technology, Universal Design Training and Information, Community Resources Information and Referral, Disability Rights and Responsibilities Counseling, Faculty Support Some aspects of this course or the way the course is taught may present barriers to learning due to a disability. If you feel this is the case, please contact Disability Support and Access at (254) 501- 5831 in Warrior Hall, Ste. 212. For more information, please visit their website at: www.tamuct.edu/disabilitysupport. Any information you provide is private and confidential and will be treated as such.

TutoringTutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing. Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Warrior Hall, Room 111. Visit www.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and contact info. If you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic Support Programs at 254-501-5830 or by emailing tutoring@ct.tamus.edu.

Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on your computer! Tutor.com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support. This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To access Tutor.com, log into your Blackboard account and click "Online Tutoring."

Tentative Course ScheduleThe course schedule on the next page is provided to assist you in keeping up to date in your studies and in completion of your assignments. Note that changes to this schedule and to assignments could occur during the semester. I will let you know as far in advance as possible about any changes.

GBK 344.135 Tentative Course Schedule*

Week Dates Activity Subject Assignment** Due Dates (23:59 CT)

1 June 6 - 13

INTRO

Chapter 1 & 2

Course Syllabus Globalization

Cross-cultural Business

DQ 1 & 2 due on June 12 by 23:59

Participation 1 & 2 due on June 12 by 23:59

Student Profile and Course Agreement due on June 13 by 23:59

2 June 14 - 20 Chapter 3 & 4Politics, Law, & Business Ethics

Economics & Emerging Markets

DQ 3 & 4 due on June 19 by 23:59

Participation 3 & 4 due on June 19 by 23:59

Group contract and country selection due on June 20 by 23:59

3 June 21 - 27Exam 1

Chapter 5 & 6

Chapter 1-4: Exam window opens Tuesday at 17:00

International Trade

Business-government Relations

Exam 1 due Thursday June 23 by 23:59

DQ 5 due on June 26 by 23:59

Participation 5 due on June 26 by 23:59

Country Research I on Trade Environment due on June 27 by 23:59

4 June 28 – July 4***

Chapter 9

Chapter 16

International Financial Market

Hiring and Managing Employees

Participation 6 due on July 3 by 23:59

Country Research II on Monetary Environment due on July 5 by 23:59

5 July 5 - 11 Exam 2

Chapters 11 & 12

Chapter 5,6,9, 16: Exam window opens Tuesday at 17:00International Strategy and OrganizationAnalyzing International Opportunities

Participation 7 due on July 10 by 23:59

Country Research III on International Opportunity due on July 11 by 23:59

6 July 12 - 18 Chapter 13 & 14Selecting and Managing Entry Modes

Developing and Marketing Products

Participation 8 due on July 17 by 23:59

Country Research IV on Entry Strategy due on Sunday July 18 by 23:59

7 July 19 - 25Exam 3

Chapter 11-14: Exam window opens Tuesday at 17:00

Country Project Rehearsal

Exam 3 due Thursday July 21 by 23:59

Participation 9 & 10 due on July 24 by 23:5

Presentation must be posted by Sunday July 24 by 23:59

8 July 26 - 29

Country Project Presentation discussion

Country Project Written Proposal

Written Report due Tuesday July 26 by 23:59

Peer Evaluation Form is due Friday July 29 by 23:59

Post-Course

nlt Aug. 2 Grades posted Have you registered for Fall Semester 2016 classes?

* The schedule is tentative, but any changes will be announced in advance to students.

** Click on Course Content to find discussion, participation, and assignment details in Blackboard (on your left menu).

*** There are no required posts on July 4th.

Appendix A Student Profile and Course Agreement *

Introduce yourself to the class by sharing the following information on the Discussion Board “Meet and Greet!” in our Blackboard Classroom.

1. General Informationa. Hometown, year of undergraduate program and major

2. Work experiencea. Past work experience that is relevant to what you are doing nowb. Current employer, position, and length of employment

3. International experiencea. Study abroad, travel, foreign station, etc.

4. Goals for taking this coursea. What are your expectations about taking this course?b. How is this course related to your academic goal and career goal?

5. Anything else you would like to share with the class?

Read the following statement carefully and type your name as your “signature”/date your agreement. Append the following statement in the end of your posting.

“I have read the Syllabus and understand the course expectations, assignments and associated deadlines for GBK344-135. I understand it is a 100% online class, and that I must be self- disciplined to be successful. I will try my best to be part of the positive learning community in this virtual classroom by adhering to the netiquette and showing support towards my student colleagues. I understand that there is extensive group work in this course. I will put in my best effort to contribute to the group assignments and complete the assignments on time. I will also hold myself to a high standard of ethics in all assignments and examination in this course.”

Finally, I have the computer set-up at my disposal to undertake a 100% online class on the TAMUCT Blackboard system.”

Name Date

* Due Monday, June 13th by midnight

Appendix B Group contract

GROUP CONTRACT

Group name: _____________________________________________

In this class, group work is for the purpose of facilitating the country project - a project, in which you will work as a group to study an emerging economy and propose a product or service, for market entry. The group contract is designed to formalize group members’ expectations in regard to group work. Such formalization is similar to the business world, which relies on contracts to enforce agreed upon behaviors. An additional purpose of the group contract is to promote and enforce academic integrity among all group members.   

What follows are the steps you need to take in order to create a group contract which fairly allocates group work, group roles, group processes, rules, and consequences when a group member fails to abide by the contract.

First, your group will select a group name that is best representative of your group spirit; and a country to research (only emerging country economies, please). Second, all group members will supply their detailed contact information. A phone number and a reliable email address are mandatory information. Other contact information may also be shared - your group can decide if you want to use other forms of social media for communication, such as Facebook or Twitter, for example. Third, the group must decide how to meet the deadline for all the group tasks needed to complete each group assignment (assignment due dates listed in the syllabus are firm deadlines). You will need to discuss what group roles are needed, what processes are needed, and what rules are needed to enforce what the group has agreed to. For example, to help group members avoid procrastination, the group may want to establish an earlier due date for individual completion of the assigned tasks, giving the group some time to review the work and edit prior to the due date stated in the syllabus. Fourth, your group will discuss a list of expected behaviors (see below) for group members to assure courteous interaction.

If group members do not follow the contract, group members have the right to warn that group member of their need to contribute. If not, with the instructor’s permission, the group member can be barred from participating in the group's work. This can result a grade of "F" for the non-conforming group member.

When the contract is typed up by a group member, all members electronically sign it, keep a copy and email the instructor a copy. I will periodically check in with the group and see how well the contract is being fulfilled. The group contract and country selection are due on Monday June 20, by 23:59. Submit to your group assignment area AND send me a courtesy copy via course messaging.

Behavior and Expectations

(The behaviors listed below are for illustration. Your group needs to list detailed expectations and consider a Plan B)As a group member, I             agree with the following listed roles and expectations (see Work Tableon next page) in order to ensure group coordination, a smooth work process, and excellent group work product.

-Everyone needs to participate and communicate.-Help other group members if they are struggling with something.-Group members have the right by consensus to approach a group member who is not participating and ask them to leave the group at his/her loss.

I assume the responsibility for doing my task in the project and fulfilling the responsibilities assigned to my role in the group.

Electronic Signatures and Date____________________________________________________________________

Group member information

Group member full name

Preferred name

Phone Email Study schedule (designated time to study for this class)

Preferred time for group coordination

Preferred media for communication

                                                    

 

Work Table

Tasks Due Date Individual completion date

Role (examples below)

Group members

Country Selection (due with this contract) June 20Plan B (due with this contract)  June 20      Country research I on Trade Environment June 27   Research,

etc. 

Country research II on Monetary Environment

July 5   Writing, etc.

 

Country research III on International Opportunity

July11   Writing final version, etc., etc.

 

Country research IV on Entry Strategy July 18   Final editing, etc.

 

Group presentation July 24   Presentation roles, etc.

 

Written Report July 26   final submission, etc.

 

(Note that the roles listed in the table are only for illustration and your group should discuss how you will proceed with the group work and who are responsible for each role)

For the final country project, you will be working in a group to discuss the major challenges and opportunities in an emerging economy. You will be outlining the macro environmental analysis, including the political, legal, technological, economic, and cultural environments, and propose a product to enter the emerging economy.

For the group contract, your group needs to formalize the behavioral expectation of group work.

For the country selection, you will list three choices of emerging markets, and give me brief rationale of each, indicating your preference (of the three).

I reserve final approval of your choice, but generally unless you are way out of the ballpark, I accept your choice.

The detailed description of both group contract and country selection is attached in the Learning Week 4 folder.

The group contract and country selection are due on Monday, June 20 by 23:59.

Appendix C: Discussion Board Questions & Participation Rubric*

CriteriaUnsatisfactory

Below 70%

Progressing

70-84%

Satisfactory

85-100%

Discussion word count

Weight 25.00%

Discussion is less than 100 words.

Discussion is between 100-150 words.

Discussion is between 150-300 words.

Posting content

Weight 40.00%

Post is missing significant portions of assignment.

Post adequate with only superficial thought, or small part missing; limited application of concepts.

Post addresses all aspects of assignment with concepts fully developed and applied.

Clarity and

Mechanics

Weight 15.00%

Writing is extremely confusing with multiple grammar, punctuation, usage and/or mechanical issues.

Writing is clear but there are multiple grammar, punctuation, usage and/or mechanical issues.

Writing is clear, with no grammar, punctuation, usage, or mechanical errors.

Citations

Weight 15.00%

No credible sources used and cited beyond text.

Information used not attributed to its source and/or citations do not adhere to the required APA citation style.

No credible sources used and cited beyond text.

Information used mostly attributed to its source and citations mostly adhere to the required APA citation style.

Credible sources beyond text used and cited - no questionable sources used.

Information used is correctly attributed to its source and citations correctly adhere to the required APA citation style

Netiquette Rules

Followed Weight 5.00%

Two or more netiquette issues

Only one netiquette issue All netiquette rules followed

* Discussion questions and participation are due on Sundays (not Mondays).

Appendix D Country Research Assignments & Grade Rubric

You will, as a group, complete four research assignments (240 points (60 each)).Each group research assignment addresses a major section of the country project. These smaller group assignments are critical for your final successful group project as the instructor will give you specific feedback on the points of discussion. Group members may work individually to research the country and share the responses to the listed discussion questions according to the deadline agreed in the group contract. Your group is free to choose to share the researched information using various group tools, such as file exchange, group wiki, discussion board, etc. Once the information is shared, all group members are responsible for critically synthesizing the information compiled as the final submission. The group member who is in charge of the final submission has the right to demand cooperation from all group members to submit work by the deadline.

Except for correctly crediting the sources, the formatting of the group research assignment is not required. In other words, you can submit the document using the list of questions and responses.

Note that group research assignment grades will be based on overall group performance. However, individual members who do not participate in any information entry and/or editing will receive a zero grade on the assignment. When submitting your group work, you will specify the names of the group members who contribute to the assignments.

Country Research Assignment I Trade environment analysis

For the country your group is researching, how important is trade (e.g. what's the trade as a percentage of GDP for the country)?

What products and services does the country export and import? With whom does the country trade? Is it dependent on any particular nation for trade, or does another nation

depend on it? Does the country only trade with high-income countries or with low- and middle-income countries, as well?

Is there a concerted effort by the government to promote exports to stimulate the economy? Are there any trading policies favorable for US business investors?

Country Research Assignment II Monetary environment analysis

For the country your group is researching, Does it have a city that is an important financial center? What volume of bonds is traded on the country’s

bond market? How has the stock market(s) performed over the past year? What is the current exchange rate between its currency and the U.S. dollars as of the beginning of this

month? Use the country's currency as the base currency to report a direct quote of the country's currency.

What is the percentage of change in exchange rates compared to last month and last year? Reference the Appendix in Chapter 9 (p.248) for the calculation of the percent change in exchange rates. Your task is to determine the percentage of change in the country's currency over one month and one year period - in relation to the U.S. dollar. Show the calculation in your assignment submission.

Is there any restriction on the exchange of the country’s currency?

Country Research Assignment III International opportunity

1. Outline your group's analysis of the opportunities and challenges raised by investing in the country. What major challenges exist for US business investors doing business in the country, given risks

in the 1) socio-cultural, 2) economic/monetary, 3) political/legal environment, and 4) technical environment?

What are the major opportunities for US businesses investing in the country?2. Propose a product (good or service) for launch in the country, being sure to thoroughly explain with

supported arguments: How the product proposal takes advantage of the opportunity presented in the country. Use the

market-potential indicators to estimate the market demand for your product Who are the current major competitors in the country? What competitive advantages do you have vis-

a-vis these major players in the country?

Why the product can be successfully launched in the country given the opportunities and challenges raised in your analysis of the country’s various environments?

Country Research Assignment IV Entry Strategy Considering the 1) production and 2) marketing requirements for a successful launch of the product

in the country, what are your major advantages and disadvantage as a US business investor? Identify an ideal entry mode and explain how this entry mode can best leverage your advantage and

disadvantages as a US business investor. Reference Chapter 14, what aspects of host country culture do you expect to influence your promotion

strategy? How will you tailor your promotion strategy accordingly? Reference page 362 regarding the five types of communication strategy (i.e. production/communication

extension, product extension/communication adaptation, product adaptation/communication extension, product/communications adaptation, product invention). Which strategy will you use in the host market and why?

Country Research Assignment Rubric

CriteriaUnsatisfactory

0-69%

Progressing

70-84%

Satisfactory

85-100%

IndividualWork submittedWeight 20.00%

No work submitted.

Some work submitted. All work submitted.

Content Weight 50.00%

Assignment is missing significant portions of assignment.

Assignment adequate with only minor parts missing and/or limited application.

Post addresses all aspects of assignment with full application of concepts.

Clarity and MechanicsWeight 15.00%

Writing not clear. Multiple grammatical issues.

Writing is clear but multiple grammatical issues.

Writing is clear, with no grammatical errors.

CitationsWeight 15.00%

No credible sources used and cited beyond text.Information used not attributed to its source and/or citations do not adhere to the required APA citation style.

Two or more non-credible sources used and cited beyond text.Information used mostly attributed to its source and citations mostly adhere to the required APA citation style.

Credible sources beyond text used and cited - no questionable sources used.Information used is correctly attributed to its source and citations correctly adhere to the required APA citation style

Appendix E Country Written Project, Sample Outline, and Grade Rubric

Written Project (100 points):Each group will select one country from emerging markets to research. For that country, your group will

survey the political, economic, legal, cultural, trade, and monetary environment. Then, each group is expected to synthesize the researched country information and outline the challenges and opportunities of conducting business in the country. Further, based on the opportunity presented in the country, your group will propose a product or service to enter the country and discuss ways to mitigate potential threats in the target country.

Major topics for your report are listed below (See Appendix A for a potential outline):

1. Introduction (a short summary of history, climate, etc.) 2. Political and Legal Environment 3. Economic, Trade and Monetary Environment 4. Cultural Analysis (cultural determinants, cultural dimensions, business etiquette) 5. Outline of challenges and opportunities of doing business in the country (i.e. analysis and integration of information from other parts of the paper and other country data) 6. Propose a product or service to enter the country. Explain how your proposal will be profitable, sustainable and beneficial for the local community.

Due date: The country project written proposal is due by midnight of July 26 th (Tuesday). Each group will post to its group assignment area.

Sample Outline for written proposal:

I. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Include a list of any appendixes also.

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Short and concise. A broad overview of the country and the proposed product for entry. Not over 2 pages. Cover the principal points of the report, (prepare your summary after your plan has been written)

III. COUNTRY ANALYSIS:A. Socio-cultural environmental analysis (cultural determinants, cultural dimensions, cultural norms)B. Economic environment (economic system, main products and services, economic risk)C. Monetary environment (currency system, currency risk)D. Trade environment (major exports/imports, main trading partners, regional economic

integration, tariff and trade barriers, government incentives for conducting business there)E. Political environment (political system, structure, political parties, political risk)F. Legal environment (legal system, legal issues in international business, legal risk)G. Technical environment (number of yearly patents granted, percentage of population with phone,

TV, and other modern means of electronic communication, existence of aerospace and aeronautical industry, geographical scope of domestic modern means of transportation).

VI. PROPOSAL FOR PRODUCT LAUNCH/ENTRY:A. Outline of challenges and opportunities of doing business in the country (i.e. analysis and

integration of information from country research and other parts of the paper).B. Propose a new product to launch in the country. Be specific concerning why what you see

in this country as an opportunity for the selected product.C. Entry strategy:

1. Selecting entry mode.2. Channels of distribution.3. Promotion methods.4. Etc.

VII. CONCLUSION

Country Project Written Report Grading Rubric

CriteriaUnsatisfactory(below 70%)

Partially proficient(70-79%)

Proficient(80-89%)

Exemplary (90-100%)

Content (35%) Information

presented for socio-cultural,

political/legal, economic/monet

ary/trade and technological

environments in the host country

Limited evidence of critical, balanced selection of information researched for country.

Central idea and clarity of purpose are absent or incompletely expressed and maintained

As much questionable research, as evidence of critical, balanced information researched for the country.

Central idea expressed though often vague or too broad; Some clarity of purpose in some sections of country information presented.

Evidence of critical, balanced information researched for the country outweighs questionable research.

Central idea and clarity of purpose are generally evident in most sections of country information presented.

Abundant evidence of critical, balanced information researched for all aspects of the country, including socio-cultural, political/legal, economic/monetary/trade, and technological environments in the host country.

Central idea is well developed and clarity of purpose is exhibited throughout all sections of country information presented.

Content (25%) Outline of

challenges and opportunities for investing in the country

No or limited discussion of opportunities or challenges or both in regard to the country research presented above.

There is no or limited discussion of your team’s home country specific concerns

Uneven discussion of the challenges and opportunities, in regard to some of the country research presented above.

There is some discussion of your team’s home country specific concerns

Sufficient discussion of the challenges and opportunities in regard to most of the country research presented above.

Sufficient discussion of your team’s home country specific concerns.

Thorough discussion of the challenges and opportunities in regard to all of the country research presented above.

Thorough and complete discussion of your team’s home country concerns.

Content (20%) Product/Service

proposal

The product/service introduced does not flow logically from the demands of the host market.

Formulation of entry/marketing/management strategy does not on the whole mitigate the challenges presented above.

There is no discussion of the benefit of the product/services for the local community in the host country.

The product/service introduced meets some demands of the host market.

Formulation of entry/marketing/management strategy mitigates some challenges presented above.

There is little discussion of the benefit of the product/services for the local community in the host country.

The product/service introduced meets most of the demands of the host market.

Formulation of entry/marketing/management strategy mitigates most challenges presented above.

There is some discussion of the benefit of the product/services for the local community in the host country.

The product/service introduced meets all of the demands of the host market.

An effective strategy for entry/marketing/management to mitigate the challenges presented above, is formulated.

There is substantial discussion of the benefit of the product/services for the local community in the host country.

Structure (10%) Organization Flow of

thought Transitions Format

There is no apparent organization to the paper.

Difficult to follow – flow of thought impeded by organization and/or frequent rereading needed

No or poor transitions

No or no apparent format

There is some level of organization though digressions, ambiguities, irrelevances are too many

Difficult to follow in some parts – Some rereading needed

Ineffective transitions

Rambling format

Paper has a clear organizational structure with some digressions, ambiguities or irrelevancies.

Mostly easy to follow

Basic transitions Structure format

Paper is logically organized - coherent and cogent.

Easily followed. Effective,

smooth, and logical transitions

Professional format

Grammar/punctuation, usage, and mechanics (5%)

Poor word structure, and/or

Many punctuation errors, and/or

Many mechanical errors, and /or

Awkward language usage.

Sufficient evidence of proper word structure (use of compound sentences), and

Many punctuation errors, and/or

Many mechanical errors, and /or

Awkward language usage.

Good word structure (uses complex sentences), and

Few punctuation, mechanical, and/or usage errors

Evidence of exceptional word structure (manipulates complex sentences for effect/impact), and

No punctuation, mechanical, or usage errors

Citations (5%) Proper

Attribution to avoid Plagiarism

Correct Form

No/little credit to author of information cited and/or

Citations do not adhere to the required APA citation style: in-text and/or in reference list

Some credit to author of information cited and/or

Citations infrequently adhere to the required APA citations style: in-text and/or in reference list

Credit to author(s) of information cited, given in most cases, and/or

Citations mostly adhere to the required APA citation style: in-text and/or in reference list

Information cited properly attributed to author(s), and

Citations completely adhere to the required APA citation style: in-text and/or in reference list

Appendix F Country Project Presentation and Grading Rubric

As a group you will present your group’s research findings in a presentation (100 points)

Each group will present a brief summary of its findings by July 24th (Sunday), including all group members in the presentation. Group presentations should be 15 minutes in length and should cover key points. It is not necessary to present everything in your papers: you should focus on a sub-sample of the most interesting and relevant points of each section of the paper and include major challenges and opportunities as well as recommendations for a successful business venture in the country. Post your presentation on the class discussion board set up for this purpose.

Creativity is encouraged in the presentations. You may wish to consider using role plays, mock business meetings, interview formats, or other devices to maintain interest.

To prepare for the group presentation, you can divide up the sections for group members to work on different parts. However, the coordination and integration of the information across all sections is important to produce a coherent and concise report. In addition, your analysis for previous group research assignments should be included in the report. Please note that some past groups downplayed the importance of cultural analysis, because there were no given group discussion assignment. This could be the major reason for your group to receive less satisfying grade. The approach of cultural comparison utilized in your cultural interview summary should be also informative for your country report. Both cultural analysis and political/legal environment analysis are required sections in your final country report.

I understand it can be challenging to put together a group presentation, given group members’ schedule conflicts particularly in an online course. However, developing such capability is going to enhance your competitiveness of working in a global business setting. You can arrange a time for all group members to physically meet and record the presentation together. The study rooms in the Library at Killeen campus have very nice facilities for this purpose. Alternatively, you can arrange a time to meet on Collaborate (Skype or Hangout offered by Google) to present and record the presentation together. If it is not feasible to find a common time to meet, you can consider record the presentation individually and then piece them together as a group presentation, using various conferencing tools, such as Collaborate, Skype and Hangout offered by Google. Some groups in the past have relied on one or two individual group members to narrate the entire presentation. This is an acceptable approach but is not encouraged because I'd like for you all to have the opportunity to practice presentation skills. In an online course, a set of voice-over slides meet the required minimum level of communication intensity for the assignment of group presentation.

After posting your presentation, please comment on other team’s presentations, by Friday, July 29th – midnight.

Country Project Presentation Grade RubricElement Unsatisfactory

(below 70%) Partially Proficient

(70-79%) Proficient(80-89%)

Exemplary(90-100%)

Content(50%)

The content lacks a clear point of view and logical sequence of information.Includes little persuasive information, questionable sources, and only one or two facts about the topic, and Information is incomplete, out of date and/or incorrect

The content is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose. Sequencing of ideas is often unclear and/or incorrect.Includes some persuasive information with few facts, and some questionable sources.Information cited does not always support ideas and point of view and/or is out of date and incorrect.

The content is mostly written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting factual information. Sequencing of ideas is clear.Includes persuasive information from reliable sources.Information supports ideas and point of view, and is correct and timely.

The content is written clearly and concisely with a coherent and cogent progression of ideas and supporting information is persuasive and reliable.The project includes motivating questions and advanced organizers.

Organization(20%)

The structure and sequencing is unclear and does not appear interesting or relevant to the audience.

Some structure but does not create a strong sense of what is to follow or is hard to follow. May be overly detailed or incomplete and is somewhat appealing to the audience.

Students structure relevant information in logical and interesting sequence which the audience can most often follow.

Students structure information in logical, interesting, and compelling sequence, which audience can follow.

Text(10%)

The text is extremely difficult to read with long blocks of text and small point size of fonts, inappropriate contrasting colors, poor use of headings, subheadings, indentations, or bold formatting.

Overall readability is difficult with lengthy paragraphs, too many different fonts, dark or busy background, overuse of bold or lack of appropriate indentations of text.

Sometimes the fonts are easy-to-read, but in a few places the use of fonts, italics, bold, long paragraphs, color or busy background detracts and does not enhance readability. Text is appropriate in length for the target audience and to the point.

The fonts are easy-to-read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text. Use of italics, bold, and indentations enhances readability. Text is appropriate in length for the target audience and to the point. The background and colors enhance the readability of text.

Writing: Grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and usage.(10%)

Mechanical errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, language usage and grammar repeatedly distract the reader and major editing and revision is required. (5+ errors)

Mechanical errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors distract or impair readability.(3 or more errors)

The text is clearly written with little or no editing required for grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and usage.

The text is written with no errors in grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and usage.

Citations(5%)

No way to check validity of information, and/or most

Some information, is not documented and some

Most sources of information use proper citation format,

Sources of information are

sources do not conform to proper citation format.

sources do not include proper citation format.

and sources used are documented to make it possible to check on the accuracy of information.

properly cited and the audience can determine the credibility and authority of the information presented. All sources of information are clearly identified and credited using appropriate citation format.

Graphics, Sound and/or Animation(5%)

The graphics, sounds, and/or animations are unrelated to the content. Graphics do not enhance understanding of the content, or are distracting decorations that create a busy feeling and detract from the content.

Some of the graphics, sounds, and/or animations seem unrelated to the topic/theme and do not enhance the overall concepts.Images are too large/small in size. Images are poorly cropped or the color/resolution is fuzzy.

The graphics, sound/and or animation visually depict material and assist the audience in understanding the flow of information or content.Images are proper size, resolution.

The graphics, sound and/or animation assist in presenting an overall theme and enhance understanding of concept, ideas and relationships. Original images are created using proper size and resolution, and all images enhance the content.There is a consistent visual theme.