Select one (1) global industry, such as the automobile or cell phone industry. Next, use the Internet to research three (3) major international competitors within the chosen industry. Take note of manner in which the popular international business press (e.g., newspapers, magazines, e-zines, press releases, etc.) depicts the selected companies.

Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you:

1. Compare and contrast the three (3) models of culture. Next, select one (1) of the researched international competitors, and ascertain the model of culture that is most appropriate for the selected international competitor. Provide a rationale for your response.
2. Recommend the type of economic system that best relates to each of the researched international competitors. Predict three (3) potential effects of such an economic system on the societies in which the system is involved. Provide a rationale for your response.
3. Speculate on the major reasons why certain countries have lagged behind other countries in economic development. Recommend three (3) generic actions that the three (3) researched major competitors could take in order to encourage economic progress within these countries. Provide a rationale for your response.

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It is widely known that Knowledge Management Systems are the key to success in multinational companies. Imagine that you are a Vice President of a company that is ramping up to go global.
Please choose one (1) of the following industries for the purposes of this assignment:

• Jewelry
• Fashion / Apparel
• Chemicals
• Consumer electronics, electronic components
• Medical supplies or equipment
• Bins, totes, crates, material handling
• Food products
• Drug products
• Children’s products, clothing, toys, etc.

Note: You may create and / or assume all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

You have been tasked with designing a comprehensive best practices policy list geared towards managing existing knowledge and any new knowledge as it becomes viable. The best practices policy should include a compiled task list that will help your company to handle not only the regular issues of conducting business within a foreign country, but also the unexpected events (e.g., earthquakes, demonstrations, bomb threats, etc.), no matter the country or countries into which you will be expanding. The policy list should also take any unique challenges that your company may face into consideration.

Write a six pageS paper in which you:

1. Design a comprehensive best practices policy list that includes policies on the following:
   1. Sanitation (e.g., hand washing, toilet facilities, etc.)
   2. Eating and / or drinking (e.g., at desks, on the company grounds, inside in the manufacturing area at designated tables / areas, etc.)
   3. Conflict resolution (e.g., settling disputes, mediation and / or arbitration with designated mediator on staff, etc.)
   4. In-house teams (e.g., minimum meeting times, scribes, appointed leaders, etc.)
   5. Online team (e.g., 24-hour coverage on phone due to time differences, etc.)
   6. Security (e.g., leaving doors open, locks, key return policy for departing workers, etc.)
   7. Emergency evacuation procedures

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Imagine that you are the CEO of a successful domestic company. In the last 6 months, many potential clients in foreign countries have expressed a desire to conduct business with you. You know that in order for your company to grow, you will have to expand overseas. You have recently attended a local three (3)-day international trade exposition and have gathered many brochures on the foreign companies interested in doing business with your company.

After meeting with the Executive Committee of your successful domestic company, you decide that you will need to identify a minimum of two (2) countries for expansion and two (2) expatriates whom you will send into the chosen countries. The selected expatriates will learn about the countries’ cultures and business activities there. You must prepare a report for the potential employees who may want to take an overseas assignment, the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors.

Use the Internet and Strayer Library to research possible countries for expansion. Next, conduct research on leveraging expatriates over country nationals for business overseas. Finally, research books that could help expatriates in their transition to working overseas.

Note: You may create and / or assume all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

Write an eight to ten (8-10) page paper in which you:

1. Create a guide to leveraging expatriates. The guide should include four to six (4-6) sources that address benefits and challenges of sending expatriates to other countries.
2. Examine the major benefits that this report can provide for the organization, and suggest two (2) uses for the information contained therein. Justify your response.
3. Analyze the major factors (e.g., distance, cultural background, knowledge of the related countries, languages spoken, relatives who may live in another country, etc.) that would influence your choice of countries into which your company would expand. Recommend two (2) countries for expansion. Provide a rationale for your response.

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Week 1 DQ – Opportunities in Emerging Markets

Week 2 DQ – One Interconnection Economy

Week 3 DQ – Determining Economic Systems

Week 4 DQ – Fencing and Maneuvering

Week 5 DQ – Multinational Management Strategies

Week 6 DQ – Operational Effectiveness

Week 7 DQ – Throwing Out the Anchor

Week 8 DQ – Global e-Commerce and Networking

Week 9 DQ – International Human Resource Management

Week 10 DQ – Communicating and Negotiating in Cross-Cultural Communities

Week 11 DQ – Sum It Up

You will create a fictional start-up company that serves the U.S. market with a product or service.

Write a one to two (1-2) paragraph journal entry in which you:

1. Provide a detailed description of your company. The description should include, at a minimum, the company’s name, its history, founders, business purpose, and mission.

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You will now consider who your customers are and identify your market segment.

It is vital that you clearly identify your target customers within your marketing plan. Knowing your target customers will help you to:

• pinpoint where you should spend your advertising budget
• the type of campign you intend to run, and
• ensure that your marketing message speaks the customer’s language (based on their needs and wants, demographic, location, ethnicity, etc.).

Write a one to two (1-2) paragraph journal entry in which you:

1. Analyze the business customers / clients that you wish to target. Your analysis should include, but not be limited to, their:

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You will now complete your secondary market research and consider what distinguishes your company from your competitors, their products, and / or the price of their products and services.

Use the Internet to research your customer demographics and market segment from Journal 2. Consider what you think you know versus what you know to be true based on research from reports, publications, course content, etc.

Write a four to six (4-6) paragraph journal entry in which you:

1. Describe your unique selling proposition (USP). Next, explain the key aspects of your business, products, or services that make them unique when compared to your competition (e.g., Southwest Airlines’ USP is providing customers with low airfare without compromising service and comfort).

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You will now consider your company’s strengths and weakness, along with your product or service price.

Use the Internet to research strategies for conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. Based on your company’s market information, consider the strengths and weakness of your company and its products or services.

Write a four to six (4-6) paragraph journal entry in which you:

1. Determine the key strengths and weaknesses of your company, as well as both the primary opportunities and threats that it faces within its industry.
2. Discuss your critical steps within your supply-chain and operational system. Explain the key aspects of your strategies for producing and distributing your products and services to both your stores and customers. Determine whether you will use an outside vendor or complete the work in house.

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You will now consider mechanisms by which your customers will purchase your products and / or services (e.g., online, storefront, direct sells) and the primary manner in which you intend to reach new customers (e.g.,TV, radio, social media, special events).

Consider the marketing materials that you intend to use. According to the textbook, marketing materials are collateral used to promote your business or products. Promotional strategy may include free trial offers, money-back guarantees, and buy two (2) for the price of one (1) type of deals.

Write a five to seven (5-7) paragraph journal entry in which you:

1. Determine the distribution strategy relative to your target market, location, and selection of distribution channels. Indicate whether or not you will leverage the following strategies:

1. use stores located in different regions
2. sell online
3. hire a sales team to sell directly to suppliers and door-to-door

2. Recommend three (3) strategy options that you could use in order to get your product or services out to your customer base.

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Assignment 1 is comprised of all of the marketing plan sections. Add any recommendations and updates based on faculty feedback and / or additional research.

Transfer related information from Journal entries 1 through 5 to the Marketing Plan Template. In this assignment you must do the following:

• cover each section in the marketing plan in detail
• update your marketing plan to reflect recommendations made by faculty, and newly researched information
• complete all of the sections in the marketing plan template

Complete the your marketing plan in the Marketing Plan Template, located in Week 1 of the course shell, and include the following:

1. Provide a detailed description of your company in the form of an executive summary. The description should include, at a minimum, the product’s name, trademark, color, shape, packaging, labeling, and any characteristics that you deem relevant.
2. Describe the company’s target market in terms of its size, competitors, and the specific needs and wants of potential customers that your product or service is likely to satisfy.
3. Describe both the company’s Unique Selling Position (USP) and its marketing objectives.

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