Assessment Task:
1) Assessment Details
Purpose: to analyse developmental aspects of the international management process with an understanding of the options relevant to the challenges.
Specifically, this assignment is designed to assist you in developing skills in analysing strategic challenges and opportunities in the global context and competencies to anticipate the potential strategies of global and local competitors in specific industries; in implementing strategies for mastering interpersonal encounters, including conflict resolution, in multicultural environments; managing your own and the personal growth of others in the global context.
Details of task:
Imagine you work in an international consulting firm. You have 3 office colleagues working with you. There is also an office manager. Your lecturer is the director of the firm.
For activities 1, 2 and 3, your lecturer will appoint one of you as the office manager to lead an office discussion about how you should respond to the challenges/opportunities facing your firm. Everyone must contribute to the office discussion.You must choose one country and city of Europe for Activity one. Also provides that why you are choosing this particular country and city of Europe.
The office manager must ‘report' to the Firm Director by the deadline set by the office manager. The office manager will change for each activity. The Firm Director will give the office manager feedback about each task/activity and the office manager will in turn give this feedback to their office colleagues.
Activity 1. A small manufacturing firm approaches your office and believes there is a market for handheld tools that are carefully crafted for local markets. After spending two months in Europe, the president of this firm believes that his company can create a popular line of these tools.
1. What type of organization structure would be of most value to this firm in its initial efforts to go international?
2. If the company in activity 1 finds a major market for its products in Europe and decides to expand into Asia, would you recommend any change in its organization structure? If yes, what would you suggest? If no, why?
3. If this same company finds after three years of international efforts that it is selling 50 percent of its output overseas, what type of organizational structure would you suggest for the future?
Activity 2. You are in a position to advise an Australian pharmaceutical firm that was considering doing business in one of your colleague's home country for the first time. Your Australian office manager, a conservative, steady growth favoured manager who has made valuable contributions to the development of your firm, is in your office and he has just broken the news of rejecting your proposal that has a long-term potential but bold risk taking project that you proposed for your client. You and your colleagues after a thorough analysis of the market know it is feasible and is exactly the kind of initiative that suits this client. What actions and what should be on the agenda for your meeting with the manager? Keep track of your group discussion and prepare a memo to your manager outlining his/her concerns and what you propose to do about the situation.
Activity 3. Read the following articles:
1. ‘Three skills CEOs need most' by H. Sazena, Ivey Business Journal, May/June, 2015
2. ‘Managing Oneself' by P.F. Drucker, Harvard Business Review, January, 2005
3. ‘What only the CEO can do' by A.G. Lafley, Harvard Business Review, May, 2009
Reflect upon and assess your past experiences, current skills level and motivation, discuss with your office manager ‘what do you think are the skills need to lead effectively in a global environment?' ‘Why do you think you don't have those skills yet?' ‘How do your office colleagues from different culture view your identified skill shortage? Table and categorize the required skills sets/factors and provide a report outlining the constraint of international capacity of your office to your director for next year's professional development.
2) Criteria used to grade the task
1) Style for Activity 1 : Report
2) Due date: (Group report due by 11.55pm on Tuesday 11 September)
3) Word limit: 800 + 10% for activity 1, 2, 3
Content:
- Clear understanding of the consulting situation, thorough evaluation of the options and appropriate action/implementation steps
- Successfully apply relevant management theory, principle and framework from this course to the consulted activity.
- Academic written skills and appropriate citation format
- References must in APA style