INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

ASSIGNMENT

This module emphasises the behavioural dimension of ‘international business’, which differentiates it from ‘international trade’. The assignment focuses on the behaviour of managers in their approach to international operations. You are asked to research the ‘’Sasol energy and chemical company”, and analyse it using concepts introduced in the IB module. The intention is that this will help you to appreciate the international dimension of any organisation in which you are employed.

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There will be plenty of information available to you in the public domain. Given the volume of information available, you may need to set the scene using the company’s overall operations, then focus on a few examples which show different approaches to international activities. Make sure that your report concentrates on the analysis – use Appendices to present raw material/data.

A good starting point will be the company’s Annual Report & the company’s own website. Other third party commentaries will also be valuable sources of information. The task is to research relevant information and interpret the organisation’s development over time – based on the behaviour of its managers, and using concepts in the module.

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(-) THE COMPANY’S INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES:
– Introduce, concisely, the geographic & product markets that the company serves, indicating
(with examples) the range of transaction modes it uses to serve these markets (you may need to do this by interpreting the nature of the subsidiaries it operates). Conclude whether it prefers joint venture activities or wholly-owned operations.
– Depict the historical development overtime of the company’s International Business operations & expertise, relating to appropriate analytical frameworks.
50 % of mark
(-) INTERPRETING COMPANY BEHAVIOUR
– Use concepts from the module to assess the company’s current principal goals for International Business.
– To show how the company has adjusted to the challenges of internationalisation over time, apply the Pattern of Internationalisation – how many countries it entered, how similar they were to the ‘home country’, etc. Is there a pattern to the countries it has selected to serve?
– How does the organisation structure its international operations? Consider the approach to ‘organisation & control’. What is its approach to international human resource management? – home country nationals, host country nationals, third country nationals. Relate the company’s approach to its cultural origin.

Conclude by interpreting the company’s strategy using Dunning’s OIL – what does it own, what has been the approach to control/internalisation, & why has it chosen locations.

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