Global Expansion Conclusion

Project Scenario
In this project, you will be working for a fictional company and will be conducting research on one of several countries to come up with a recommendation as to whether or not this fictional company should expand into a foreign market. You will explore and analyze the political and economic dimensions of doing business in the selected country and prepare a six- to eight-page written analysis for an executive. The report will include a comprehensive business opportunity analysis supported by tables, charts, and/or graphs generated based on the secondary data sources listed in the Learning Resources section.

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You are a Business Development Manager for JH Toy Company LLC (JHT). The company primarily serves business customers in the United States and Canada. However, as a savvy businessperson, you know that there is a business opportunity for JHT outside these borders. You have discussed this with the Vice President of Marketing, Jennifer L. Pez, and she has suggested that you do some research on one of several countries to come up with a recommendation as to whether or not the company should consider expanding into that market. She has done a cursory overview of some countries and would like you to consider Brazil, Egypt, Germany, India, Russia, or the United Kingdom.

Project Specifics
In this project, you will prepare a short report (as indicated below, this means no less than six and no more than eight pages), primarily based on secondary research, concerning aspects of international business and intercultural communication in the country you chose from the six countries listed above. Your report should include any aspect of business culture or etiquette that a business traveler would encounter while in another country conducting business. It should also explore whether or not there is a business opportunity for JHT in the targeted market. Ms. Pez is a visual learner so, as part of your report, you should include a minimum of three (but no more than five) visual aids to enhance the readability of the report. Like many executives, Ms. Pez is a very busy person; as a result, it is important to keep the report no more than eight pages, including no more than five visual aids. Additional specifications are included below.

Content
Your research should focus on doing business in that country and should include the information below. You are encouraged to use the headings indicated, but note that you should write the report in manuscript form (more details below). See Learning Resource: Phase III for suggestions on where to find this information.

Country Overview
General location, topography, climate
Current population and any recent trends in population growth that could impact JHTs target market (i.e., differences in age cohorts, past growth, predicted growth, etc.)
Primary language spoken, including number of dialects, if available. Is English commonly understood and used in business?
Primary religion(s) practiced. How will religious issues impact JHTs ability to do business in this country?
Currency used, currency fluctuations, and exchange rate information
Industries, Economics, and Market Conditions
Primary industries located in this country
In addition to describing the different industries, Ms. Pez would specifically like to see GDP composition by sector of origin. This would include sectors such as agriculture, industry, and services. Data is likely to be by percentage of total. Construct an appropriate illustration and include it in your report. A web search for GDP composition by sector of origin will return the CIA World Factbook, which is a student favorite.
Economic growth
Ms. Pez would like to see economic growth by GDP annual percentage growth for the last five years. Note that this can be positive or negative. Some sources will only go back a few years; however, others will go back for many years. She would like to see at least five years of data to see the trend in economic growth. Be sure to include any predictions for the next one to three years, and cite your source(s) for this information.
Current or most recent unemployment rate
Education levels
Disposable income. You may present your findings in U.S. dollars (USD). If you make a conversion from another currency, you should note currency exchange rate fluctuations. Reducing the exchange risk would be one of the factors in favor of establishing foreign operations by JHT.
Government and Political Environment
Type of government and how that may impact JHTs ability to do business in this country
Assessment of the degree of government involvement/control in business
Current trends/events, particularly those that impact the business climate and risks
Customs duties, tax issues, local labor content requirements, etc.
Business ethics and transparency considerations. A good source for the evaluation methodology applicable to measuring transparency and relevant recent data in this area is the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, which can be found at www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2020/index/ (Links to an external site.).
Business Norms
Business operations: Typical business days during the week, hours of operation, hours per work week, etc.
Number of weeks typically worked per year/number of weeks of vacation or holiday
Customs, celebrations, holidays, and religious holidays. Which time(s) of year should be avoided for business meetings as a result?)
Customs, Traditions, and Etiquette
For each of the four cultural communication barriers outlined by Dr. Gesteland, identify where this country fits on the spectrum. (See Learning Resources: Gesteland for more information on the spectrum. Be sure to cite this resource in your references.)
Nonverbal communication: Use of gestures, body language, personal space, symbols (including clothing and color), etc.
Briefly describe how an initial meeting should be handled. Who should attend, when should it be scheduled, how would introductions be handled, etc.
Describe any additional points of etiquette to be aware of, such as appropriateness of gift-giving, dining etiquette, conversational style, etc.
Demand for Business and Business Environment
What opportunities for business would JHT have in this country? Are the types of products offered conducive to the needs of customers in this region? Are there celebrations where this type of product would be used? Can you estimate market demand?
Based on your research, what leads you to believe that there would be demand for this type of product or what leads you to believe that there would not be demand for this type of product?
Conclusions and Recommendations
Justify your decision on whether JHT should move into your selected country by providing supporting arguments and citations. Below are some points you may want to consider while justifying your recommendation.

What can you conclude about the business environment in this country relative to JH Toy Company’s business? Does it appear to be favorable or unfavorable?
Do you recommend that the company continue to further explore this country as a potential sales territory in the future? Why or why not?
If you recommend moving forward, describe what makes this a good country for potential expansion. What factors contribute to this? What do you see as some positives, and what do you see as some barriers moving forward? Are there additional topics that you would recommend further study about before proceeding further? If future travel is likely, what would you recommend be further researched before traveling to this country?
If you do not recommend moving forward, describe the reasons. What would make doing business in this country undesirable? What would be the biggest obstacles to doing business? Although this is not a persuasive report, you may need to overcome some resistance if an executive has a “soft spot” for this country and was looking forward to doing business in this country.
Format
The report should be a minimum of six pages and should not exceed eight pages. Conciseness is important in business communications, and Ms. Pez is a busy person. She will not read more than eight pages of content.

Be sure to use good professional formatting as well as appropriate writing mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization). The Writing Resources page includes many good resources for this project, as you will be assessed on these competencies. Note that you will also be assessed on citations and appropriate in-text citation, which can also be found in that module.

The paper should be double spaced on standard-sized pages (8.5 x 11).
The report should consist of a minimum of six (6) pages of content and should not exceed eight (8) pages. Note that the six- to eight-page range specifies content; this does not include the title page or the reference page.
No more than one-inch margins.
Use a professional, clear font that is highly readable, such as 12 pt. Times New Roman.
Use the headings as demonstrated above (i.e., Country Overview, Industries, Economics, and Market Conditions, Government and Political Environment, etc.). Be sure to use appropriate paragraph indentation.
Include a separate title page that displays the paper title, your name, and the date. An example of how the title page and the first page should look can be found here: Paper Sample Template Download Paper Sample Template.
Include a reference page(s).
Visual Aids (i.e., Tables/Charts/Graphs)
Use of tables, charts, and/or graphs is required. To ensure that you are using appropriate visual aids that enhance readability, be sure to see Learning Resource: Visual Aids.

A total of at least three (3) but no more than five (5) tables or graphics should be included.
Insert the graphics within the document and refer to them appropriately.
The total size of the tables or graphics should not exceed two (2) pages.
Resources and Citations
Professional resources should be used. If you know someone who has done business in this country and would like to interview that person (in person, via phone, via email communication, or via Skype), you may include this interview as a primary source. It is anticipated that the majority of your sources will consist of secondary (published) resources. Note that your report should consist of facts, not assumptions.

A minimum of four (4) professional resources should be used. It is recommended that you do not use questionable resources such as Wikipedia, About.com, etc. If you do use them, cite them; however, they will not be counted as one of your four professional sources. Many resources are suggested for you in the Learning Resources: Phase III.

APA documentation should be used. Be sure to have a reference page, and use in-text and/or parenthetical citations as appropriate. You may reference the following: http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocAPA.html (Links to an external site.). Additional resources can be found in Writing Resources.

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