Business Finance

This is Assignment 1, please keep in mind that all 4 assignments are related so please follow the information you will be using in this assignment. Please include all references and sources APA style, 0% Plagiarism. This assignment is due on March 28th 6 days from now. Thanks

Assignment 1: Country Profile

This assignment is divided into four parts.

Introduction

In Modules 1 and 2 you were introduced to some key elements of an international marketing plan, including economic, cultural, political, and legal variables. In this assignment you will integrate and apply the concepts you have learned so far. The assignment will also provide you with the opportunity to develop and apply research and critical-thinking skills and to analyze these variables within the context of the international marketing task model introduced in Module 1. The information from this assignment forms the first section of your international marketing plan, the Country Profile.

The writing in the non-graded activities from the course modules will form the basis for your assignments. This assignment consists of writing a report introducing your chosen country and the product or service you intend to market. You will also examine aspects of the social, cultural, economic, political, and legal environments that are relevant for the marketing of your chosen product in your country of choice.

Instructions

Write an 12 page report (excludes cover page and list of references) using double-spaced, 12-point Times Roman font as per the following parameters:

Part I: Introduction (20 marks)

• Introduce the country of your choice, mentioning the country’s relevant history, geography, living conditions, and language. Clearly state the reasons for choosing that country and write a brief description of the product or service you will be working on in the course assignments.

Part II: Economic Analysis (20 marks)

• Discuss population trends in the host country, worker shortage, and immigration.
• Analyze economic statistics (e.g., GDP, per-capita income, international trade statistics, and balance of payments). Discuss communication infrastructures.
• Discuss possible government restrictions (i.e., protectionism), tariffs, and nontariff barriers that might affect your product or service category.

Part III: Social and Cultural Analysis (25 marks)

• Describe social institutions and social groups (e.g., family, social classes, relevant lifestyles, and prominent religions).
• Discuss the role of education on the consumer behavior of your target market.
• Describe relevant local management styles and business customs (e.g., types of clothes worn at work, business ethics, time management, and negotiation styles).
• Compare Hofstede’s cultural dimensions of Canada and the host country.

Part IV: Political/Legal Analysis (25 marks)

• Discuss the political environment, and identify issues that you must consider to assess political risk and reduce political vulnerability. Does the host government facilitate trade, or is it reluctant to engage in trade?
• Briefly describe the legal system of the market you wish to enter, and discuss its relevance to your task as an international marketer.
• Briefly discuss two possibilities of international dispute resolution between trade partners available for your company in the country of choice.
• Discuss the most important differences and similarities between Canada and your country of choice in terms of the political and legal environment.

Business Finance

Resources: Ch. 3 and Ch. 4 of Legal Environment of Business: Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and Global Issues; law libraries and databases from the internet.

Scenario: Solar Co. Inc., a solar panel manufacturing and installation company, has recently encountered a series of scandals and bad publicity relating to defective solar panels, poor workmanship, and employee allegations of harassment by executives within the company. One claim resulted in a two-year trial which Solar Co. lost; all other claims were settled out of court.

Solar Co. enters into a contract with XYZ Media to prepare a 6-month national advertising and public relations campaign to help restore its tarnished reputation at a cost of $600,000. XYZ Media launches the campaign, and it is successful for the first two months until XYZ’s computer servers are hacked and all client information is lost because XYZ failed to have adequate backup systems in place. In addition, social media account information and passwords were compromised, resulting in derogatory and inappropriate posts being made on all of XYZ’s social media accounts for several hours. Because XYZ was managing Solar Co.’s social media presence at the time, Solar Co.’s social media accounts were also taken over by the hackers for a brief time and filled with damaging posts.

XYZ issues a public apology; however, Solar Co. wishes to terminate the contract with XYZ and receive a refund of the $200,000 it paid for the first two months of the campaign due to the damages caused by the computer hack. XYZ refuses to cancel the contract or issue a refund, insisting that it can successfully continue the campaign and re-create all of the material that was lost. Solar Co. refuses to pay any further amounts due under the contract and has already begun seeking a new media relations firm to re-launch the campaign.

Part I

Write a 525- to 700-word recommendation to Solar Co.’s CEO advising whether Solar Co. should:

• file a lawsuit and proceed to trial
• try to reach a settlement with XYZ Media, or
• use a method of alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

Your analysis should specifically discuss each of the nine factors provided in the “Contemporary Environment Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Lawsuit” feature found in Ch. 4, “Judicial, Alternative, and E-Dispute Resolution.” Provide a clear explanation and reasoning for your recommendation based on the facts of the scenario.

Would your recommendation be different if you were advising XYZ Media’s CEO? If so, how?

Part II

Solar Co. intends to use arbitration agreements with all clients, subcontractors and employees in the future.

Write a 350- to 525-word memo to Solar Co.’s CEO explaining the arbitration procedure and the enforceability of arbitration provisions under the Federal Arbitration Act.

Include a recommendation as to whether arbitration agreements should be used in the future to reduce Solar Co.’s legal risk and why.

Submit your assignment.