PURPOSE:
When we arrive on the doorstep of these multinationals, I would like us to do so as informed guests. We are due respect from our hosts as future business magnates who have traveled many thousands of miles (or kilometers). They also are due respect as current business men and women who have graciously afforded us some of their valuable time and a brief view of some of their operations. One way of showing respect is to do a little research on each company prior to our visit.
FORMAT:
In order to meet this objective, you will prepare a three to five page paper describing one of the firms we will be visiting. Please divide the paper into three sections.
The first section is the background or current operations segment. It should include a description of the firm and its offering (mission, objectives, products, etc.), as well as the location of offices, manufacturing facilities, and other important sites. You can refer to the company's latest annual report for this and other essential data you might want to incorporate. I also have some additional data for some of the firms and I will make this information available to you once the company/student assignments are arranged.
The second section should contain any recent developments which pertain to the company or industry and which you believe are important or interesting. You might choose to focus on the firm's strengths and weaknesses (areas they might cite for improvement). Refer to the various print sources and indexes available (e.g., Dun & Bradstreet, and Business Periodical) as well as the electronic media (e.g., general Internet sources, Lexis/Nexus, and ABI/INFORM) in order to identify recent developments. Don't use anything more than six months old unless it is very important.
The third section should include a few incisive, yet tactful questions that you plan to ask while on our visit (remember, we may request that these people host another group of Textile students). For example; most of the firms we are to visit could address questions about the International Standards Organization (ISO) 9000 and 14000 requirements (which U.S. firms must comply with to sell their products in the European Union). Another example, this for a pharmaceutical company: How has the harmonization of regulations (perhaps refer specifically to pharmaceutical efficacy testing), or procurement directives affected European sales?
Questions which can be easily answered through secondary sources are not appropriate and should not be asked while on our visits (e.g., What are European sales as a percentage of total sales? Answers to these types of questions can usually be found in the annual report).
I expect that the questions you raise be answered through primary sources - our hosts. Be aware, though, that because of the long time frame needed in setting up these appointments, and the vagaries of personal schedules, we may not meet with people listed on the itinerary.
Please be flexible. If you develop questions to ask of the V.P. of marketing and we meet with the V.P. of finance, your question may not be appropriate. It would be a good idea to develop a few additional, general questions.
The groups responsible for the cities must identify one person
in their group to research the country.
Each paper should include something about the history of the city/nation and
current events that are particularly important from a business perspective
(nearly everything has an impact on business, but if you highlight an event,
identify how it may impact business). If you are writing about the city, include
recommendations about the museums, fairs and other cultural experiences
available, as well as food and fun establishments.
The web page created for this class has links to our
hosts' home pages, and a few on each country and city. You may want to begin
your research there and you might also find useful recommendations on the "Everything
International” site (simply type - ev-in.com in the address bar)..
CORPORATE DEBRIEFING REPORTS GUIDELINES
Top of page 5
PURPOSE:
In class we will be discussing general international business practices and how to apply them. On our travels, it is my intent that we see how some firms have actually applied these principles in a rapidly changing environment and how similar or different this application is from our discussions.
The classroom is one forum in which to learn. I hope that you also learn something useful from our international travels and corporate visits. Once we have had the opportunity to observe individuals from each of the companies and had a firsthand look at the facilities, it would be useful to analyze how they have been successful at what they do, or perhaps might be even more successful. There may also have been some
questions raised in class, or perhaps raised in the briefing paper which were discussed during our visit.
FORMAT:
Each student is to prepare a brief, one-page description of each visit (i.e., approximately 10 short papers). Please include the topic of the presentation and how it relates to class discussions or your current business' practice. (You need not get too technical since we may not have covered the topic in class yet, but you should be able to relate the presentation to international business.) If applicable, you might also include an update of an extraordinary issues raised in the briefing presentation prior to our departure. (Include any personal observations in your corporate log.)