Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is for you to analyze the major challenges in choosing to do business internationally.

Development of critical thinking, acquired knowledge of international business and business entry is a focus of this assignment.  Research and analytical skills are enhanced with the completion of this assignment.

Outcomes You Will Meet by Completing This Project

· apply fundamental knowledge of global business to the domestic environment

· apply fundamental knowledge of functional business disciplines to the global business environment

· analyze the viability of starting and maintaining businesses in the global environment in order to inform decision making

· research, analyze, and evaluate global business variables, and effectively communicate their implications

NOTE:  All submitted work is to be your original work. You may not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse.  You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only). 

Read the following case scenario

Micro Bike is a motor scooter/bike company based in Buckhead, Georgia. The company makes foldable “green” motor scooters for inner city use.  Although sales have been rising in the United States, the market size and population density is significantly lower than what exists in Asia.  Mark and Jessica Lapin are the owners of Micro Bike. 

The Lapins have been studying growth trends for the industry because of increased online orders. Currently the business has gross sales of $3.2 million; 2017 projected sales of $4.9 million. The owner’s believe actual sales may exceed projected sales as online orders have doubled in the past three months.  Forty-five percent of Micro Bike’s sales are comprised of e-commerce sales.  Ecommerce sales continue to grow.

Three major countries (Japan, India, and Vietnam) within the Asian market show huge potential for the company.  Most orders are coming from Ho Chi Minh, Mumbai, and Tokyo. The couple is considering going international while the market is still open to newcomers by opening an owner operated local dealership.  Are these cities the best place to go?  There is so much to consider. The Lapins need more information to make the decision.

Instructions

Step One: Research

In this project, you will help Micro Bike research the idea of going global and then write a report that will be addressed to Mark and Jessica Lapin.  To write the report, you will research the mobile scooter industry in the context of the elements below that will be discussed in the report.

· The advantages and disadvantages of going international;

· How globalization will affect Micro Bike’s success;

· Major challenges in global trade;

· Select two of the modern theories of international trade discussed in the class and found in the course material and apply each theory to Micro Bike.   Explain how each theory aides a company in making the decision to go international and specifically aides in Micro Bikes’ decision to go global.

After completing this part of the research, you are now ready to make a recommendation to Mark and Jessica Lapin. 

· Write a recommendation that answers the question “Should Micro Bike Go International: Why or Why Not?”

Step Two: Which Country

Assume the answer is yes

· Select the best country to go international and explain in detail the reasoning behind your recommendation.  Support the conclusions with research and class materials;

· Explain why the other countries were not selected;

· Country attractiveness: which city and country is most attractive for a Motor Bike?

· What trade agreements, if any would apply to doing business in Mumbai, Ho Chi Minh, and Tokyo?  

· Do any of the trade agreements work better for US investors than others?  If so, which one, and how is the trade agreement better.  If not, why not?

· Identify at least:  two political, two economic, and two cultural factors for each country that are particularly important to the Lapin’s decision.  Explain how each factor could influence the success of Micro Ride abroad.

 Below are resources that will assist you in the research.

 Sources to Start Your Research

·

Market Research and Trends

·

Future of Urban Mobility

·

2016 Business Guide for Doing Business in Vietnam

·

US Governments Commercial Country Guide for Vietnam

·

US Governments Commercial Country Guide for Philippines

·

US Governments Commercial Country Guide for India

Review the Paper

Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present.  Use the grading rubric to ensure that you gain the most points possible for this assignment.

Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical issues, and third person writing. 

· Read the paper aloud as a first measure;

· Use the spell and grammar check in Word as a second measure;

· Have someone who has excellent English skills to proof the paper;

· Consider submitting the paper to the Effective Writing Center (EWC).  The EWC will provide 4-6 areas that may need improvement.

Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder (The assignment submitted to the Assignment Folder will be considered a student’s final product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor.  It is incumbent upon the student to verify the assignment is the correct submission.  (No exceptions will be considered by the instructor).

===========================

How to Set Up the Paper 

Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced, 12-point font.  The final product will be between 5-7 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.  Write clearly and concisely.

The body of the paper should consist of a heading for each required element. 

APA and writing are a focus of this paper and should be executed with the utmost attention to detail.  Should you need help in any these areas of APA or writing, please refer to the APA module located in the content area of the course or ask the professor for guidance.  

Use the grading rubric and instructions as guides. Be sure to cover all that is asked of you in the assignment and do so in a way that will guide the professor into giving a high grade.  Finally, all work that you submit for this project should be your own. Remember your pledge to uphold academic integrity in all work that you prepare and submit

Requirements for the Assignment

Before you begin writing the paper, you will read the following requirements that will help you meet the writing and APA requirements. 

· Read the grading rubric for the assignment.  Use the grading rubric while writing the paper to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.

· Third person writing is required.  Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing).  If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link:  

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person

.

· Contractions are not used in business writing, so you are expected NOT to use contractions in writing this assignment. 

· You are expected to paraphrase and NOT use direct quotes.  You are expected to paraphrase, which can be learned by reviewing this link:   

https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html

.

· You are responsible for APA only for in-text citations and a reference list. 

· The expectation is that you provide a robust use of the course readings to support ideas, reasoning and conclusions.  

· You may not use books as source material. 

· When using a source document, the expectation is that the information is cited and referenced with a page or paragraph number.   Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.