INT 650 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a country competitiveness audit.
Analyzing international market competitiveness is an important skill for global managers and employees. Global organizations are looking for research and
analytical skills in aspiring practitioners in international business. This final project will exercise your ability to make recommendations to stakeholders based on
real-world data.
For your final project in this course, you will utilize theories and resources in conducting a comprehensive country competitiveness audit for a given international
market. Your ultimate goal is to determine whether or not entering a specific market and specific industry is not only feasible, but also profitable for a company
of your choosing. You will select the company, the industry in which it operates, and the international market with approval from your instructor.
The project is supported by three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final submission will occur in Module Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Determine trade policies conducive to company business in international markets by assessing their implications on business, the economic environment,
company operations, and consumers
Suggest alternative trade barrier options that facilitate international trade and increase country competitiveness based on country competitiveness
audits
Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of trade agreements and foreign trade zones in international markets for determining their impacts on specific
industries
Forecast the ramifications of tariffs and quotas on specific industries using appropriate economic calculations
Evaluate the overall competitiveness of international markets and industries in determining their value for prospective companies
Prompt
Your country competitiveness analysis should answer the following prompt: Imagine you are an international consultant. You are working on providing a client
with a highly specific analysis of a particular international market, while keeping in mind the industry that the client is in. Your project should answer three major
questions:
1) Are the trade policies in your selected international market sufficiently competitive to attract new companies in a particular industry?
2) Are the trade barriers in your selected market low and beneficial in order for new companies to succeed in a specified industry?
3) What changes in trade policies, trade barriers, or new trade agreement alliances would make the country more competitive and desirable for your
particular industry and company?
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I.
Overview: Provide a general overview where you select a specific international (non-U.S.) market, an industry, and a company within that industry.
Introduce the country, industry, and the company, including key details such as the location and general statistics of the country and the competition of
the market.
II.
Trade Policies: Describe the country’s specific trade policies geared toward foreign multinational corporations (MNCs).
A. Define trade policies in your specific international market. Consider drawing from multiple sources in your definition.
B. Determine the implications of the trade policies on your company. Do these policies ease or hinder your company’s business? Why?
C. Determine the implications of the trade policies on your industry. Do these policies ease or hinder the industry within the specific international
market? Why?
D. Determine the implications of the trade policies on consumers. Do these policies hinder the consumer’s purchasing power within the specific
international market? Why?
III.
Trade Barriers: Describe the country’s specific trade barriers geared toward foreign MNCs entering the market.
A. Define trade barriers in your specific international market. Consider drawing from multiple sources in your definition.
B. Determine the implications of the trade barriers on your company. Do these barriers hinder your company’s business? Justify your response.
C. Determine the implications of the trade barriers on your industry. Do these barriers hinder the industry within the specific international market?
Justify your response.
D. Determine the implications of the trade barriers on consumers. Do these barriers hinder the consumer’s purchasing power within the specific
international market? Justify your response.
IV. Recalculating Parameters: Select the previously identified trade barriers and change their parameters for your selected industry, making appropriate
economic calculations and representing the changes in charts.
A. Calculate the effect of the change of a tariff on your particular industry. Illustrate the change visually in a chart.
B. Calculate the effect of the change of a quota on your particular industry. Illustrate the change visually in a chart.
C. Calculate the effect of the change of a government subsidy on the overall GDP. Illustrate the change visually in a chart.
V.
Trade Agreements and Foreign Trade Zones
A. Describe your country’s specific trade agreements and applicable foreign trade zones.
B. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the trade agreements on the specific international market. What is their impact on the industry in
which your company operates?
C. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the foreign trade zones on the specific international market. What is their impact on the industry
in which your company operates?
VI.
Competitiveness
A. Evaluate the overall competitiveness of your specific market based on the World Competitiveness Yearbook. For example, how attractive is this
market to foreign direct investment? Support your response with evidence.
B. Evaluate the overall competitiveness of your industry in the specific market based on the World Competitiveness Yearbook. For example, the
produce industry in Chile has restrictive accessibility and therefore a low competitiveness. Support your response with evidence.
VII.
Recommendations
A. What existing trade policies would help the company to succeed in their industry and market? Support your answer with your findings from the
previous sections of the report.
B. Suggest alternative trade barrier options based on your findings to help your company succeed. Should any barriers be changed? Support your
answer with your findings in the previous sections of the report.
C. Recommend whether or not your company should enter the industry in your particular market. In other words, what is the value of this
opportunity for your company in terms of feasibility and profitability? Support your recommendation with the data from World Competitiveness
Yearbook.
Milestones
Milestone One: Overview and Trade Policies
In Module Three, you will submit the Overview (Section I) and Trade Policies (Section II) sections of the final project. This milestone should be submitted as a
short paper that provides an overview of your chosen country, industry, and company and a description of your country’s specific trade policies. This milestone
will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Trade Barriers and Recalculating Parameters
In Module Five, you will submit the Trade Barriers (Section III) and Recalculating Parameters (Section IV) sections of the final project. This milestone should be
submitted as a short paper that analyzes in detail the trade barriers in your selected international market that impact your chosen industry, and recalculates the
parameters of the trade barriers of your selected industry. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Trade Agreements and Foreign Trade Zones; Competitiveness
In Module Seven, you will submit the Trade Agreements and Foreign Trade Zones (Section V) and Competitiveness (Section VI) sections of the final project. This
milestone should be submitted as a short paper that analyzes and describes trade agreements and foreign trade zones, indicating which ones would be more
beneficial for your company and for your industry, and provides a detailed analysis of competitors in your chosen global market and industry. This milestone will
be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Project Submission: Country Competitiveness Audit
In Module Nine, you will submit your country competitive audit. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final
product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. For this final submission, you will be writing Recommendations (Section
VII) and combining those with your revised milestones. The final project will be graded using the Final Project Rubric (below).
Deliverables
Milestone
Deliverables
One
Overview and Trade Policies
Two
Trade Barriers and Recalculating
Parameters
Trade Agreements and Foreign
Trade Zones; Competitiveness
Final Product + Recommendation
Three
Module Due
Grading
Three
Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric
Five
Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric
Seven
Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric
Nine
Graded separately; Final Project Rubric (below)
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your country competitiveness audit should adhere to the following formatting requirements: 8–10 pages in length (plus an appendix),
using 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and the most current APA formatting. Include charts in an appendix. While completing this project, you
must use scholarly references as much as possible for full credit. At least six scholarly references should support your entire project. Please do not use Wikipedia
and Investopedia as your resources.
Note about Rubric: Milestones One, Two, and Three use grading rubrics with “Proficient” as the highest grade. If you would like to receive full points for the final
project submission, you will need to follow the requirements in the “Exemplary” column in this rubric, expanding on the “Proficient” column from Milestones
One, Two, and Three.
Critical Elements
Overview
Exemplary (100%)
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
expertly balances key details with
brevity appropriate for business
audience
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
uses multiple sources to inform
definition
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates in-depth
understanding of how the trade
policies ease or hinder company’s
business
Proficient (90%)
Provides a general overview of
the international market,
industry, and company, including
key details
Accurately defines trade policies
in specific international market
Trade Policies:
Implications on
Industry
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates in-depth
understanding of how trade
policies impact industries
Determines the implications of
the trade policies on industry,
explaining why the policies ease
or hinder industry
Trade Policies:
Implications on
Consumers
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates in-depth
understanding of how trade
policies impact consumers
Determines the implications of
the trade policies on consumers,
explaining why the policies do or
do not hinder consumers’
purchasing power
Trade Policies: Define
Trade Policies:
Implications on
Company
Determines the implications of
the trade policies on company,
explaining why the policies ease
or hinder company’s business
Needs Improvement (70%)
Provides a general overview of
the international market,
industry, and company, but with
gaps in key details
Defines trade policies in specific
international market, but with
gaps in accuracy
Determines the implications of
the trade policies on company,
explaining why the policies ease
or hinder company’s business,
but with gaps in accuracy or
detail
Determines the implications of
the trade policies on industry,
explaining why the policies ease
or hinder industry, but with gaps
in accuracy or detail
Determines the implications of
the trade policies on consumers,
explaining why the policies do or
do not hinder consumers’
purchasing power, but with gaps
in accuracy or detail
Not Evident (0%)
Does not provide a general
overview of the international
market, industry, and company,
including key details
Does not define trade policies in
specific international market
Value
2.5
Does not determine the
implications of the trade policies
on company
3.8
Does not determine the
implications of the trade policies
on industry
3.8
Does not determine the
implications of the trade policies
on consumers
3.8
3.8
Trade Barriers: Define
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
uses multiple sources to inform
definition
Trade Barriers:
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Company
demonstrates a nuanced
understanding of how trade
barriers can hinder the business
of companies
Trade Barriers: Industry Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a nuanced
understanding of how trade
barriers can hinder industries
Trade Barriers:
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Consumers
demonstrates a nuanced
understanding of how trade
barriers can hinder consumers
Recalculating
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Parameters: Tariff
illustration evidences a nuanced
understanding of how tariff
changes impact industry
Recalculating
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Parameters: Quota
illustration evidences a nuanced
understanding of how quota
changes impact industry
Recalculating
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Parameters: Subsidy illustration evidences a nuanced
understanding of how subsidy
changes impact overall GDP
Accurately defines trade barriers
in specific international market
Defines trade barriers in specific
international market but with
gaps in accuracy or detail
Determines implications of trade
barriers on company, justifying
response, but with gaps in logic
or support
Does not define trade barriers in
specific international market
3.8
Does not determine implications
of trade barriers on company
3.8
Determines implications of trade
barriers on industry, justifying
response, but with gaps in logic
or support
Determines implications of trade Determines implications of trade
barriers on consumers, justifying barriers on consumers, justifying
response
response, but with gaps in logic
or support
Calculates the effect of the
Calculates the effect of the
change of a tariff on industry,
change of a tariff on industry,
illustrating change in a chart
illustrating change in a chart, but
with gaps in accuracy or detail
Calculates the effect of the
Calculates the effect of the
change of a quota on industry,
change of a quota on industry,
illustrating change in a chart
illustrating change in a chart, but
with gaps in accuracy or detail
Calculates the effect of the
Calculates the effect of the
change of a government subsidy change of a government subsidy
on the overall GDP, illustrating
on overall GDP, illustrating
change in a chart
change in a chart, but with gaps
in accuracy or detail
Trade Agreements and Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Describes country’s specific trade Describes country’s specific trade
Foreign Trade Zones: demonstrates a nuanced
agreements and applicable
agreements and applicable
Describe
understanding of applicable trade foreign trade zones
foreign trade zones, but with
agreements between
gaps in accuracy or detail
international markets and other
countries
Does not determine implications
of trade barriers on industry
3.8
Does not determine implications
of trade barriers on consumers
3.8
Does not calculate the effect of
the change of a tariff on industry
and illustrate with a chart
6.3
Does not calculate the effect of
the change of a quota on industry
and illustrate with a chart
6.3
Does not calculate the effect of
the change of a government
subsidy on overall GDP and
illustrate with a chart
6.3
Does not describe country’s
specific trade agreements and
applicable foreign trade zones
6.3
Determines implications of trade
barriers on company, justifying
response
Determines implications of trade
barriers on industry, justifying
response
Trade Agreements and Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Foreign Trade Zones: shows keen insight into how
Agreements
trade agreements benefit or
hinder international markets and
industries
Evaluates the advantages and
disadvantages of the trade
agreements on the specific
international market, including
their impact on the industry
Evaluates the advantages and
disadvantages of the trade
agreements on the specific
international market, including
their impact on the industry, but
evaluation has gaps in logic or
detail
Trade Agreements and Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Evaluates the advantages and
Evaluates the advantages and
Foreign Trade Zones: shows keen insight into how
disadvantages of the trade zones disadvantages of the foreign
Zones
foreign trade zones benefit or
on the specific international
trade zones on the specific
hinder international markets and market, including their impact on international market, including
industries
the industry
their impact on the industry, but
evaluation has gaps in logic or
detail
Competitiveness:
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Logically evaluates the overall
Evaluates the overall
Specific Market
demonstrates a nuanced
competitiveness for the specific competitiveness for the specific
understanding of how real-world market based on the World
market based on the World
data informs competitiveness
Competitiveness Yearbook
Competitiveness Yearbook, but
evaluations of international
with gaps in logic or detail
markets
Competitiveness:
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Logically evaluates the overall
Evaluates the overall
Industry
demonstrates a nuanced
competitiveness for the industry competitiveness for the industry
understanding of how real-world in the specific market based on
in the specific market based on
data informs competitiveness
the World Competitiveness
the World Competitiveness
evaluations of specific industries Yearbook
Yearbook, but with gaps in logic
or detail
Recommendations:
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Recommends appropriate
Recommends existing trade
Trade Policies
recommendations are especially existing trade policies to help
policies to help company in
well aligned to the goal of
company in specific industry and specific industry and market to
company success in the specific
market to succeed, supporting
succeed, supporting with
industry and market
with findings
findings, but with gaps in
appropriateness or detail
Recommendations:
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
Suggests appropriate alternative Suggests alternative trade barrier
Trade Barrier Options suggestions are especially well
trade barrier options to help
options to help company
aligned to the goal of company
company succeed, supporting
succeed, supporting with
success in the specific market
with findings
findings, but with gaps in
appropriateness or detail
Does not evaluate the
advantages and disadvantages of
the trade agreements on the
specific international market
6.3
Does not evaluate the
advantages and disadvantages of
the foreign trade zones on the
specific international market
6.3
Does not evaluate the overall
competitiveness for the specific
market based on the World
Competitiveness Yearbook
6.3
Does not evaluate the overall
competitiveness for the industry
in the specific market based on
the World Competitiveness
Yearbook
6.3
Does not recommend existing
trade policies to help company in
specific industry and market to
succeed
3.8
Does not suggest alternative
trade barrier options to help
company succeed
3.8
Recommendations:
Enter the Industry
Articulation of
Response
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
recommendations are especially
well aligned to the goal of
company success in the specific
market
Provides appropriate
recommendations regarding
whether company should enter
industry in particular market,
supporting with data from
competitiveness report
Submission is free of errors
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization spelling, syntax, or organization
and is presented in a professional
and easy-to-read format
Provides recommendations
regarding whether company
should enter industry in
particular market, supporting
with data from competitiveness
report, but with gaps in
appropriateness or detail
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact readability
and articulation of main ideas
Does not provide
recommendations regarding
whether company should enter
industry in particular market
6.6
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
Total
2.5
100%
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