International Business Training: Preparing Managers for a Foreign Assignment

Think of it this way:
You are an International Business Training Consultant who has been approached by a large furniture manufacturer from Canada to help in the training of a small group of its managers who are to be sent on an international assignment to open retail furniture stores abroad. These managers will be relocated for 2 years and know very little about the country selected. What things would you advise the managers to know before leaving, and what issues do you want them to be aware of prior to their arriving in this new country?

Instructions:
1) We will be working in Groups entitled “Super Team Presentations.” Please join a “Super Team Presentation” group yourself in e-Centennial under: Communications > Groups. I suggest that two regular teams merge to form one Super Team, but that is up to you. If you have not joined a group by Week 6 (June 28 at 11:59 pm), you will automatically be enrolled into one.

I will post the name of a country that your group must research for this project under e-Centennial News feed. 
You will be looking at this country from several perspectives:
a. Country Overview: History, Politics & Law (brief overview only)
b. Current Political Events affecting Country 
c. Current State of Economy
d. Informal Institutions: General Culture, Ethics and Norms 
e. Trade barriers (Tariff and Non-Tariff barriers specifically in the furniture industry) and key International Regional Trade Arrangements (e.g. member of an FTA?)
f. Exchange rates & Cost of living 
g. Other practical suggestions as to things we should know about living and working in this country (e.g. safety, “how-to-do-business” guidance, etc.)

2) Devise a plan between your team as to how you plan to approach your country research; in other words, each of you will be responsible for which aspect?  e.g. country overview, economy, politics, trade, etc. 

3) Create a PowerPoint presentation (pptx.) with audio and written speaking notes (bullet point notes) in the Note section under each slide. Each group member will create an audio presentation that will be about two minutes long. This should probably consist of somewhere between 3 to 4 slides each. This is then to be combined with the rest of your teams PowerPoints to make a complete Super Team presentation. The entire finished audio presentation should be12 to16 minute long. Please adhere to the time limits (too much over or under time and your team will be penalized).  

4) This must be a group effort as you will be receiving a group mark. Make sure that each individual in the team looks over the final presentation before submitting. Plagiarism by any member of the team will adversely affect the entire team’s grade. (Make sure you check Turnitin originality score when submitting online.)

5) Creativity is encouraged. Feel free to use images, graphics, and original thinking in making your presentation. Make it interesting as well as informative!

6) Important: provide relevant and professional references / sources of information using APA style format.

Group Presentation: You will receive a group mark, so collaboration amongst team members and smooth transition throughout the presentation is critical. (Note: If necessary, individual marks may be given if one of your group members stands out in an unusually positive or negative way.) I will be looking for organization, creativity in delivery, content, explanations of the main issues and insight into the workings of this country. Most of all; “If your audience represented managers actually going on international assignment, did they gain valuable insight from your presentation?