The following formative tasks are DIRECTLY RELATED to the final assessment of this module. The report you will have to submit will include MOST of the following elements. You will receive feedback in class on your preparation (which will help with your assignment). You will be able to use your findings to prepare you for the Guest Speaker lectures and to underpin discussions in class.
The Class in Week 3
1. You must prepare a preliminary review of the following:
- Brief client profile of the company
- Description of client’s (international) business operations model
- Overview of current largest markets for the sector
- Brief analysis of global competition in the sector/industry (local and international)
- Analysis of European international competitiveness in this sector/industry
2. You must prepare the following data on the three countries given:
- Identify status of local competition
- Identify relevant aspects of regulatory environment
o Participation in trade agreements, multilateral conventions and regional economic integration
o Tariff and non-tariff barriers applicable
o Ease of doing business
o Market entry restrictions
o Restrictions on FDI, equity ownership and repatriation of profits and proceeds of sales
o Government incentives (concessions on import/ export duties, tax incentives etc.)
- Identify risk factors in the social and political environment
o Country risk
o Political risk
o Corruption index ranking
Preparation For The Class in Week 12
3. You must prepare the following data on the three countries given:
- Determine economic risk factors:
o Recent economic performance developments
§ GDP growth and its breakdown by sector (sectoral contribution to GDP growth)
§ Projections for the sectors relevant to the company
§ Household consumption, household incomes
§ Unemployment
o Public finances
§ Budget balance and national debt/ external debt
§ Sovereign credit ratings
o Monetary policy
§ Interest rates, money supply (M2), credit growth
§ Inflation, exchange rates
o External developments
§ Balance of Payments accounts breakdown and trends (i.e. trade, FDI, reserves etc)