Impact of COVID-19 on Multinational Enterprises and International Marketing Strategies

Background

Please note that late submissions will not be accepted unless full details of extenuating circumstances are provided. For extenuating circumstances please see the link on the University website. If you have any query about extenuation please contact the Student Services Advisor
 
The sudden emergence of Covid-19 instantly changed the landscape of business around the world. Some of the features that characterize the business environment in the pandemic era include increasing uncertainty and complexity, the increasing importance of digital connectivity, changes in the international labour markets, or emerging geopolitical tensions. We already see first consequences on the firm-level, such as reconfiguration of MNEs’ activities, political discussions about regionalization and de-globalization, reshoring, and back-shoring strategies, to name just a few.

With travelling often impossible and almost always limited, urgent calls for citizens to return to their home-countries, expatriates and management-teams of MNEs also had to adjust their way of doing business and living. Please choose one MNE company and discuss the trends seen in its sector after the pandemic; the challenges, and the new normal in the international economic, technological, and social environment it operates in, as well as implications for its internationalization strategy and international marketing strategy. 
 
Footnote: A multinational enterprise, abbreviated as MNE, is an enterprise producing goods or delivering services in more than one country. A multinational enterprise has its management headquarters in one (or rarely more than one) country, the home country, while also operating in other countries, the host countries. 
 
You must cover the following points: 
• A short profile of the company including its international market portfolio and international product and service portfolio. 
• Discuss how the MNE’s international performance changed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and detailing its impact on the industry and related enterprises. You must support your arguments with evidence that will come, as appropriate, from actual cases, from statistics and from the literature. Among the literature, please pay particular attention to the academic journals. These contain the most recent research findings. 
•  Analyse the external and internal factors that drive the transformation of you target MNE’s internationalization strategy and international marketing strategy. 

Using Reference Material for the Theoretical Background The essay MUST use a minimum of 3 academic journal articles (ABS 3*/ABS 4* ranking) in developing the theoretical concepts. These journal articles can be either from the list of articles recommended in the lecture plans for lecture topics, or the student can use other journal articles from the recommended list below.
 
In addition, the essay should show evidence of an extensive use of other well established and reputable literature sources such as books, other journal articles and other sources of information from independent surveys from marketing research companies (highly recommended), the business newspapers and magazines.   
 
5. External Sources of Information for Case Analysis 
You are encouraged to access secondary sources of information to develop your analysis. You can include secondary data sources such as articles in case studies, business magazines, newspapers, company reports, academic journals, marketing research findings and company websites. All sources of information should be clearly referenced in the assignment. 

The assignment report will present in detail the analysis and discussion of the key points you are asked to cover. The report will be 2500 words in length (10% more or less is acceptable). Please check FASER for submission deadline of the individual report. 
 
Assignment Format 
- 2500 words in length (excluding the title page, executive summary, references, table of contents, tables, figures) 
- Typed in Times New Roman, 12pt. font, one and a half line spacing. Left alignment. 
- Use headings and sub-headings where appropriate 
- Use diagrams and tables where appropriate 
- You may use bullet points in some, but not all, instances 
 
Assignment Structure 
• Title page – The title page must outline the title of the report, program title (e.g. MSc in International Marketing and Entrepreneurship), module name/number (e.g. BE553 – Principles of International Marketing), the names of the students, student registration numbers, and the name of the module lecturer. 
• Executive summary – Previews the main points from each section of the report and this should be no more or less than 1 page in length. 
• Table of contents – Includes all section headings with corresponding page numbers 
• List of figures – Titles of all figures presented in the report with corresponding page numbers 
• List of tables – Titles of all tables presented in the report with corresponding page numbers 
• Introduction – Discusses what the report is about (i.e. topic); what the report is for (i.e. purpose); and what are its main contents. 
• Main body – This will include detailed answers for the questions asked in Question (1) to (6). 

You need to embed the theoretical concepts and issues, and the review of the literature in the overall analysis presented in the report (you can either create a separate literature review section or embed your literature review in your answers to the report questions). Thus, the main body section needs to include both a review of the relevant literature and theories, and answers to the 
questions.  
• Conclusions and recommendations – Summarises the main points of your analysis and provides implications of the international marketing strategies discussed.
• Appendices – Secondary information table or summary can be presented as appendix. Remember to number all appendices and cross-refer them in the main text. 
• References – Use the appropriate sources for referencing (i.e. lecture notes, journal articles handed out in class, and any book chapters, newspaper articles, or online sources of relevance). Referencing style - The referencing style should comply with the Harvard Style of referencing. Endnote is strongly recommended.