Overview
Research Assignment Instructions
Overview
purpose of the Research Assignments is for you to write a professional, graduate-level research paper. A research project requires an in-depth analysis, interpretation, or argument based on independent research. Unlike basic essays, it requires you to synthesize expert knowledge from diverse sources and present a unique perspective on a specific topic. Please see the chart below for assignment due dates.
Instructions
You will write a paper in response to the matching prompt below.
Research: Expansion of Business Assignment
This assignment involves writing a research project for the expansion of business to another country (with no current presence). Through research, you will select an international corporation and a country you perceive to be a good market for the corporation to expand its business. The emphasis should be on market drivers, cost drivers, government drivers, and competitive drivers to achieve economies of scale.
Key Components of the Research Paper (Must be available and addressed):
- The Corporation/Company: Include an overview of the company and overview of the plan for the expansion of business to another country (with no current presence).
- The Selected Country: Include an overview of the country and why it is a good market. Include the Mode of Entry to the country. Select an entry strategy: FDI (Turnkey) or Joint Venture or Acquisition.
- The Body: Provide a critical analysis of costs, risks, supply chain management, local adaptation requirements, and expand on the entry strategy in the context of market drivers, cost drivers, government drivers, and competitive drivers to achieve economies of scale.
- Entry Strategy: Provide a rationale of the choice of FDI (Turnkey) or Joint Venture or Acquisition. Provide a substantive argument for why your entry strategy is better using relevant theories, concepts, etc.
- Costs: Provide estimated costs associated with the international expansion (Research and benchmark).
- Risks: Provide country risks and risks associated with the expansion and how they can be mitigated using relevant theories, concepts, etc.
- Supply Chain Management: Benchmark the corporation’s current supply chain management to the proposed expansion using relevant theories, concepts, etc.
- Local Adaptation Requirements: Provide requirements for local adaptation using relevant theories, concepts, etc.
- Personal Perspective: Provide your personal perspective on the proposed project by integrating Bible verses, theories, and concepts.
- Conclusion: Contextualize the research findings and the viability of the expansion project. The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your paper should matter to them after they have finished reading it. A conclusion is not merely a summary of your points or a restatement of issues but a synthesis of key points.
The paper must have the following structure:
- Cover/Title Page: Refer to the APA Format Quick Guide under Research Resources on the assignment page for an example of a Graduate/Doctoral Student cover page. Competency in current APA format is required of all Business graduates of Liberty University, as set forth by the policy of both the graduate faculty and the administration.
- Abstract: The abstract must be a succinct summary of your paper, allowing readers to know the achievements of the research paper. It must be a single paragraph in block format (without paragraph indentation), and the appropriate length is typically between 150 and 250 words (1 page). Section 2.04 of the APA manual has additional information about the abstract. It should focus on your original research, not on the work of others. The abstract should be self-contained and fully understandable without reference to other sources and should be written in past tense or continuation present tense.
- Table of Contents: The table of contents must include key headings (Levels 1, 2, and 3 only). Levels 4 and 5 should not be included, though they can be found in the narrative. Headings must include an accurate corresponding page number.
- Introductory Paragraph: Since the first paragraph or section of a document is assumed to be the introduction of the paper, the word “Introduction” is not needed. Do not begin a paper with the word “Introduction” as a heading. The paper’s title should be the first heading above the first body paragraph of your paper and must be bolded.
- Key Components of the Research Paper (Refer to the Assignment’s Prompt)
- Format:
- Use the following as the exact title of your paper: Research Assignment – [Insert the Corporation] Expanding to [Country]. For example: “Research Assignment –Walmart Expanding to Germany.”
- The paper must have a minimum of 2,500 words and a maximum of 3,000 words. This excludes the word count from the title page, abstract, table of contents, references, and appendices like tables, figures, etc.
- The paper must meet all writing and formatting expectations in the grading rubric.
- The paper must be submitted as a Word document and NOT a PDF document.
- Do not use bullets or list anywhere in the paper.
- Do not copy/paste passages/narratives from other authors or yourself (previous papers) into the paper.
- References must be as follows:
- Minimum of 10 peer-reviewed articles, not including the course textbook and other scholarly sources, cited in current APA format and the reference list formatted using a “hanging indent.”
- Where only 1 version of the Bible is cited in the narrative, do not include the version in the reference list. But when more than 1 version is cited in the narrative, then you can include the versions of the Bible in the reference list.
- All peer-reviewed articles and scholarly articles cited must have been published within the last 5 years.
- The main source of references must be the Jerry Falwell Library, other reputable and professional scholarly journals, and/or business/trade journals.
- References must include a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number.
- Additional references can be from informational venues that deal with the content of the course. Do not select references from blogs, Wikipedia, newspapers, etc.
Briefly introduce the case and state the main problems or questions. Provide context and relevant facts about the situation and the rationale of what you intend to analyze through a summary (this is not an abstract page).
NOTE: The Difference Between Plagiarism and Paraphrasing
Some students do not fully understand the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is when you take a source or someone else’s idea and say it in your own words. When you paraphrase, you must still give the author’s name, date, title of the source, scholarly journal from where it came, and exact website address or book from where it came. However, when you directly quote a source, it must have quotation marks around the quote, or (if 40 words or more) it must be set in block-quotation format. Give detailed information about where you acquired the quote.
For the purpose of this assignment do not copy/paste passages/narrative from the original authors. You must paraphrase and cite the original authors. You can direct quote phrases, the Bible, mission statements, laws, etc. Do not use the same source more than a total of 3 times within the whole document for quoting or paraphrasing.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.