200591 Case Analysis Brief

Autumn 2020

A. Group Case Analysis (Written report)
Start your written report and presentation with a brief overview of the case’s core issue(s) to be followed by the analysis & answer to Q1, then Q2 and so on.

Recommended approach for each case question:
a) Read and understand the case question (s).
b) Identify relevant concepts or theoriesfrom the text
c) Identify relevant information found in the case.
d) Conduct research about (b) above and to obtain data/information to supplement case facts
e) Apply (b) to case question, taking into account items c and d above
f) Based on (e), answer the question and/or make recommendations

Each group should aim to keep their report within the 1500 word limit and to make use of tables, graphs, charts and appendices (which are not counted towards the word limit). Report will be double spaced in Times Roman Font 12.Consult/email lecturer if your report is going to exceed the word limit.

In preparing your report, you are expected to refer to business magazines, newspapers, company websites, government agency websites e.g. Austrade, UN, World Bank, reference books, journal articles etc. These references will need to be cited in-textand in the list of referencesat the end of your report (Harvard referencing style recommended).

Important:The name of the student responsible for each question should be printed in the relevant page(s) of the report. Reports should be corner stapled with a signed cover assignment sheet (downloadable from vUWS) and submitted to the lecturer just before the presentation. An electronic copy should also be submitted thru Turnitin (see LG for details).

B. Case Presentation
The presentation slides should be developed based on the written report but should not be a photocopy of the report. In your presentations, you are encouraged to use different aids such as film clips, “You Tube” materials (e.g. for company overview) or alternative formats such as role playing, charts and graphs etc. when relevant or applicable. Considering that you have only 20 minutes for your group presentation, be selective with what to include in your presentation.Make sure that each member keeps within their allocated time.
C. Case Discussion
After the presentation, the group will invite questions and lead the class discussion. The group may prepare some questions to elicit class participation and/or use this time to elaborate on case issues not covered in the presentation due to time constraints. This activity will attract a group mark (see Case Study marking rubric).

D. Case Prep Sheet
Students who are not members of the presenting group are required to read the case study beforehand. They may also submit a prep sheet by answering any 2 case study questions (2 cases for the entire semester). The prep sheet will be typewritten, printed and submitted at thebeginning of the tutorial session. Students need to be present for the prepsheet to be valid. Prep sheets from absent students will not be marked. The Prep Sheet template may be downloaded from vUWS.

E. Case Questions
This section contains the questions that should be answered in the case analysis report and presentation. The list below replacesthe questions found at the end of each case in the textbook (ignore the questions found at the end of each case in the textbook).
Note that every case question can benefit from secondary research i.e. relevant info about the company/country, case issues, & related concepts & theories.Answers that are supported by strong secondary research in addition to the case study itself, will attract higher marks. (See marking criteria -page 8- in the Learning Guide).
Case 1: Logitech (Text p. 97)
This first case will not be assigned to a group for presentation. The class discussion of this case will instead be led by the tutor. Students may submit a case prep sheet addressing any 2 of the questions below.
1. Which of the firm internationalisation theories described in Chap 2 applies to this company? Briefly justify your answer. (Note that firm internationalisation theories differ from international trade theories.)

2. Show in a geographic map how Logitech has configured its global operations including the location of its manufacturing, R&D and corporate headquarters. Why did Logitech configure its global operations in this manner?

3. Which theory/theories might have helped Logitech choose Taiwan and China as its major manufacturing sites?

4. Who creates more value for Logitech, the 650 people it employs in Freemont and Switzerland, or the 4000 employees at its Chinese factory? What are the implications of this situation on the argument that free trade is beneficial? Explain briefly.

Case 2: Unease over China’s rare earths trade policies (Text p.103)
1. Why did China cut its exports of rare earth to Japan? What does China expect to achieve by restricting the export of rare earths? Will these restrictions be effective in the long run? Discuss.

2. Did China violate any WTO rules of trade by restricting the exports of rare earth? Did China violate the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) and National Treatment (NT) principles in this case? What is the role of WTO in cases such as this? Discuss.

3. Why might Lynas have chosen Malaysia over China or Australia for the preferred location for its LAMP? Discuss.

4. Why do governments intervene in the mining, refining and trading of rare earths? What are the political and economic arguments for such an intervention? Explain.

5. Give an overview of the rare earth industry in Australia. What role should the government play in the development of this industry? Discuss.

Case 3:The Fluctuating Value of the Yuan (Text p.203)
1. Show in a graph the rise and fall of the Chinese Yuan since the year 2010 (against the USD). What triggered the fall of the yuan between 2015 and 2016? How did this impact on China’s economy? Conduct secondary research.

2. What were the reasons for the yuan appreciating between January 2017 and April 2018? Aside from those mentioned in the case, what other industries in China benefitted from the appreciation in the value of the yuan against the USD? Conduct secondary research.

3. What could Zhejieng NHU have done to mitigate its foreign exchange losses?What is the easiest way for SMEs to hedge against foreign exchange risks? Conduct secondary research.

4. Describe the foreign exchange rate system in China. How does this differ from that in the U.S.? In what ways is the value of the Yuan affecting the trade war between China and the U.S.?

5. In what ways, if any, did the rise and fall of the Yuan impact on Australia? Conduct secondary research.

Case 4: A Tale of Two Countries (Textp.239)

1. Compare and contrast China and India in terms of major economic, political and cultural factors. (For culture, use Hofstede’s dimensions.)

2. Which of Hofstede’s cultural values scores for India best explains the bureaucratic behaviour of the ROC? Explain in specific terms how this cultural value influences the behaviour of the bureaucrats in ROC. Is thisbureaucratic behaviour also present in China? Conduct secondary research.

3. Why would the careful selection of and involvement by a local chartered accountant make a difference to thespeed of business registration in India? How does the speed of registration in India compare to that in China?Discuss.

4. The case identifies some tactics commonly used by negotiators in China and India. Show by way of a role play how these tactics work. Conduct secondary research or interview some Indian and Chines students. (2 group members may be assigned to do this question.)

Case 5: Elena Egorova (Text p.295)

1. What does the case reveal about the sources of political risks in Russia? How do thesesources differ from those in countries such as Australia?

2. Russia is officially a democratic state, and an important component of democracy is the protection of individual rights. If Elena Egorova is entirely fictional, does this mean that in Russia individual rights are taken so seriously that they extend to imaginary persons? Comment on the statement that “Russia is officially a democratic state”.

3. If Flinders was the victim of an oligarch’s manipulation of the legal process in Russia, was there anything the company could have done to better protect itself? Discuss.

4. Conduct secondary research and give an overview of the economic, political and cultural environment in Russia that is relevant to international business.

5. Visit the following websites (https://www.austrade.gov.au/Australian/Export/Export-markets/Countries/Russia/Doing-business/Business-risks, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-business-risk-russia/overseas-business-risk-russia ) and conduct secondary research to identify: a) the risks of doing business in Russia and b) how multinational companies mitigate these risks.

Case 6: Embraer Flies as Brazil’s Exports Hit Headwinds (Download from vUWS)
1. Based on the case study and other sources, compare and contrast Brazil with the other BRICS countries in terms of population, GDP levels and growth rates, export values and export growth rates, export competitiveness, ease of doing business, logistics infrastructure and other relevant economic indicators. Use graphs to show how these countries compare with one other. What conclusions can you draw from these graphs about Brazil’s position, relative to the other BRICS countries? (Suggested time frame for comparison is for the last 10-20 years.)

2. Compile relevant data (from case facts and other sources), and analyse the extent to which Brazil’s economy has been dependent on its exports of commodities such as minerals and agricultural products (during the last 10-20 years). Is this a good thing or a bad thing? How can this situation be improved? Justify.

3. Based on case facts and other sources, trace the historical development and growth of Embraer (consider major milestones in conjunction with Brazil’s political and economic environment). Identify and briefly explain 3-5 factors that you consider as having a major impact on its current position in the world’s aerospace industry.

4. Describe the transformation of Embraer from a state-owned, military-controlled entreprise into a privately-owned company. When and how did this transformation take place? How did the transformation contribute to Embraer’s performance? Explain. (Hint: conduct research and read text about privatisation.)

5. Assess the impact of the import substitution policy on Brazil’s high tech industries in general, and Embraer in particular. What lessons were learned from Embraer’s experience? Discuss.

Case 7: Jollibee 9 (Text p. 424)
1. Discuss the advantages to Jollibee of not being a first mover in the fast-food restaurant market.

2. What entry strategies did Jollibee adopt in China? Why did the initial entry fail? What might have accounted for its success with the second strategy? Conduct secondary research and discuss.

3. Jollibee dominates the domestic fast-food market in the Philippines with over 750 stores. What advantages does it capture by going international?

4. What level of success do you think Jollibee would have achieved if there had not been a large expatriate Filipino community in its international destinations? How large is the Filipino expatriate in these markets (conduct secondary research on its top five foreign markets.)?

5. Visit Jollibee’s website (www.jollibee.com.ph/about-us) and identify how it seeks to differentiate its brand from other global fast-food giants such as McDonald’s.

Case 8: Haier(Text p. 468)

1. Give an overview of the Haier’s growth and development as a whitegoods manufacturer. Analyse the factors that have led to its current position as a global company?

2. Trace the internationalisation path and strategy adopted by Haier. How does this compare to the internationalisation theories discussed in chapter 2? Explain.

3. Conduct research to analyse Haier’s operation and performance in the Australian market. How well is it performing compared to competitors?

4. In the context of Fig 10.8 describe the pressures faced by white goods manufacturers (conduct secondary research to support your answer). What strategy/strategies has Haier adopted in the light of these pressures? Give specific examples.

5. Describe the “internet-plus” development strategy implemented by Haier. Conduct secondary research to describe and analyse the features, scope and implications of this strategy.

Case 9: Corona Extra (Download from vUWS)

1. Which of the two international strategies identified in the case should Corona Extra adopt?

A. Continue with its current product standardisation strategy

B. Adopt a differentiation i.e. more customisation and adaptation strategy across all its marketing mix
elements

Justify your answer.

2. Develop an indicative marketing plan to implement the strategy you have selected.

Note: A group mark will be awarded to members of this group not unless a peer evaluation form is completed.

Case 10: FMCG, soft dollars and lean supply chains* (Text p.595)

1. What logistics services were provided by IDS to the FMCG company? Explain.

2. Discuss why it is important for multinational FMCG companies in particular to have an efficient supply chain?

3. How has containerisation and information technology enabled the creation of a more efficient supply chain? Answer should be based on case facts and external sources.

4. In relation to this case, is it true to say, ‘Competition is no longer between companies but between supply chains’? Why or why not? Conduct secondary research. Provide some examples.

5. What are the potential risks for the FMCG company of the redesigned supply chain? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Discuss

*This case replaces LAT 5 in the Learning Guide (page 16).