Objective

Working as part of a team, students will complete a substantive Market Entry Strategy Project. This Capstone Project will be done in teams as determined by the professor. Each team member is expected to contribute and cooperate in a professional and respectful manner.

This project will be carried out by the group over several weeks of the course, with specific deliverables posted in their respective units. Some deliverables will be graded, others not. All deliverables are mandatory and subject to the usual late submission policy.

Instructions

Working as part of a team, students will complete a Market Entry Strategy Project. Each team will:

• Select a country as a possible new market for a new video game system, the M-Box by MES-Sim Corporation.
• Research and analyze that country.
• Recommend whether the market should be developed, or not, by MES-Sim Corporation.

This project has four distinct parts. Teams will work one section at a time in the sequence and according to the schedule outlined below. Draft Versions of each Part will be submitted to the professor as a Check-in; the professor will not mark the Check-Ins but will provide feedback. Teams can therefore improve the Draft before submitting the Final Version of the Report at the end of the course for marking.

The Final Market Entry Strategy Report shall:

• Include an Executive Summary, introduction, and conclusion, as well as results of the four project components (outlined below).
• Be a maximum of 25 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt font.
• Be formatted to be consistent with APA style format.

Before the description of the work for the Project, it is necessary to discuss how each team, and the work for the Project, will be managed.

Team Management

It is critical that all each team makes meaningful progress towards completing the Capstone Project on a unit-by-unit basis.

• Each team will be managed according to the Learning Team Agreement (LTA). Each team member will be required to agree to and abide by the LTA. LTA must be submitted for approval by professor by 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 2.
• This work will be managed by the Team but the Project Deliverables (refer to the LTA) must be approved by the professor, and the actual work done each unit will be reviewed by the professor. Students can assign the work in whatever manner the Team Members believe is most appropriate for them. For example, students can divide each section according to the issues listed below or they can share the work collectively.
• Each team will write a brief work plan as outlined in the Project Deliverables section of the LTA and submit it to the professor for approval by the end of the third day of the course.
• Each team will also submit a brief unit report to the professor based on the Project Deliverables, which will indicate what work was done and by whom. This approach gives the professor the ability to assess not only the teams progress but also the contribution of each team member. Unit reports will be submitted to the professor at the end of each unit.
• Team members must advise the professor of any issues relating to peers as soon as they occur so that they can be handled in a proactive and respectful manner. Again, each team member is expected to cooperate in a professional and respectful manner; and on a unit basis, submit work that meets the standards of the program and university.

Project Schedule Breakdown

The Capstone Project has four distinct parts which are material to the development of your teams Recommendation. When formatting the Project, it must be remembered that written submissions are professionally presented, including an Executive Summary and Conclusion. Each Part should be done in the order described above as Parts 2, 3, and 4 build on previous work. Draft Versions of each Part will be submitted to the Professor as a Check-in; the professor will not mark the Check-Ins but will provide feedback. Teams can therefore improve the Draft before submitting the Final Version of the Report at the end of the course for marking. Each part should be 3-4 pages in length.

1. Marketing Intelligence Report (MIR) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 4 (3-4 pages).

The MIR requires teams to gather current, or the most recently available, data on the markets people, economy, government, and technological status from online sources.

2. Business Environment Analysis Report (BEAR) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 6 (3-4 pages).

In the BEAR, students will analyze the business environment in the market. Students should remember that this is about developing a market in the selected country, not going there to have fun as a tourist. Therefore, your work should not include data that is not directly relevant to the goal of deciding whether the market should be developed or not. Data that would be relevant could include, but may not necessarily be limited to, the following items:

• Political and regulatory stability Students will need to describe and discuss the political and regulatory system with reference to their stability and receptivity to international business, including foreign investment.
• Legal system Students will need to describe and discuss the kind of legal system that exists there. The following questions are typically important in such a discussion - Is the legal system transparent and independent? Is it fair and objective? Does it protect intellectual property, foreign investments, etc.?
• Business customs and practice Students will need to describe and discuss the business customs and practices that exist there. The following questions are typically important in such a discussion - What role do ethics, corruption, and respect of law play? How are environmental concerns and human rights issues addressed?
• Religion and culture Students will need to describe and discuss the cultures that play a significant role in the country, specifically how these cultures might impact international business.
• Economic analysis of key indicators
  • Demographics
  • GNP/GDP
  • Major sectors and industries
  • Currency, interest, and inflation rates
  • International Trade patterns
  • Labour Force

3. Report on Opportunities for Market Entry (ROME) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 8 (3-4 pages).

The ROME builds upon the BEAR and asks students to assess the import and export prospects for MES-Sim regarding the target market. The critical issue here is whether MES-Sim can effectively conduct international trade activities with the target market as a new base of operations? Therefore, the ROME builds on the BEAR and requires a significant amount of analysis to develop recommendations.

4. Market Entry Strategy Assignment (MESA) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 10 (3-4 pages).

Teams will be required to develop a market entry strategy for the M-Box and MES-Sim in the selected market. This could include, but may not necessarily be limited to, the following items:

• Transportation and telecommunications infrastructure
• Methods of distribution within the country
• Points of sale issues

The MESA builds upon the ROME and BEAR and requires a significant amount of analysis to develop recommendations.

PROJECT DEADLINES

1. Learning Team Agreement submission 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 2.
2. Marketing Intelligence Report (MIR) 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 4.
3. Business Environment Analysis Report (BEAR) 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 6.
4. Report on Opportunities for Market Entry (ROME) 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 8.
5. Market Entry Strategy Assignment (MESA) 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 10.
6. Final Report Submission (inclusive of all sections) 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 11.

Evaluation

The Capstone Project will be marked in its entirety out of 100. The following rubric indicates the criteria students are to adhere to, and their relative weights to the assignment overall.

ACTIVITY/COMPETENCIES DEMONSTRATED		% of Final Grade
1.	Content (50%)
	a. Describes the importance of cultural understanding in market entry and development.	/10
	b. Researched and analyzed the culture of the chosen nation using the Hofstede framework.	/10
	c. Finalize the four distinct parts of the project; MIR, BEAR, ROME, and MESA.	/15
	d. Provided adequate justification whether the market should be developed or not by MES-Sim Corporation.	/15
2.	Communication (35%)
	a. Summarized paper in a 2-3-page executive summary.	/10
	b. Uses language clearly and effectively.	/10
	c. Information organized intelligently and holistically (i.e., not simply answers to questions).	/10
	d. Proper introduction and conclusion to paper.	/5
3	Attention to Detail (15%)
	a. APA Formatting (title, headings, and references).	/10
	b. Spelling and grammar.	/5
Total		/100

Please give full answer to all of the parts, no sub-answers.