Objectives: This paper offers you an opportunity to engage creatively with the core concepts, frameworks, and approaches to international business examined and practiced during the course. More specifically, you are asked to select ONE of the two recent articles in the international business news provided below and answer in an essay format the related discussion questions. Your analysis needs to be directly informed by the topics and chapters discussed in the course. Given that this essay is analytical, you will be evaluated on the structure of your arguments and how well you leverage the course material in your discussion. The other criteria for the assignment are as follows:

Length: Word count includes tables of content. It does not include the list of references (to be provided at the end of the document in APA format), figures, and diagrams. Please note, paperslonger than words will be penalized.

Submission: Via Brightspace, in PDF format

Guidelines:

1. Carefully read the selected article. The goal of this assignment is to develop a critical and holistic analysis of a real-world international business scenario. Article 1 provides an analytical perspective to one firm's international business strategy, while Article 2 provides an analytical perspective to a highly impactful international business regulation. As mentioned, you can find both articles below and must choose only one of the two.
2. The discussion questions that accompany the provided articles are there to guide your work. They provide an analytical thread to reflect on the specific scenario, develop a personal view and position about its implications, formulate a specific sets of arguments, and support them with conceptual and empirical evidence.
3. You need to integrate your answers into a logically structured and well developed paper. Your final deliverable is not a sequence of independent answers to vague open-ended questions. Rather, your document should read as a business news article or business case analytical report, which integrates multiple dimensions of the business scenario into a coherent flow of ideas. You are free to expand on the initial discussion questions to enrich your arguments and/or connect the different dimensions pinpointed by the questions to an overarching thesis that embodies your view about the case being analyzed.
4. There is no required or specific format for your paper, as long as it reads as a coherent and well organized essay as mentioned at point 3. In particular, it is essential that your paper addresses the discussion questions by presenting your own thoughts and demonstrating a good understanding of the conceptual and practical knowledge acquired during the course. For that purpose, your discussion must integrate and reference at least ten (10) concepts (e.g., multi-domestic strategies, determinants of corruption in IB , specific instruments of int. trade policy, etc.), frameworks (e.g.: PESTLE, Dunning's Electic Paradigm, determinants of culture, etc.), and cases (e.g., opening cases in each chapter of your manual) from your manual and other readings assigned during the course.
5. Make sure you select concepts, frameworks, cases, and readings that are relevant to address the discussion questions and logically support your strategic argument. Treat all the reading materials as evidence to support the development of your argument and viewpoints. Do not summarize the reading materials; assume your audience has read the same content.
6. Clearly cite the concepts, frameworks, readings, and cases discussed in your papers. For example, if you are using Dunning's "Eclectic Paradigm" or the "IKEA entering India, finally!" case to support your argument, clearly cite the manual and relevant chapter and pages in your text, e.g.:

"Investing in the build-up of new technologically advanced infrastructure at the selected location is likely to provide the firm with a competive advantage as the eclectic paradigm suggests (Hill et al., 2021; Chapter 7, p.250). The eclectic paradigm states that...."

"In fact, as demonstrated by the IKEA case (Hill et al., 2021; Chapter 12, p. 226), even companies with a global standardization strategies must sometimes adapt..."

In addition to the ten items from the course manual and readings, you can also integrate and cite (in APA format) relevant articles posted in the Discussion Forums. Importantly, at the end of the paper, make sure to add a final list of all the references you used.

1. Your references must be used critically as a way of supporting an argument or to logically connect different ideas. Do not just summarize the reading contents. Excessive summary of the readings that is not integrated in the logical flow of your paper will result in a lower grade.

Article 1

Chick-fil-A Wants to Serve Its Chicken Sandwiches in Asia and Europe

Wall Street Journal - By Heather Haddon | March 13, 2023

Summary:Chick-fil-A is reaching beyond North America with a $1 billion plan to internationalize. The timetable is to open restaurants in Europe and Asia by 2026, with locations in five international markets by 2030. Chick-fil-A's crispy chicken-breast sandwich and simple menu focused on poultry has helped privately held Chick-fil-A grow to become the third-biggest US fast-food chain by sales behind McDonald's and Starbucks.

Link to the article: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2786044168/DCBF3E41D19C4F0EPQ/2?accountid=14701

This accompanying video explains the product concept and franchising strategy of Chick-fil-A:

https://www.wsj.com/video/series/the-economics-of/the-unconventional-franchise-model-behind-chick-fil-as-success/18DD9C3D-5712-41BB-9F43-FB5F39301F92

Questions:

• After reading the article and viewing the accompanying video on Chick-fil-A's strategy and management style, how easily would you say this company can internationalize? For what kind of foreign environments is the product and franchising strategy well-suited? Which countries do you think Chick-fil-A should avoid at first? Why do you think this?
• How would you summarize the company culture of Chick-fil-A? Does this company culture represent an asset or a handicap for implanting its business practices abroad? Why?What strategy would you recommend the company to pursue in its internationalization?
• What type of staffing policy would you recommend the company to adopt in its international markets? Why? Article 2

EU deforestation rules anger palm oil growers: Big producers Indonesia and Malaysia say the proposed law is protectionist and unfair

Financial Times - By Ruehl, Mercedes; Hancock, Alice; Terazono, Emiko | Feb 7, 2023

Summary:A new European Union (EU) legislation is the first in the world to ban imports of products linked to deforestation, including cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya, wood and rubber. While driven by the attempt of enabling environmental protection and saving tropical forests from denstruction, the regulation is generating multiple concerns. In particular, large palm oil producers such as Indonesia and Malaysia consider this measure an unfair trade restriction and a threat to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers. Implications for the supply chains of multinational corporations are also under scrutiny.

Link to the article: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2784692165/36054AB6B2404ACFPQ/1?accountid=14701

Questions:

• Considering the contrasting perspectives of the EU and Malaysia and Indonesia, how do you feel about the restrictions to trade that the new regulation impose?
• Take into account the position of a EU-based multinational corporation from the agri-food sector for which palm oil is a crucial ingredient. What are the ethical dilemmas arising from the new regulation? And how do they reflect on the company's outsourcing strategy?
• Take into account the position of an Indonesian palm-oil processor and exporter. How is the new regulation affecting its international strategy? Why? What options are available to remain competitive and/or expand/enter new markets?