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Business Research Methods
3,500 words
Business Research Methods – Research Methodologies, Research Instrument and Research Dissemination
This individual assessment for the Business Research Methods module requires students to produce a structured report of no more than 3,500 words. The assessment is designed to develop students’ ability to identify and justify a suitable business research problem, critically evaluate research methodologies, design an appropriate research instrument, and consider how potential research findings could be effectively communicated to relevant audiences. The report consists of three interconnected sections that require students to demonstrate critical research skills and an understanding of how research can contribute to knowledge and practical decision-making. Section 1 focuses on comparing two research methodologies. Students select a topic of interest or a business problem relevant to their degree specialism, such as strategy, supply chain management, international business and economics, marketing, finance, or human resources. They first explain and justify the selected research problem and formulate a research question. Students then review relevant academic literature, justify the selection of key readings, and demonstrate the scope of the literature through a visual presentation such as a mind map, Venn diagram, or literature map. The section concludes with a detailed critical evaluation of at least two established research methodologies, considering their application, contribution to theory and research, advantages, limitations, constraints, and potential research gaps. Section 2 focuses on the development of a research instrument. Students design an appropriate instrument for their proposed research, such as an interview guide, survey questionnaire, or another suitable data-collection tool. The instrument is provided in an appendix, while the main report includes a reflection explaining how and why it was designed. Students are not required to collect data for this assessment. The section concludes by evaluating the expected value of the proposed instrument and its potential contribution to answering the research question. Section 3 addresses research dissemination. Students identify the audiences that could benefit from the potential research findings and explain why those audiences are relevant. They also consider appropriate methods of communicating research outcomes, including suitable summaries, media, report design, and potential partners such as public organisations, NGOs, associations, or industry. The assessment requires Harvard referencing and a bibliography containing at least 12 relevant journal articles, including at least six published within the previous 24 months. The report is assessed on the clarity of the research problem, depth of literature analysis, critical evaluation of research methods, quality of the proposed research instrument, understanding of research dissemination, and overall academic presentation.
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2,000 words
Internationalisation and Global Expansion Plan for a Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise
This assessment is an individual report that requires students to develop a plan for taking a small or medium-sized enterprise, family firm, or new start-up into a global market. Students may create their own start-up business plan or select an existing SME or family business from any country, but the chosen organisation must be a small or medium-sized firm and must be different from the business idea submitted for Assignment 1. The report focuses on developing a practical internationalisation strategy that explains how the selected firm can enter, compete and grow in a new international market. The report begins by establishing the background of the selected firm and its contextual environment. Students should identify whether the organisation is a new start-up or an existing firm, provide relevant information about its country, explain its business type and consider operational or resource challenges. Where a start-up is selected, students should identify potential resource scarcity and explain how these challenges could be overcome. The report then introduces the firm's products or services and explains the value proposition and reasons why customers should purchase them. A feasibility analysis is required to demonstrate how the business opportunity or market gap was identified. Students must use the relevant Week 6 teaching resources to explain the feasibility of the proposed product or service and its potential within the firm's home market. The report then develops an internationalisation strategy, using the specified Week 5 and Weeks 8–10 teaching resources. This includes selecting and justifying the target international market, evaluating appropriate market entry strategies, explaining the proposed innovation, developing a new product or service for the target market and applying relevant innovation models. The internationalisation chapter also requires students to consider how the firm will manage and expand in the selected market, including the use of networks, competitors and competitive strategies. Students must develop a marketing approach for the new market, identify the target customer segment and explain how innovative promotion and advertising methods will be used. Relevant theories and frameworks, including Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL and Embeddedness, should be applied to the selected firm and its context with suitable examples. Further sections address funding and finance, intellectual property and the wider impacts of the firm. Students must explain how the international expansion will be funded, including potential sources such as angel investors, venture capital and crowdfunding, with estimated funding amounts. The report should also explain how intellectual property will be protected in the new market and evaluate potential social, economic and community impacts. The final section is a personal reflection using Gibbs' Reflective Cycle. Students should reflect on their learning throughout the module, including relevant case studies discussed during tutorials, difficulties encountered, lessons learned and steps for improving future learning and performance. The report must use reliable sources and Harvard referencing, with relevant graphs and tables encouraged to improve clarity and presentation.
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Business
800 words
Individual Reflection on Group Research Presentation
This assignment is an individual written reflection based on a group research presentation completed for the Principles of International Business module. The assessment requires students to reflect on both the research topic explored by their group and the process of working collaboratively to develop and deliver the group presentation. The reflection has a word count of 800 words and should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the student's individual experience, contribution and learning. The first part of the reflection introduces the research topic investigated by the group. Students are expected to provide a concise summary of the subject explored and establish the context for their reflection. This provides an opportunity to explain the focus of the group's research and the main area investigated. The second area focuses on the group project experience. Students should reflect on their own contribution to the group presentation and evaluate how effectively the group collaborated. The reflection should consider aspects of teamwork such as communication, presentation, time management and conflict resolution. Students should also discuss what they learned from undertaking the research project, including critical reading and thinking, development of the research topic, data collection and analysis, and the process of making recommendations. Importantly, the reflection should include at least one specific example of how a problem was identified and resolved during the group process. The final area focuses on research skills development. Students should identify the research skills they developed while conducting the chosen research topic and provide examples of how these skills were applied during the group research project. They should also discuss challenges encountered while completing the project and explain how they addressed or overcame those challenges. Overall, the assignment is designed to encourage students to critically reflect on their group research and presentation experience, rather than simply describe what happened. It provides an opportunity to consider individual contributions, teamwork, research capabilities, problem-solving and personal learning gained through the project. The assessment therefore combines reflection on the international business research topic with evaluation of collaborative working and the development of research skills.
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Global Business Strategy
2,500 words
Global Business Strategy: Strategic Analysis and Growth of a Global Company
This Global Business Strategy assessment is an individual e-portfolio that requires students to conduct a comprehensive strategic analysis of a selected global company facing a significant business challenge. The assessment focuses on the identification and analysis of a real organisational problem, evaluation of the global business environment, development of sustainable strategic options, the role of strategic leadership, and recommendations for future growth and competitiveness. Students are required to select a global company from any industry and investigate challenges such as loss of market position, difficulties in gaining or regaining market share, operational challenges, or declining revenues and profits. Relevant strategic theories, models and academic evidence should be used throughout the analysis. The first stage focuses on selecting the organisation, identifying its strategic purpose, vision, mission and objectives, and analysing the significant problem affecting the company. Students are expected to investigate both internal and external aspects of the global business environment and identify factors that may have contributed to the organisation's challenges. Appropriate theories and strategic models should be applied to provide a critical analysis of the business context. The second stage examines sustainable business strategies, diversification and competitive advantage. Students are required to conduct a resource audit and use an appropriate strategic model to assess how the organisation can sustain competitive advantage. The assessment also requires students to propose an appropriate mode and strategy for entering an international market in which the selected company does not currently operate, supported by relevant theories and models. The third stage addresses strategic change, leadership and governance. Students must demonstrate an understanding of effective leadership styles and their relevance to strategic change, good governance and ethical business practices. The role of ethics in international business should be examined using relevant practical examples and evidence. The fourth stage focuses on good strategy execution, evaluation, recommendations and conclusion. Students are expected to justify how the selected organisation can execute strategy effectively using available resources and process management tools that support continuous improvement. At least two strategic options should be considered, with attention given to their feasibility, potential impact, alignment with organisational goals and available resources, as well as the role of leadership and leadership styles. The assessment concludes with a summary report of approximately 1,000–1,500 words, synthesising the key learning and insights gained from the individual tasks. The overall report should be approximately 2,500 words, excluding references and appendices, and should follow the ULBS Harvard referencing style. Evidence and artefacts may include business-journal articles, professional or government reports, relevant videos, analytical tables, competitive-position graphs and financial or balanced-scorecard information. The completed e-portfolio is compiled in PebblePad and submitted as a PDF through Turnitin.
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International Business Strategy
250 words
Individual Reflection on Case Study Discussion – International Business Strategy
This assignment is an individual reflective assessment for the International Business Strategy module. It focuses on developing students’ ability to critically reflect on their learning experiences and identify how learning from classroom discussions can improve their future academic and professional performance. The assessment is based on a Case Study Discussion undertaken during one of the teaching weeks from Week 5 to Week 8. Students are required to select one of the case studies discussed during the relevant seminar sessions and reflect on their learning from the discussion. The case-study discussions provide an opportunity to explore important issues in the business world, apply concepts introduced through Canvas preparation and face-to-face teaching, and exchange ideas with tutors and peers. The reflection therefore connects theoretical knowledge with practical business situations and encourages students to consider how strategic management concepts can be applied to real-world organisations. The reflective task requires students to explain the topic and case study discussed during their selected week, identify what they learned from the discussion, and consider how the experience helped them develop their ability to apply theories to their chosen company. Students should also reflect on their key takeaways, what went well during the discussion, challenges they encountered, and what they would change if they were to repeat the experience. The reflection should be between 150 and 250 words and should use an appropriate reflective framework, such as Gibbs' Reflective Cycle or Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, to structure the discussion. Harvard referencing should be used where applicable. The assessment develops critical reflection, strategic thinking, international business understanding and the ability to connect academic concepts with practical business cases. The assessment is worth 15% of the module and is submitted through Canvas. The marking criteria consider the quality of reflection, critical analysis, personal learning insights, presentation and structure, intellectual curiosity, referencing, content and discussion.
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International Business / Strategic Management
200 words
Individual Reflection on Tencent’s Strategic Reorganisation and International Business Strategy
This International Business Strategy assessment is an individual reflective exercise based on a case-study discussion undertaken during Weeks 5–8 of the module. Its purpose is to develop students’ ability to critically reflect on learning experiences and use that reflection to improve future academic and professional performance. Students participate in approximately 30-minute seminar discussions in which theoretical concepts from the module are applied to real-world business cases with tutors and peers. IBS-0901-2025-+Reflection2-Ref For this entry, the selected case is Tencent: “third time lucky?”. The case examines how Tencent evolved from a Chinese instant-messaging company into a major technology group spanning messaging, gaming, entertainment, investment and cloud services. It focuses particularly on three major organisational reorganisations undertaken in 2005, 2012 and 2018 as the company attempted to address increasing organisational complexity, coordination problems, changing technologies and new strategic priorities. The 2005 restructuring responded to Tencent’s growing scale by dividing the organisation into major business and platform-development groups. By 2012, further growth and the success of products such as WeChat had created new organisational complexity, leading to a structure organised around seven distinct business groups. The case highlights that this arrangement subsequently contributed to a “silo culture”, creating difficulties in sharing ideas, data, code and customers across business units. The 2018 reorganisation responded to a strategic shift toward the “industrial internet”, including greater emphasis on cloud services, business-to-business solutions and digital transformation. Tencent reorganised around six major groups, including Cloud and Smart Industries, Platforms and Content, Interactive Entertainment, Corporate Development, WeChat, and Technology and Engineering, while also establishing a technical committee intended to improve internal coordination and data sharing. The case asks students to consider both the strategic rationale for each restructuring and whether the 2018 changes adequately addressed Tencent’s organisational challenges. The reflection itself must be between 150 and 250 words. Students should explain what the week’s topic and case study were about, what they learned from the discussion, how the conversation helped them apply theory to their final report, and what key insights they gained. They should also reflect on what went well, what challenges were encountered and what they would change if repeating the session. At least one reflective framework, such as Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle or Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, must be applied. IBS-0901-2025-+Reflection2-Ref The wider learning outcomes emphasise strategic management theory, internationalisation, internal and external environmental influences, critical analysis of international organisations and the use of analytical tools to evaluate strategic options. The task therefore combines strategic thinking, international business analysis and reflective professional development. IBS-0901-2025-+Reflection2-Ref The accompanying Tencent case specifically asks students to consider why each major reorganisation occurred, whether the 2018 restructuring adequately addressed Tencent’s challenges, and what additional “hard” and “soft” implementation measures might have been necessary. Case+study+7
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International Human Resource Management / International Business
800 words
Comparative Analysis of Cultural Factors Shaping Human Resource Staffing Strategies in International Enterprises
This individual international human resource management assessment examines how cultural and institutional differences influence recruitment and staffing decisions in international enterprises. Students take the role of an HR representative for VetDopomoga, a Ukraine-based international veterinary clinic chain planning to expand into either the United Kingdom or India. The final output is a concise academic poster of up to two pages and approximately 800 words ±10%, supported by appropriate visual material. Assignment 1_The Comparative An… The first component requires comparison of the United Kingdom and India with Ukraine. Students examine relevant cultural characteristics, including communication style, hierarchy and power distance, individualism versus collectivism and approaches to time, alongside institutional factors such as labour-market conditions and employment or regulatory environments. This comparison provides the contextual basis for evaluating how recruitment practices may need to change across markets. Assignment 1_The Comparative An… Students must then apply an appropriate international HR staffing strategy, choosing from ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric or geocentric approaches. Based on their analysis, they must recommend which market VetDopomoga should enter first and which should follow, providing clear evidence-based justification. Assignment 1_The Comparative An… A central theoretical component requires application of one cultural framework, selected from the Cultural Intelligence framework, Erin Meyer’s Culture Map, the GLOBE Project or Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory. Students focus on two dimensions from their selected framework and use them to evaluate the benefits and challenges associated with recruitment practices in Ukraine, the United Kingdom and India. Assignment 1_The Comparative An… The poster must also examine a recent cultural, economic or political event affecting the three national contexts and explain its implications for international recruitment and staffing. Examples suggested in the brief include changing social attitudes following COVID-19, economic shifts affecting demand for specialist labour and post-Brexit employment or migration policies. Assignment 1_The Comparative An… Students additionally research best-practice recruitment examples from international veterinary enterprises operating in the UK and India and identify practices VetDopomoga could adopt or adapt in each market. The final recommendation must identify the preferred first expansion destination and provide three evidence-based reasons supporting the decision. Assignment 1_The Comparative An… Assessment criteria place strong emphasis on content and findings, theoretical application, critical analysis, source quality and Harvard referencing, as well as poster presentation and structure. High-quality work is expected to go beyond description by applying cultural theory directly to HRM practices and critically evaluating the implications of cultural and institutional differences for international recruitment decisions. Assignment 1_The Comparative An… Assignment 1_The Comparative An…
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Artificial Intelligence / International Business
3,000 words
AI Innovation Consultancy: Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Solutions for Business Problems
This individual consultancy assessment requires students to act as an AI Innovation Consultant and evaluate how artificial intelligence could address a significant real-world business problem. Students select one industry—such as healthcare, retail, FinTech, manufacturing or agriculture—and concentrate on a single clearly defined organisational challenge rather than comparing multiple sectors. Potential issues include long waiting times, high operating costs, fraud and risk, poor customer experience or inefficient supply chains. The report develops a practical AI solution by identifying suitable technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing or computer vision and explaining how they would operate within the chosen organisational context. Students are not required to build an AI system; instead, the emphasis is on demonstrating business-level technical understanding, critical thinking and the ability to assess whether the proposed technology can realistically integrate with existing organisational processes. The analysis considers the capabilities and limitations of AI, technical feasibility, integration requirements and the skills or organisational capabilities required for implementation. Students must also critically examine ethical, legal and social implications, including issues such as algorithmic bias, transparency, accountability, privacy and regulatory obligations such as UK GDPR. Appropriate risk-mitigation measures should be proposed. A substantial element of the report develops the business case for AI adoption. Students evaluate implementation costs and expected benefits, estimate return on investment, identify assumptions and commercial risks, and assess the overall strategic value of the solution to the organisation. The report concludes with clear recommendations, implementation priorities and a final judgement on whether the proposed AI initiative is feasible and worthwhile. The assessment places strong emphasis on critical analysis, technical understanding, business acumen and professional communication. Students are expected to support arguments with credible academic, industry and government evidence and include at least two professional visualisations such as frameworks, diagrams or tables. Harvard referencing is required throughout. Overview word count: approximately 330 words. The brief also allows authorised use of generative AI for idea generation, drafting/structuring and proofreading, provided the student verifies accuracy, references appropriately and submits the required GenAI declaration.
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Global Business Strategy
2,500 words
Global Business Strategy – Strategic Analysis of a Global Company
This assessment is an individual portfolio for the Global Business Strategy module. The assignment requires students to conduct a comprehensive strategic analysis of a named global company that is facing a significant business problem and to develop strategic options that can support the organisation's sustainable growth and future success. The selected company can be from any industry and may be a large or small global organisation. Students must identify a company that has experienced significant challenges during the past five years or is currently facing strategic difficulties. These may include loss of market position, inability to gain or regain market share, operational challenges, or declining revenues and profits. The assessment requires students to investigate the company's strategic purpose, vision, mission and objectives before examining the internal and external global business environment that may have contributed to its challenges. Relevant strategic theories and models should be applied to support the analysis. The portfolio is developed progressively across the semester. The first stage focuses on selecting the global company, identifying its key problem and analysing the internal and external business environment. The second stage examines sustainable business strategies, diversification and competitive advantage through a resource audit, together with an appropriate model for supporting global business growth. Students must also propose an appropriate mode and strategy for entering an international market in which the selected company does not currently operate. The third stage focuses on strategic change, leadership and governance. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of effective leadership styles, the role of leadership in strategic change, good governance and the importance of ethics in international business. Practical examples should be used to demonstrate how leadership, governance and ethical considerations can contribute to business growth. The fourth stage addresses good strategy execution and evaluation. Students must justify how the proposed strategy can be effectively implemented using available organisational resources and process management tools that support continuous improvement. The analysis should lead to strategic recommendations and an evaluation of how the proposed strategies could affect the company's future performance and competitiveness in the global market. After completing the individual portfolio tasks, students must prepare a summary report of approximately 1,000–1,500 words. This report should synthesise the key learning and insights gained from each task and demonstrate how the different strategic concepts have been applied to the selected organisation. The final e-portfolio is compiled as a single academic report in PebblePad and submitted as a PDF through Turnitin. The overall report should be approximately 2,500 words ±10%, excluding references and appendices, and sources should be cited using the ULBS Harvard referencing style.
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International Human Resource Management / International Business
801 words
A Comparative Analysis of Cultural Factors Shaping Human Resource Staffing Strategies in International Enterprises
This International Human Resource Management assessment examines how cultural, institutional and employment-related factors influence recruitment and international staffing decisions when an organisation expands into a new national market. Students take the role of an HR representative for VetDopomoga, a Ukraine-based international veterinary clinic chain considering expansion into either the United Kingdom or India. The task requires a comparative analysis of Ukraine and the selected host country, followed by evidence-based recommendations for adapting the organisation's recruitment strategy. The first element of the assessment evaluates the cultural and institutional environment of the selected country. Students consider factors such as communication style, hierarchy and power distance, individualism versus collectivism, time orientation, labour-market conditions, professional expectations and the regulatory or employment environment. These factors must be compared with the corresponding context in Ukraine to identify implications for international HR practice. Students must then apply an appropriate international staffing strategy, selecting from ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric or geocentric approaches. The selected strategy should be justified in relation to VetDopomoga's proposed international expansion and recruitment requirements. The poster must also apply one cultural framework. Students may use either the Cultural Intelligence Framework developed by Earley and Ang or Erin Meyer's Culture Map. Two relevant dimensions from the selected framework should be analysed to explain potential benefits and challenges for recruitment across Ukraine and the selected host country. Practical application is an important component of the assessment. Students research recruitment best practices used by international veterinary organisations operating in the UK or India and assess which practices VetDopomoga could adopt, modify or avoid. The poster concludes with three evidence-based reasons supporting expansion into the selected country. The final poster should be concise, visually structured and supported by diagrams, charts, icons or other relevant visuals. At least seven academic or professional sources are required, including the core International Human Resource Management textbook, with Harvard-style in-text citations and a full reference list. One important guideline: the assessment brief indicates Category 2 AI use — proofreading only, meaning AI-generated assessment content is not permitted under that category.
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