BSM933A International Business Ass001: Individual Assignment 2025/26

Assessment Brief BSM933A 25/26

Purpose of an assessment brief

(How should I use this brief to help with my assessment?)

This brief gives you key information and guidance about your assessment. It’s the starting point for your work, and your module tutors will refer to it during assessment discussions. Read the brief carefully, along with any other materials your tutors provide, and use them to help you plan and complete your assessment.

1.0 Essential Information

Module Code and Title	BSM933A: International Business
Assessment Title	Ass001: Individual Assignment
Assessment weighting	100%
Submission Date and Time	09/12/2025 at 12:00 (noon)
Word Count/Page Count/Lengths of presentation/ Fixed Window Assessment Period (in hours/days)	Word Count: 3000 (+/- 10%)

2.0 Assessment Overview

(This is where you explain and provide the details of your assessment task to your students) Assessment Mode (What do I need to produce at the end?)

An individual report (3,000 words, +/-10%) that develops a market entry plan for a selected multinational company into one designated country.

Mode: Written report (structured as per the template provided).
Format: Individual piece of work (not group-based).

Reference Resources:

University’s Assessment Load and Equivalence policy.
Adobe Assessment Toolkit for support with creative and professional presentation of written work.

Task Description (What do I have to do for this assessment?)

You are required to:

Select one company from the list: Sainsbury, British American Tobacco, Dyson, Robinhood Markets Inc., Southwest Airlines, Specsavers, Whole Foods Market.
Select one country from the list: Venezuela, Iran, South Sudan, Cuba, Paraguay, Russia, Myanmar, Belarus, Chile, Zimbabwe, Lebanon.

Develop a market entry plan for the chosen company to enter the chosen country. Ensure that your entry strategy involves in-country production/operations

Report Structure (must follow this order):

Cover Page
Table of Contents
Introduction: Company and country overview (250 words).
Political Environment: Political system, stability, risks, corruption index (500 words). 5. Economic & Business Environment:
Economy, per capita income, firms, trade regulations, inflation, labour market, legal system, competitor analysis (800 words).
Social Environment: Beliefs, values, religion, demographics, wealth distribution (500 words).
Market Entry Mode: Comparison and justification of entry strategies (licensing. franchising, JV, subsidiary) [500 words].
Market Opportunity Analysis: Market size, demographics, product potential (200 words).
Conclusion: Key highlights of findings (250 words).

Expectations:

Apply relevant theories and concepts in all sections.
Demonstrate critical analysis, not just description.
Repeat/referred students: you must change either the company or the country from your previous attempt.

Submission Instructions (When and Where do I submit?)

Deadline: 09 December 2025, 12:00 noon (UK time).
Submission Platform: Submit via your module’s Assessment Area on Blackboard.
Please submit your assessment via your module’s Assessment Area on Blackboard. Guidance on how to submit can be found below:
For standard Blackboard assignments use this guide to submitting to Blackboard assignments.
For video assignments use this guide to submitting video assignments to Blackboard
For Turnitin assignments use this this quide to submitting to Turnitin assignments
File format: Word or PDF.
Font: Size 12, Times New Roman or Arial.
Line spacing: 1.5.
Referencing: Harvard style referencing must be used.

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3.0 Purpose of Assessment

Link to Learning Outcomes (How does the assessment help you demonstrate the outcomes of this module?)

This assignment is designed to help you:

Understand the challenges and opportunities multinational enterprises face when entering new markets.
Evaluate political, economic, social, and legal influences on international business operations.
Apply international business theories to real-world contexts, demonstrating problem-solving ability.
Critically analyse business models and strategies, building your capacity to think strategically about global operations.

Purpose of Assessment (Why am I doing this? How does this link to my future role as an professional in the discipline? What knowledge, concepts or skills should I demonstrate? How might this links to (name of specific PSRB?))

This assessment develops the skills and knowledge you will need as an international business professional. Specifically, it will help you:
Strengthen your research, analysis, and critical thinking skills by examining complex real-world market entry challenges.

Build an understanding of how political risk, cultural differences, and economic environments affect business decisions.

Practice strategic decision-making by evaluating and selecting appropriate entry strategies.
Enhance your communication and writing skills through producing a professional business report.
By completing this assignment, you will gain practical insights into how multinational corporations expand globally, preparing you for roles in international business management, consultancy, and strategy development.
4.0 Feedback Expectations

When and where can I find my grades and feedback?

Staff will aim to return provisional marks for coursework assessments to students within 4 weeks of the submission deadline during term time.

Feedback and grades will be released via Blackboard

6.0 Assessment Top Tips

What further information and advice might help me to complete this task?

To support you in preparing for this assignment, a range of materials and opportunities will be made available via Blackboard under your module’s Assessment Area.

You will find:

Module-Specific Materials: Lecture slides, case study resources, and the tutor- provided competitor analysis template.
Report Template: A template of the report structure is already uploaded to Blackboard for you to use.
Feedback Guidance: Advice on how to use feedback from previous assignments to strengthen your work.
Self-Checklists: Practical tools to review your draft before submission (e.g., structure, referencing, critical analysis).
Support Links:
Aston Library and Learning Services (LLS) for help with referencing, research, and academic writing.
Academic Integrity guidance and referencing resources.

Additional Support Opportunities:

Assessment Surgery Session: A dedicated support session will be provided during one of weeks 6-8. The exact date will be announced soon.
1-2-1 Meetings with the Module Leader: In the last two teaching sessions, you will have the opportunity to book a short individual slot with the Module Leader to receive personalised feedback on your work-in-progress. As places are limited, you must book in advance (further details to be provided by the Module Leader).

7.0 Assessment Criteria and Rubrics

What will my work be marked against?

Criteria	Weighting
Introduction	5%
The Political Environment	10%
The Economic and Business Environment	20%
The Social Environment	15%
Market Entry Mode	20%
Market Opportunity Analysis	20%
Conclusion	5%
Presentation and Coherence	5%
Total	100%

Marking Band Table

Marking band	Work Demonstrates:
90–100% Outstanding	• outstanding originality and/or independent thought that could be considered for dissemination to the broader discipline (e.g., through publication in a journal) • engagement in a focused academic debate, which presents a range of evidence underpinning a deep understanding of all the issues studied • challenges to current theory and/or practice • no or very few errors • outstanding problem-solving and/or analytical and/or creativity skills
80–89% Excellent	• excellent level of originality and/or independent thought with the potential for dissemination to the broader discipline • engagement in an academic debate which presents clear evidence of a considered understanding of the professional issues studied, the approach adopted, and the position taken • enhancements to current theory and/or practice • very few errors • excellent problem-solving and/or analytical and/or creativity skills
70–79% Very good	• analysis and critique of concepts, models of key authors, rival theories, and major debates together with some evidence of synthesis • the complexity of the context in which the work is situated • differing perspectives and interpretations • a few minor errors • very good problem-solving and/or analytical and/or creativity skills
60–69% Good	• capacity to express views based on sound argument and solid evidence in an articulate and concise way • effective engagement in a critical dialogue relating to professional practice • willingness to question and explore issues and synthesise theoretical perspectives and practical application • a few minor errors • good problem-solving and/or analytical and/or creativity skills
50–59% Sufficient	• evidence of engagement with pertinent issues • presentation of key authors and debates • evidence of suitable basic reading • clear presentation, but requiring stronger presentation of synthesis or evaluation • sufficient problem-solving and/or analytical and/or creativity skills
40–49% Insufficient	• little evidence of an ability to apply the principles of the module to a coherent argument • descriptive account demonstrating only minimal engagement, and very limited evidence of analysis, synthesis or evaluation • lack of current knowledge and understanding • insufficient problem-solving and/or analytical and/or creativity