ASSIGNMENT BRIEF – INDIVIDUAL REPORT 2,000 WORDS

When working in a business context it is typical to produce reports in a relatively autonomous manner. The assessed part of the work for the course aims to help students to develop skills for report writing. The main aim of the individual coursework assignment is to give each student the opportunity to choose freely a European company, industry that is of particular interest to them, to examine how the European context and EU framework impacts upon this company or industry and to apply suitable strategic management tools/models demonstrating the skills of analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

Students are expected to produce an individual report which should be well structured and original, should consist of 2,000 words. The report should focus either on an industry or company (of the student’s choice) operating in the Single Market, or on a policy or issue affecting the corporate world in the context of Europe. It should provide a more detailed analysis of one (or more if appropriate) of the following suggestions:

? You could provide an analysis of how one specific EU policy (or several EU policies) influences (or has/have influenced) the firm or industry that you have selected.
? You could review the impact that the establishment of the Single European Market (SEM) or European Monetary Union (EMU) has had on the firm or industry of your choice.
? Alternatively, you could analyse the opportunities and threats for your chosen firm (or future developments in the industry of your choice) in the context of the enlargement of the European Union.
? You could also provide a critical evaluation of the firm’s European strategy, using one or more of the strategic frameworks presented in the lecture, in the light of developments at EU level.
? Alternatively, you could focus on analysing and explaining a European policy or a directive from the EU Commission and examine how this policy or directive has impacted upon European business.
? You could also consider an external policy (e.g. trade, competition, environment) and investigate EU-relations with another region such as China or the US and possible tensions in EU-China or EU-US relations (or another bloc or country) in this particular policy area.
? Or else, you could focus on any current EU-related economic or financial issue relevant to European business in general.
? Please note that the above suggestions are not proper project titles and that students should find an appropriate title that reflects their chosen topic (UP TO YOU THE ONES ON THE TOP CAN BE DONE IF WANT)
NB: Please note that the 2,000 word limit does not include the following items:
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary
• List of references and/or bibliography
• Appendices
• Any Tables, Graphs, Charts, or Diagrams

Outline Syllabus –

Strategic Analysis: Review of the macro-environmental framework (economic, technological, legal, environmental, social, cultural) in which businesses operate in Europe. Understanding the regulatory framework of the European Union and its effect on business activity: SEM, competition, trade industrial policy, EMU, etc; European business and the global context; EU/global environment relations; Case study; implications of service liberalisation for business. Case study: competition in the European energy sector. Case study: Banana War. Strategy formulation and implementation: Identifying strategic and commercial risks related to competition within different sectors using case studies. Business opportunities and threats related to CEE countries: Strategic options for market entry. Business challenges related to EU-China economic relations. Case Study: BMW`s entry into China.