PROJECT QUESTION

MODULE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 1B

TOTAL MARKS 100 MARKS

Read carefully and answer ALL questions that follow. [100 marks]

International Business Intelligence

“The world has become a global village” is a statement that is resonating more and truer, notably in the
economic and business world. As such, business, of all sizes, are becoming more reliant on cross-border
ventures as means of maintaining their growth.
Stepping outside ones’ own home base and expanding in the global market, is indeed a task full of
potential rewards for growth. Nevertheless, it is a task that also requires substantial focus and attention
from the management teams in order to avoid obstacles, manage risks and formulate and execute the
right internationalisation strategy.
As John Kenneth Galbraith pointed out, “Organising a company to do business internationally remains
one of the most complex managerial responsibilities: choices must be made, challenges must be met
and mind-sets must be transformed.”
At BDO, we have developed a recognised expertise in supporting our clients on as their aim to grow their
business cross borders. Our IBI service line team works accompanies the management in covering al
aspect of this approach, covering the main stages of:
a. International Growth Planning
As growth plans are formulated, considering entry into a cross border market forms a key section of such
approaches. Our team will support the management in formulating such strategies and would cover
various stages of this expansion, including among others:

 Identifying the expansion markets targeted by reviewing the target client segment size, consumer
behaviour and other factors
 Analysing markets entry risks (administrative, legal, commercial, financial, competitive and
others) and formulating targeted mitigation strategies to address the relevant risks identified
 Assessment of the timing of entry into the target market accounting for various market and
regulatory considerations

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b. Organisational Structuring and Preparation for Cross Border Expansion
Once the internationalisation strategy is planned and formulated, a number of structural considerations
need to be addressed in order to ensure the right organisational platform is in place to support the
execution. International operations would usually require their own structures and organisational issues
to adhere to local regulations. The smooth integration and interfacing of these structures with the parent
company set up would be a key aspect in the overall company extension and culture. Our team will
support the management in addressing such organisational considerations, including among others:

 Operational set up among the parent company and the overseas operation
 Financial implications and impact of the overseas operations on the parent company financial
positioning and financial support requirements
 Human resources selection and structure set up to allow for the parent company culture and
identity to be maintained and built up further.

c. Execution Support in internationalisation strategies

Upon formulating internationalisation strategies (or in response to specific execution support requests),
our team of experts acts jointly with the company management to approach the execution of such
plans. The support services include among others:

 Approaching service providers in the target market to help with incorporation and related
corporate actions
 Strategically advising the management on their negotiations with local venture partners, suppliers
and business related stakeholders
 Ongoing market insights and introductions to commercial growth opportunities as per the
identified strategy

https://www.bdo.com.sg/en-gb/services/advisory/management-consulting-services/international-
business-intelligence
PROJECT TASK:
In light of the extract, your organisation is contemplating going in to international business within the next
two years as well as strengthen the local market competitive advantage. To attain this strategic goals,
your organisation require strong leadership, resources, teamwork and motivated employees. As one of
the senior managers you are requested by the Executive team of your organisation to develop a report
on the preparedness of your organisation to achieve these goals.
The report should cover the application of relevant theoretical frameworks and must address the
following key areas:
1. Current position of the organisation: Provide an outline of goals and the philosophy of the
organisation. Present the current target market and performance of the organisation. (10 Marks)

2. Analysis of the business environment: Effectively assess the Micro-Environment, Market /

Task environment and Macro-Environment of your organisation. (20 Marks)

3. Roles and skills of managers: To discuss the overlapping roles of managers and the skills
required of them in order to take the organisation. The management style of the management
team and its relevance to the achievement of the organisational goals. (15 Marks)

4. Human Resources: An assessment of the organisations human resources in terms of skills,

motivation and retention. (15 Marks)

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5. Change Management: Ways in which management can react to the changing business
environment. Discuss the inter-related approaches which the organisation can adopt in reacting
to the environment. (10 Marks)

6. Organisation Design: The fundamental principles underlying organisation design should be

discussed. Evaluate the organisational structure of the organisation and its suitability for the
growth and expansion of the organisation. (15Marks)

7. Recommendations: Present possible recommendations and critical success factors that the
organisation should implement to achieve the desired goals. (10 Marks)

Note: 5 Marks is awarded for referencing, format, grammar, etc

Format:
1. Title page
2. Table of Contents
3. Current position of the organisation
4. Analysis of the business environment
5. Roles and skills of managers
6. Human Resources
7. Change Management
8. Organisation Design
9. Recommendations
10. Conclusion
11. References

END OF PAPER