Whole class that will need to be completed. You will have access to login for student as well. If selected this information will be provided to you. Below is the itenarary!

WEEK 1. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS CURRENTLY LATE FOR TURN IN. NEED TO BE COMPLETED IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!! ASSIGNMENT IS DUE OCT 27.

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. Strategic Management Process
    
   In a constantly and rapidly changing environment, developing and implementing a competent strategic plan is central to organization stability and viability.  Describe a strategic management process that can be utilized by a multinational organization to gain a competitive advantage over others in their industry and explain the importance of each stage. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.
    
2. Challenges of Multinationals
    
   Compare and contrast the challenges for managing a broad geographic scope of operations with complex integration needs – typical of a multinational organization – with an organization operating within one country. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.

Assignment
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Assignment link in the left navigation.

Globalization

Globalization refers to the increasing integration of national and regional markets and economies and the domination of the world economy by massive multinational firms.  It has affected nearly every organization, and industry, in the competitive marketplace today.

In a two to three page research paper in APA style, detail the following in relation to the changing nature of global competitiveness:

·         Define and explain the concept of globalization.

·         Compare and contrast the growth of globalization over the past thirty years, in general, and then specifically for one industry of your choice. For instance, you may present the growth of imports and exports over the past thirty years, and then detail the impact globalization has had on United States toy manufacturers.

·         Finally, evaluate how globalization has altered the competitive landscape. In particular, elaborate on how a globalized marketplace affects the profitability and productivity of an organization and an industry.

Note that some of the information related to this project may not be readily available in course materials, requiring you to research contemporary management trends in the public sector. At least two outside scholarly resources are required, including a minimum of one from the Ashford Online Library.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

WEEK 2. DISCUSSION DUE OCT 29 AND ASSIGNMENT IS DUE NOV 2!!!!!!!!!!!

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. Globalization and Risk
    
   One goal of a multinational organization is to build, protect and exploit its unique resources to establish a competitive advantage.  A similarly important goal of a multinational organization is to diversify the organization’s financial risk portfolio.  Discuss how globalization allows organizations to diversify their financial/business risks and amortize their fixed costs and resource investments throughout the organization. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.
    
2. Political and Legal Differences
    
   Evaluate how differences in political and legal systems create vast misunderstandings and tremendous opportunities in the international marketplace; then propose how an organization can overcome these misunderstandings and take advantage of these opportunities. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.

Assignment
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Assignment link in the left navigation.

Comparative Advantage

International economics is dominated by the idea of comparative advantage – that different endowments and activities in different countries make them relatively more or less efficient at different economic activities.  In other words, countries (and organizations) should specialize in the economic activities where they have a competitive edge against the competition.

In a two to three page research paper in APA style, elaborate on the concept of comparative advantage and how this concept is the determining factor in the long-term stability of a country and profitability of an organization.  In particular, research and determine the following:

·         Define and explain the concept of comparative advantage.

·         Select any country that interests you.  Then, determine one product or service where the country has a comparative advantage and one where they have a comparative disadvantage.  Discuss the factors within the country that created this comparative advantage, and also the factors that contributed to their comparative disadvantage.

·         Finally, where the country has a comparative advantage, detail the strategy the country should adapt to maintain this advantage for the next five years.  Importantly, comparative advantages fade rapidly and countries (and organizations) should constantly strive to maintain and expand their existing comparative advantages.

Note that some of the information related to this project may not be readily available in course materials, requiring you to research contemporary management trends in the public sector. At least two outside scholarly resources are required, including a minimum of one from the Ashford Online Library.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignmen

WEEK 3. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS DUE NOV 5 AND ASSIGNMENT IS DUE 9 NOV!!!!!

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. Enhancing Competitiveness
    
   Describe how globalization can lead to the integration of strategic demands for worldwide efficiency, local market responsiveness, and the spread of world-class technology across all national markets. How can these factors enhance competitiveness throughout the global marketplace? Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.
    
2. Transforming Thinking
    
   Global strategy making involves a major shift in focus from analytic, reactive and past-focused thinking to creative, proactive and future-oriented thinking.  Identify a current global strategy that is reactive and past-focused and then reconstruct that strategy to one that is creative, proactive and future-oriented. Your post should illustrate how an organization can transform its thinking from reactive and past-focused to one that is proactive and future-oriented. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.

Assignment
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Assignment link in the left navigation.

Foreign Markets

Once a strategic focus is decided, the selection of the means of transferring a company’s competitive advantage becomes an essential choice – does a multinational company use licensing, exports, wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture, direct investment, partnership, or alliance to enter new markets? Or, could it be a mix of all these?

In a two to three page research paper in APA style, compare and contrast when it would be advantageous, and disadvantageous, to enter a foreign market under the methods listed above (licenses, exports, etc.).  Be sure to:

·         Define and explain each method.

·         Detail when it would be advantageous, and disadvantageous, to utilize each of the methods.

·         Offer an example of a multinational company who utilizes each method and explain if you believe it is the most or least appropriate method to utilize for that company given their product or service.

Note that some of the information related to this project may not be readily available in course materials, requiring you to research contemporary management trends in the public sector. At least two outside scholarly resources are required, including a minimum of one from the Ashford Online Library.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

WEEK 4.  DISCUSSION QUESTION DUE NOV 12 AND EXAM DUE NOV 16

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. Factors Affecting Operations
    
   There are a number of factors that affect the expansion of a multinational firm, including macroeconomic, political, regulatory, cultural, and social.  Choose one multinational organization and determine how the factors are similar, and dissimilar, between their host country and one other country in which they operate.  Discuss how these factors would affect the management of their operations in a foreign country. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.
    
2. Structure
    
   Organizations are structured to take advantage of their inherent strengths and also to minimize their inherent weaknesses. For example, an organization may outsource its purchasing functions if they can be accomplished more effectively and efficiently by a private vendor. Evaluate how an organization is structured differently when it operates solely within one country versus one that operates in multiple countries.  In particular, discuss the best fit of the multinational firm to its worldwide industry environment and the changing role of central headquarters as an organization expands into other countries. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.

Program Comprehensive Exam
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Program Comprehensive Exam link in the left navigation.

Complete the comprehensive exam, which will take approximately two hours and will be graded based on your score. The full instructions for the exam are posted in the classroom.

WEEK 5. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS DUE NOV 19 FINAL PAPER DUE NOV 23

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. Outsourcing
    
   The conventional wisdom of monolithic expansion, ownership of all strategic resources, and carefully controlled market entry appears outdated.  However, it may not be advantageous to outsource every product or service produced in a country.  Detail and elaborate on the criteria or factors an organization should consider prior to outsourcing aspects of the product or service they produce. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.
    
2. Globally Right Source
    
   Pressures to provide improved products at lower costs are an important factor prompting offshore outsourcing.  Explain the concept of “globally right source” and detail how a firm can “globally right source” their value-adding activities to maximize their global competitive position. Please respond to at least two fellow students’ postings, advancing and debating the key points of their posting.

Final Paper
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Final Paper link in the left navigation.

Focus of the Final Paper
The globalization, or internationalization, of the marketplace has become one of the defining events of our time.  The pressure to produce a good or service while controlling costs and maintaining quality has profoundly affected the manufacture, distribution, and sale of a good or service.

In your final project, assume you are a high-level manager of a company that produces a good or service solely in the United States.  You strongly believe there is a profitable market for your company’s good or service beyond the United States and have requested the board of director consider broadening production and distribution into foreign countries. This would transform your organization into a multinational company.

The board has requested that you develop a strategic plan that creates, exploits, and sustains the company’s resources and capabilities within the globally competitive international marketplace.  The strategic plan should be designed to offer a systematic, step-by-step method to bring understanding to what often seems a chaotic situation and to offer a reasoned approach to deciding on a path to sustained advantage.

The course textbook provides an outline of a detailed strategic plan applicable to a multinational company.  You may utilize this approach or may create/modify a strategic plan that better addresses your particular need or requirement.  At a minimum, though, your strategic plan should address the following:

·         First, the mission and goal of your organization.  The mission should detail the product or service that you want to produce and distribute internationally.  Feel free to choose any product or service that you desire (lawn mower, kite, pesticide, clothing, etc.).  You will use that product or service throughout your strategic plan.

·         Second, perform an environmental analysis.  This important step of a strategic plan requires the identification of the resources or capabilities of the firm as well as the external competitive and contextual environment of the firm.  Your plan should briefly provide the scale and impact of globalization both within your industry and the economic landscape.

·         Third, determine your organization’s international competitive advantage.  In other words, what your organization would do better than any other competitor in the marketplace.  In general, a competitive advantage occurs when an organization can provide increased value to its customers whether through low prices or through improved products.  They, therefore, can attain or surpass their competitors in the marketplace.

·         Fourth, propose the preferred method to enter the international marketplace. Alternatives may include licenses, alliances, wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, and partnerships.  Explain your rationale.

·         Fifth, execute/implement the strategic plan.  This step typically includes the control, coordination and communication needed to implement the strategy, along with a brief discussion on any contingency plans if the goals and objectives are not obtained in a reasonable timeframe.  Remember that a good plan makes a solid base for the organization’s strategy, but offers flexibility in execution to allow non-viable plans to be dropped and emerging opportunities pursued.

Note that some of the information related to this project may not be readily available in course materials, requiring you to research contemporary management trends in the public sector. At least five outside scholarly resources are required, including a minimum of two from the Ashford Online Library.

Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:

1.      Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

2.      Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted

3.      Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.

4.      Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.

5.      Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.

6.      Must use at least five scholarly sources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford Online Library.

7.      Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

8.      Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignmen