SM9532 Assessment Brief 

Guidance for this assessment

• The module assessment comprises of an individual research-based assignment that represents 100% of the module mark.
• You should write a 3000-word report covering the following tasks:
  1) Applying the CAGE framework, compare the company’s home country with two potential host countries, each located on a different continent. Identify key similarities and differences across the CAGE dimensions, discuss their strategic implications for the company, and recommend one country for investment. (30 marks, 900 words maximum)2) Using Porter’s National Diamond (PND) framework, evaluate the recommended country’s competitiveness focusing on the relevant industry and summarise the strategic implications of the PND analysis findings. (25 marks, 750 words maximum)

  3) Based on the above analyses, identify which strategy from the AAA framework (Adaptation, Aggregation, or Arbitrage) should be initially adopted by the company to create value in the recommended host country, and justify your choice. Consider how this strategic focus might evolve over time as the firm continues to operate there. (25 marks, 750 words maximum)

  4) Drawing on the above analyses and other relevant sources, briefly discuss three key cross-border challenges the company may face in operating in the recommended country. Provide strategic recommendations that could help the company address these challenges. (20 marks, 600 words maximum)

• SM9532 Kaplan LECTURE 4_ Differences Across Countries-The CAGE distance framework.pptx
• SM9532 Kaplan LECTURE 7_ Global and Regional Integration.ppt
• SM9532 Kaplan LECTURE 8_ Political Risk Assessment.ppt
• SM9532 Kaplan LECTURE 9_ Understanding International Cultures.ppt
• Overview of AAA.pptx

Rubric – Grading criteria for the SM9532 Assessment

You should refer to these assessment criteria within this rubric for detailed guidance on how you will secure marks for this assessment.

Assessment Guidance Session

Detailed assessment guidance will be provided in Week 6 lecture.  The lecture will cover:

i. understanding the assessment tasks and how to select a suitable company

ii. how to identify relevant sources and conduct effective research

iii. the expected processes of analysis, critical evaluation, and identifying strategic implications

iv. how to structure the written report and correctly reference sources

v. how the assessment will be graded against the rubric

You are reminded that recorded assessment guidance will be provided on the Blackboard/eLP site for this module after Week 6 lecture.

Use of Generative AI within this Assessment

In alignment with Northumbria University’s Academic Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA), section 1.2, you are reminded that “In all assessed work students should take care to ensure that the work presented is their own and that it fully acknowledges the work and opinions of others”.

Unless the assessment specific guidance above requests that you use generative AI in crafting your assessment, AI should not be used to do the core work for you.  You should assume that generative AI may be used as follows:

• AI can help with things like improving grammar, helping with structure format, organising ideas, and generating suggestions.
• The main content, analysis, and conclusions in your work must always be your own work.

Further guidance regarding using AI responsibly and ethically can be found in your student portal here.

When you submit your assessment, you will be requested to add and sign a declaration of your use of AI in the creation of your work.  A copy of this declaration document is attached to the end of this document.  You should place this signed copy at the front of your submission.  Failure to accurately record your use of such tools may be considered as academic misconduct.

Academic Regulations

As part of the preparation for writing your assessment, you should familiarise yourself with the following policies, all of which can be found here:

• Academic Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA)
• Academic Misconduct
• Word Limit
• Late Submission of Work
• Short Extensions
• Personal Extenuating Circumstances (PEC)
• Technical Extenuating Circumstances (TEC)

Please see the module Blackboard site/eLP for further details of how the University Assessment Regulations may affect/support you.

Assessment Submission Coversheet

If you do not understand any elements of this declaration, please speak to your module tutor.

Student Name:

Student ID:

Total Word Count:

Declaration that the submission is your own work

I confirm that:

☐ This assignment submission is my own, independent work.

☐ I have referenced the sources of information, ideas, and quotations that I have used in this submission and listed my sources in a bibliography.

Declaration of the Use of AI tool

EITHER 

☐ I have not used AI at any point in preparing this assessment

OR

☐ I have used AI tools (including, but not limited to ChatGPT) to help me (select all that apply):

☐ Generate initial ideas in response to the question

☐ Develop the structure

☐ Generate ideas for examples / sources

☐ Provide feedback and suggestions for improvement on my content

☐ Edit and improve my spelling and grammar

☐ Other: please explain:

☐ I have completed a reference declaration statement as part of my reference list showing which AI tools I have used and how I have used them.

In completing this declaration, I confirm that I have NOT used AI to generate whole sentences, paragraphs, sections, or the whole of this assessment and I understand that this would be considered academic misconduct.

Signed:

(electronic signature is accepted)