Task: Assume that you are an international business consultant to Queen’s Petfood, an Australian firm based in Queensland which specialises in the production of pet food. You will analyse the market potential for their products in United Kingdom and China.
Your task is to write a report that analyses and compares the socio-economic, political and business environments of United Kingdom and China. Your report will conclude with a country recommendation, and justification for your selection based on a weighted index.
Submission: Submit your report via Safe Assign before 11.59pm Friday 4th May (Week 9) 2018. Use Word to compile your report but submission is often easier if you then save it as a PDF file. Do not include these guidelines or the criteria sheet in your upload.
Length: 1500 words +/- 10% from Introduction to Conclusion (Title Page, List of References and words in Tables and graphs are not included).
Note: Please DO NOT contact the firm Queen’s Petfood. There is no such company. Although many similar companies exist, this is a simulated firm used only for the purpose of this assignment. If you have queries, email [email protected]
Country Analysis Research
Getting started: Begin by having a look through the company and its products: Queen’s Petfood (although Queen’s Petfood is not a real company, it mimics a number of Australian pet food exporters).
Research quality academic and industry resources for broad country indicators, as well as specific variables particularly important for Queen’s Petfood exports. Some suggestions to start with include broad macroeconomic variables such as the size and features of the economy; Foreign Direct Investment inflows; tariff and non-tariff trade barriers; Human Development Index; Index of Economic Freedom; levels of political risk, Ease of Doing Business, and information about the pet food sector.
Available via the QUT Library:
EIU Country Data: An analytical database of worldwide economic indicators and forecasts. The database covers 317 economic series for 201 countries.
Passport GMID: Global Market Information Database provides business oriented statistics, analysis and forecasts for countries, companies, markets and consumers. As well as country profiles for both countries, this database has relevant reports for both countries.
Marketline Advantage: A respected source of business information on countries, industries and companies.
PRS Country Data: Assesses political risk for most countries.
Available online:
World Bank: Has data and analysis of a wide range of socio-economic indicators as well as its Ease of Doing Business rankings (http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings).
The Handbook of Country Risk: http://www.coface.com/Economic-Studies-and-Country-Risks.
Transparency International: (www.transparency.org) Transparency International is a global organisation which aims to fight corruption, and rates countries on a Corruption Perceptions Index.
The World Economic Forum’s Competitiveness Report: An annual report on the competitiveness of nations, ranking and analysing how a nation’s environment creates and sustains the competitiveness of enterprises. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2017-2018/05FullReport/TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2017%E2%80%932018.pdf.
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: http://dfat.gov.au/
Austrade: http://www.austrade.gov.au/
The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom: http://www.heritage.org/index/
Pet Food Industry Association of Australia Inc: https://www.pfiaa.com.au/
The QUT library provides access to many academic journals, which include articles on global business, via ProQuest. Avoid online Factbooks, Encyclopaedia, Trading Economics, Infoplease and Wikipedia, as these lower the credibility of your report.
Writing the Country Analysis Report.
Title page: In general, this has a descriptive title, date, the name of your company and usually your name and position within the company.
Table of contents: – Place the major headings and sub-headings down the left side of the page. On the right, put the page number where each can be found in the report.
Introduction: Includes the context, purpose and significance of the report. (eg. This report analyses the economic, political and business environments of United Kingdom and China and their market potential for pet food products). Include a very brief company and product profile (50 words or fewer).
Report Body: Following the introduction, the remainder of the body section is presented in logical sub-sections. Your final headings and sub-headings will depend on what your analysis has uncovered. Aim to find quality information and evaluate it in relation to the relevant business objectives of Queen’s Petfood. Make some visuals (tables and graphs). You could include the graph of % Change in GDP you made as part of Assessment One.
Country Choice: Present here your choice of country. This section is particularly important and will include your weighted index and the reasons you included the variables and their weightings; a discussion of the major report findings; and the advantages (and disadvantages) of your choice of country over the second country.
Conclusion: Provide a very brief synopsis of your country choice and perhaps a recommendation for how to proceed (50 – 70 words).
Note: in some texts on report writing Conclusions is treated as a large section following presentation and discussion of data; in your report, however, you will have already presented your conclusions in your Country Choice section, so the Conclusion section signals the end of the report.
List of references: List the sources cited in your report using APA referencing. See QUT cite/write (http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/).
Suggested structure for BSB119 Country Analysis Report
Title page
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Economic Environment
2.1…………….
2.2…………….
3.0 Political Environment and Risk
3.1 ………..
3.2 ………..
4.0 Business Environment
4.1 ……………..
4.2 Market Potential
5.0 Country Choice
5.1 Weighted Index
6.0 Conclusion
List of References
Please check the Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) document available on Blackboard (“Assessment 2” folder) prior to emailing questions about this assignment to your lecturer or tutor.
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