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Long Individual Essay: Industry Case Study

Overview

The world of international business is complex and contested. It is also changing rapidly. These changes apply to international business as a whole, the frameworks and structures of businesses themselves, and the way we understand them.

Your task is to write a referenced essay in response to one of the two questions below.

Learning Outcomes

The targeted Course Learning Outcomes for this assessment are:

CLO1: Articulate and apply the core concepts and theories in the political economy of international business.
CLO2: Integrate the key historical developments in international political economy to contextualise and respond to current issues and problems in international business.
CLO3: Critically analyse and synthesise your conceptual knowledge of how international business and organisations impact politics, culture and economics.
CLO4: Develop independent and critical research skills to synthesise theoretical and empirical data relating to real-world issues of international political economy and the role of international business therein.

Assessment details

General advice:

Before listing the essay questions, consider this general advice, which relates to the marking rubric and is relevant to all of the essay questions. For more detailed advice on essay writing, see the course assessment development modules and consult your tutor.

All essays must have an argument. It is up to you to decide exactly what you will argue in your essay, but it must speak directly to the question.
Each essay must refer to one or more of the theories discussed in weeks 5 and 6 of the course. Take the time to read widely on the theory (or theories) relevant to your question before you start forming your analysis and argument.
Each essay question relates to the historical development of a contemporary outcome. Good essays must show an awareness of these trends.
Essays must cover a sufficient amount of scholarly literature on the topic. This should involve a minimum of 10 scholarly sources – but remember that the quality of your analysis of these sources is as important as the number of them used. In addition to these scholarly sources, you can also use data from industry sources and other reliable non-scholarly sources.
The accuracy of business theory is not the same thing as the effectiveness of business strategy. Avoid writing about what firms should and shouldn’t do for their own benefit and think about the bigger picture of how businesses are structured and their relationship with social/political context.
Essays must be referenced consistently in the Harvard in-text system.
 It is your responsibility to avoid plagiarism. You will receive a copy of the Turnitin originality report as a guide – note that the numerical “score” of this report is not what we use to judge for plagiarism.

Structure advice

Each essay question will have its own structure, but the following basic form applies to all. More detail on the structure of an essay can be found in the assessment development modules

(Do not include a table of contents or an executive summary)
Start with an introduction
Include a section addressing the theory (or theories) relevant to the question
Include a section applying this theoretical understanding to your selected industry
A conclusion
 A reference section

Avoid using too many subheadings and sections, as this can make your writing disjointed and turn your essay into a list of things rather than a coherent response to the question.

Questions:

Answer one of the following:

Question 1: What factors allow developing nation firms and industries to “upgrade” within global value chains?

Answer this question in reference to one of the following industries:
⦁ Food/Agriculture
⦁ Consumer electronics
⦁ Clothing

Further guidance for this question:

This question relates to the content of week 6: global value chains. Before researching a response, make sure you’ve understood and viewed the lecture from this week and read the essential materials from the week 5 module.
You must show that you understand what GVCs are and how they are different from other forms of multinational business.
 The question refers specifically to the prospects of “upgrading”. You should search for this term in the GVC literature and develop an argument as to why upgrading has happened in some industries/states more than others – a hotly debated question.
Follow all of the “general advice” and “structure advice” stated above and discussed in the writing modules.

OR

Question 2: Has the shift towards a platform labour model undercut workers’ rights, pay, and conditions?
Answer in reference to one of the following case study industries:

 Retail
 Hospitality

Further guidance for this question:

This question relates to what we looked at in week 7: intangible capital, platform businesses and the ways that they operate differently from other major business models. It also relates to week 8 on the political economy of work and employment.  Before researching a response, make sure you’ve attended these lectures and read the essential materials for these weeks.
The question asks specifically about platforms. Make sure that you have a firm grasp of this concept and the forms of labour that platforms rely on.
The question asks for a case industry, but if that industry is monopolised by one major platform firm, you may end up focusing mainly on that one firm. Make sure that you furnish your answer with plenty of data about this industry/firm – avoid talking in generalities and assertions about what “may” be happening in the industry based on your theoretical understanding.
Your essay’s argument must respond directly to the question posed: Has the shift towards a platform labour model undercut workers’ rights, pay, and conditions? There is no right or wrong answer – look for the best evidence to make your case for your argument.
Follow all of the “general advice” and “structure advice” stated above and discussed in the writing modules.

Assessment Criteria 

This assessment will measure your ability to:

Constructs solutions based on comprehensive theoretical knowledge  (20%)
 Evaluate and integrate existing ideas, engaging critically (20%)
Clarity and effectiveness of argument, prose, and structure (20%)
Evaluates the implications of technology at various scales (20%)
 Correct referencing of all sources using in-text citations and an alphabetised reference list (20%)

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