Group project guidelines

The purpose of the group project is for you to have the opportunity to research a particular company and/or topic of interest. A secondary purpose is for you to make a presentation that will contribute to everyone's learning by supplementing other course material.

Pick a company that either is currently involved in or intends to become involved in international business. Ideally, this will be a company for which you can collect good information including one or more interviews.

Identify a problem or cluster of problems that they are facing. The problem must be one that is subject to "critical analysis," in that you will be able to meet the following requirements of the project.

[a] Identify two or more alternative course of action to address the problem,
[b] Develop an analysis of the "pros and cons" of each alternative, and
[c] Present clear and well-supported recommendations that address the problem and the alternatives, and that draw upon what you have learned in this class and other classes in the Business Program.

Alternatively, you may pick a more general topic (e.g., one related to trade or culture) that allows you achieve the purposes stated above and carry out a "critical analysis" (i.e., problem statement, identification of alternatives, analysis of "pros and cons," and presentation of recommendations.)

Requirements:

Monday, November 8: proposal due (hard copy) 1 page of text is adequate. Explain what your project will consist of, why it is appropriate for this capstone class, and how it will achieve the purposes stated above. Also include an annotated bibliography with at least 5 sources. For guidelines, please refer to

http://www.bothell.washington.edu/library/guides/annotations.html

(The appropriate annotation for this project would best be described as "summative.")

The proposal should also state your preference for days to present the project (see dates below).

Monday, November 22: (due by beginning of class): submit to me via e-mail attachment a 1-page executive summary progress report. I will post this on Blackboard.

Presentation days: Mon Nov 29, Weds Dec 1, Mon Dec 6, and possibly Weds Dec 8

Wednesday, December 8: Final paper due (both hard copy and e-mail attachment) Length should be approximately 10 pages of text. This does not including figures, tables, and reference list.

Note on sources: Please be careful to critically evaluate any company generated information, including interviews. For example, do not accept statements such as "we are the technology leader" on face value.