term assignment sp2015

Comparative Management MAN 508 Term Report Spring 2015

This assignment, should you wish to accept it for 20points, will disappear in a puff of

smoke after May 15, 2015. And if you believe that then this assignment will probably be

very easy for you. But first, the good news and then also, the bad news.

The Good News, is that this is a creative endeavour requiring the massive use of the

right brain, with dreams and wishy washy art work (in a manner of speaking) that will

lead you to establish a specific, given type of business approved by your instructor, in a

foreign land. The Bad news, is that this is a management course, so if you use your

default marketing personae and turn in a marketing assignment, you can kiss your

grade goodbye.

What is the right brain and the left brain? Basically in psychology, Neuropsychologist

Roger W. Sperry gave us the theory of the brain divided into two equal halves the left

brain and the right brain. In a nutshell, the left brain is quantitative, specific and math

oriented. The right brain is wishy-washy, able to think outside the box and creative in

intent and purpose. Basically, left or right, you have use your brain.

Now the assignment is simply identifying a Pakistani Food serving business such as a

restaurant and franchising it in an approved country (List enclosed in this assignment)

based on the franchising model of a major food franchiser that is functioning in Pakistan

(which limits you to McD, BK, KFC, PH, DP and a couple more) . So for example, you can

take McDonalds as the model and franchise Student Biryani in Mexico. Or you can take

the KFC model and franchise Nooranis Grill in Turkey. Or the Pizza Hut model and

franchise Jan Broast in the UK). And yes you need menus.

This part is quite straight forward as you choose a management strategy and all the

relevant management functions (IHRM and QC functions and issues). You use Hofestede

to identify or justify your choice. That is all pretty easy to do.

And use the KISS rule: Kiss, Kiss, Kiss. Thats right Keep its simple, stupid.

The hard part, is where you have to choose your tools, is how you will deliver your

assignment. You have just three choices all of which you have to deliver on a USB:

1. Make out a video based presentation extensively showing the what, how and why

2. Use other media tools with PPS/PPT plus video to deliver your work

3. Make out a scrap book showing your work (this will require both a hard copy and

an image based ppt)

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And all three options need 3 pages of hardcopy consisting of:

1. Cover sheet with Names and ID numbers Page 1

2. Executive Summary Page 2

3. Bibliography Page 3

Delivery of the assignment requires creativity in presentation. A scrapbook theme for

example could center around graphic presentations of how the business was identified,

what characteristics of the target market were found attractive and useful, which model

was used and why that and how the business progressed. A scrapbook is ideal for group

work because the work can be easily divided up into each member doing their own

thing simultaneously and adding it in together. This synergy, where the whole is greater

than the sum of the parts, also makes presenting the material and doing vivas much

easier. Video presentations can be added by a simple camera mobile showing snaps or

video clips of team members visiting the identified model franchise.

In contrast a group may want to deliver the report via the medium of pdf coupled with

powerpoint and a video showing the food presentation, clips about the country

identified, assumed issues and so on. You may add in video interviews and the like to

enable the viewer to understand your work in visual rather than purely written report

format. As you may have noticed, we are trying to get away from our standard 10 to 15

age format which you have done in the past 40 courses and do something different a la

Nike (Yep, Just do it). And why food? Because its something we all understand, whether we use our brains or not.

The delivery date is divided into 2 parts. The first part is in draft form; the second is in

final, absolute last form. If you do not have a final absolute last form report ready by the

final exam date, you will automatically lose half your marks (i.e.: 10 pts) but if you have

no draft report by viva date, you will have no report and will fail this course. The due

dates are:

DELIVERABLES:

Progress report presentations April 12

E-mail in report before class April 25

Executive Summary and Draft is due on April: April 26 Start Vivas

Finalized term report USB is due on: Final Exam date (expected: May 3)

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Additional Penalties for lateness (Finalized Term report):

If not delivered by the end of the exam, 10 points penalty plus

Up to 1 day or 24 hours late 3points (= 13points)

Up to 3days or 72hours late 5points (= 15points)

Division of marks: 20points

Content 10 points

Assignment content creativity 2.5 points

Video, Ppt, presentation 2.5 points

Viva 5points

The assignments should be collected onto a single USB (or two USBs) and

handed over.

Each group also needs to hand over their 3 page hardcopy which includes the

bibliography (a documented collection of all materials used using the APA

format; a list of internet sites visited for the assignment with time & date of visit).

No frivolous statements such as as everyone knowsor there is a famous

saying. Any quotation made must be documented fully (name, from what text,

published by whom, year of publication, page number) and use the APA format

(which if you do not know what that is, simply google it)

The Executive summary is the last thing that goes into the assignment. It is the

conclusion of the report and includes the findings and also on what page or what

part of the report that section describing a finding may be found. Usually this

refers to a table of contents, but here please use link so that the examiner may

click on it to lead to various parts of the report, especially since the format is up

to you and will likely be unconventional.

We will try to have all the vivas in class but if we cannot, then we can take vivas

on skype. Your address will be added for the viva only and deleted once the

grades and semester are done.

Questions relating to the assignment will also come in the final exam (10points)

Look at the Assessment of presentation format as that is what Assignment

content creativityand Video, Ppt, presentationwill be judged on as a

minimum

You are IOBM students and as such, you are the cream of business school

creativity in Karachi. Make this an assignment that is interesting, different,

colourful, workable.

But most of all remember to have fun and enjoy yourselves

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Questions and concerns?

Tears?

Heartbreak?

Contact your instructor at [email protected] or at babernelo2020 at skype.

Countries list:

Argentina, Canada, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, GCC (any of many countries), EU, (any

of many countries), ASEAN (any of many countries), MERCOSUR (any of many countries),

NAFTA (Mexico, US, Canada), Central America, Japan, China, South Korea, Republic of

South African, Turkey, Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, CAS (any of many Central Asian

countries), Sudan, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Afghanistan, Nepal.

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term assignment sp2015

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