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Assignment 1: Risk Comparison

Due Week 4 and worth 240 points

Imagine that the company you work for has given you the task to choose a country for the next start-up location. Note: You may create and / or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment. The business can be any business of your choosing, although it is recommended that you choose a field in which you are currently working or have previously worked so that you are starting with more knowledge. However, you must remove any and all identifying information that would enable someone to discern the organization(s) that you have used.

Go to the World Bank Group’s Website and review the “Economy Rankings” report located at http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings. Choose two (2) countries from the list (one [1] from the top of the rankings and one [1] from the bottom) to complete a comparison of risks. The goal of the risk comparison is to examine the risk factors associated with starting a business. You can discuss any of the eleven (11) categories on the report when examining the risk to technology, payment security, physical good / product security, etc. in your risk comparison.

For additional information on the selected countries, you can visit the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) “World Factbook” https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook. You may also use the Internet or Strayer databases to conduct any additional research.

Use the basic outline below to draft your paper. Organize your responses to each question (except Questions 1 and 8) under the following section headings:

• Country 1 The Safe Bet (for Questions 2 and 3)
• Country 2 The Risky Adventure (for Questions 4 and 5)
• It’s Your Call – What Are You Going to Choose? (for Questions 6 and 7)

Write a five to seven (5-7) page paper in which you:

1. Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) description of the company for which you are working. Note: Consider the type of products / goods the company provides, the company mission, how long they have been in business, etc.
2. Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) description about the higher ranking country’s major trade.
3. Analyze the higher ranking country’s report rankings across the board, and speculate on how this country got to its current position. Examine this country’s major existing trade agreements and predict whether they will assist or deter your venture.
4. Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) description about the lower ranking country’s major trade.
5. Analyze the lower ranking country’s report rankings across the board, and speculate on how this country got to its current position. Examine this country’s major existing trade agreements and predict whether they will assist or deter your venture.
6. Examine the major risks associated with starting a new location in each country. Recommend key actions that your company can take in order to reduce these risks regardless of the country you end up selecting.
7. Suggest which country is the better choice for your company’s next location. Provide a rationale for your response, and speculate on the rewards that will result from starting a new location in this country.
8. Use at least six (6) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Evaluate the major approaches to mitigating political risk.
• Analyze the major technology risk factors associated with globalization.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in global marketing management.
• Write clearly and concisely about global marketing management using proper writing mechanics.

Click here to view the grading rubric.