Issues in Global Marketing. Major Project Requirements
As we discussed in class, below are the requirements for the major project. The project will be an individual position paper, 8-10 pages, double spaced. The length does not include cover page and appendixes, which will be expected.
The paper is expected to cover the recent issue Volkswagen has faced, further to the discovery that it had manipulated its system to pass emission tests. I am assuming all of you are aware of the basic issue.
The report you will prepare will include the following three components and the grading distribution for the paper:
1) Situation Overview - here you will do an overview of the situation. You should include (but not limited to), a discussion on Volkswagen's market position prior to the issue, its overall corporate strategy, and a discussion of its global marketing strategy. (15%)
2) Impact of the situation - here you should address the immediate, short term impact of the situation, including (but not limited to) reputation, sales, brand impact, increased regulations, and potential litigation and fines. (15%)
3) Response - this is the most important component of your paper. Here you should consider two points. First, what should Volkswagen's marketing strategy be in light of this? Second, what may be the response be by other global competitors? On both these issues, you should conclude on what the longer term impact may be to Volkswagen. (50%)
The remaining 20% will account for grammar, sentence structure, clarity, consistency, and the use of an appendix which is a requirement. All supporting tables, charts, date and images must be put in the appendix, and not in the main body of the report.
Although this is an opportunity for you to present your perspective, it is expected to be well researched. It must incorporate reliable sources of information, which must be referenced. I am looking for at least 10 valid and reliable references. I am not concerned about the reference style, but any evidence of plagiarism, however limited, will result in an automatic zero. It is also important this be your own original work. Any indication, no matter how minor, that there has been a collaborative effort, I will not grade the paper. Papers without references will not be graded, and assumed plagiarised or not researched.
I do have a summary article from the Economist, which I can make available. I cannot offer photocopies due to copyright issues. Please be certain to take advantage of this, if you do not have access to the magazine.
The paper will be due on December 8 or December 11, depending what section you are in. These days are our 2 hour sections. During this time I will allocate the class into groups to initiate a class discussion on the issue. The paper itself will be 20% of your grades, and the group/class discussions will be 10% of your grade. I will specify the requirements for this later.