International Business in AstraZeneca

This assignment focuses on the behaviour of managers when going international. You are to research the Multinational Company assigned to you, & analyse it using concepts introduced in the IB module.

The company will have a wide range of international activities as it is taken from a global listing – there will be plenty of information available to you in the public domain. You may need to set the scene using the company’s overall operations, then focus on a few examples which show different approaches to international activities.

The company’s Annual Report will be a good starting point, the Internet & the company’s own website will be valuable sources of information. Your task is to research relevant information & interpret its development over time & the behaviour of its managers, using concepts in the module.

THE COMPANY’S INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
– Concisely summarise the geographic & product markets that the company serves, indicating
(with examples) the range of transaction modes it uses to serve these markets (you may need to do this by interpreting the nature of the subsidiaries it operates – are these wholly-owned, joint ventures, agents, etc).
– Depict the historical development of the company’s International Business operations & expertise.
50 % of mark
INTERPRETING COMPANY BEHAVIOUR
–    Use concepts from the module to assess the company’s current principal goals for International Business. Consider which of the Forces of Globalisation it is responding to.
–    Use the pattern of internationalisation to show how the company has adjusted to the challenges of internationalisation over time – how many countries it entered, how similar they were to the ‘home country’, etc. Is there a pattern to the countries it has selected to serve?
–    Consider the organisation’s approach to ‘organisation & control’ – how does it structure its international operations? What is its approach to international human resource management – home country nationals, host country nationals, third country nationals. Relate the company’s approach to its cultural origin.

Conclude by interpreting the company’s strategy using Dunning’s OIL – what does it own, what has been the approach to control/internalisation, & why has it chosen locations.

50% of mark

Your assignment should be about 3000 words in length.

Make effective use of Appendices in your answer.