Description
University of York
Module Code: MAN00017M
Module Title: International Business in the Global Context
Module Co-ordinator: Professor Teresa da Silva Lopes
Assessment: Open Assessment
Maximum word count: 2000
Release: 18th October 2024
Submission: 23rd January 2025
Weighting: 100%
Word count requirements
The word count for this assignment is 2000 words.
You must state on the front of your assignment the number of words used and this will be checked.
The main text for this assignment must be word-processed in Arial, font 12, double spacing, minimum 2cm margins all around.
You must observe the word count specified in this assignment brief. The School has a policy of accepting variations to the recommended word count of plus or minus 5%.
What does this mean for you?
Markers will mark your work up to the word count maximum plus 5% and then will stop marking; therefore all words which are in excess of the word count plus 5% will not be marked.
Introduction and Learning Objectives
Please read this entire document (case study and questions) before starting the assignment. If there is anything you do not understand then please contact the module leader. The purpose of the assignment is to assess your knowledge and understanding of the materials covered in the module and your ability to apply the theories and concepts to a highly complex, dynamic, and frequently uncertain arena of management endeavour.
The Assessment:
Read the case Study: JEN DURHAM AND UNILEVER AS A “MULTI-LOCAL MULTINATIONAL’
Your task is to critically answer the questions below, using the case study when appropriate, as well as relevant international business literature and concepts to answer the following FOUR COMPULSORY QUESTIONS listed below.
- (25 Marks) What was the nature of the challenges faced by Unilever-owned United Africa Company in Nigeria? Why was the Nigerian Government so apparently hostile to the company? What should Durham recommend about the firm’s business in Nigeria to his two colleagues on the Special Committee at the meeting in March of that year?
- (25 Marks) What was the nature of the challenges faced by Unilever-owned Hindustan Lever in India by 1979? Were they similar or different from those faced in Nigeria? What should Durham recommend about the firm’s business in India to his two colleagues on the Special Committee at the meeting in March of that year?
- (25 Marks) What was the nature of the challenges faced by Unilever-owned Lever Brothers in the United States in 1979? How similar were they to the challenges in Nigeria and India? What should Durham recommend about the firm’s business in the United States to his two colleagues on the Special Committee at the meeting in March of that year? Was Durham right that there were common issue behind Unilever’s challenges in three countries which needed to be addressed?
- (25 Marks) How do changes in the global geopolitical economic landscape influence the benefits of centralized versus decentralized structures in a global consumer products company like Unilever? To support your argument, you do not need to rely solely on a specific case study. You can draw on Unilever’s history and operations up to the present day.
Use the case study when appropriate, as well as relevant international business and concepts. Answer each question separately (no introduction or conclusion are required).
You should demonstrate your ability to apply your analytical skills, develop structured and disciplined decision-making capabilities, question conventional wisdom, recognize opportunities, take decisions, and apply theoretical frameworks and concepts.
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