delivering value
Learning objectives addressed:
1.Analyse and evaluate the characteristics of business relationships in local and international trade contexts
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and scope of relationship building and the importance of effective business ‘deal-making’
3.Discuss the key success factors in effective deal making and critically evaluate different approaches to structuring, negotiating and closing business deals in global business context.
4. Apply techniques for building relationships and for structuring, negotiating and closing deals in a practical business setting.
This portfolio assessment is in two parts requiring
a) Preparing, conducting and reporting on a research interview, with an entrepreneur who has been directly involved in deal-making and business expansion
[1800 words equivalent; 60% weighted] ?ONLY NEED FEW OR NO REFERENCE ON THIS PART?
b) Analysis and reflection on outcomes of your interview
[1200 words; 40% weighted]
Instructions are given below separately for each Part:
Ass002 Part (a) Research Interview
Find an entrepreneur who has direct experience business expansion – perhaps deal-making for expansion of means of production, distribution or selling. This person will be your research participant. Each student must have a unique participant (ie students cannot share subjects).
Interview the participant with a semi-structured questionnaire. This interview must be face-to-face or by phone or Skype/equivalent. Interviews conducted via email are not acceptable.
The questions, below, will guide your interview. Please add any other questions that you consider interesting and useful to your understanding but ensure you include the following three questions:
1. What was your role in the initiation and expansion of the entrepreneurial venture?
2. How would you describe the performance of the venture over time? Why?
3. What are the most important networks for you – historically, now and for the future?
note: Include in this question probing about the nature and extent of networks in the growth and shape of the venture e.g. did they have the right networks – for product development, testing, distribution, selling, acquiring talent,..? How did they grow their networks?
Having completed your interview, you should write up both your questions and the interviewee’s answers… in as much detail as possible.
note: word-count is ‘equivalent’ for Part (a) and variations from the 1800 words are acceptable.
Ass002 Part (b) Reflection on interview outcomes
Write 1200 words on the following topics (the section word counts below are merely an approximate guide for each question; you may vary the balance between the three sections):
1. How well you think the frameworks discussed in the BM7104 module capture how your participant analysed their venture – process and outcomes? (approx. 400 words)
2. if they don’t capture it well (or even if they do), do you think the ideas on the course would have helped improve things? How or why not? (approx. 400 words)
3. How has this process of performing and analysing your interview changed your understanding of the topic? How might the theory and teaching of entrepreneurialism or business networks be improved to better prepare practitioners for the harsh realities of such deals? (approx. 400 words)
note: word-count for Part (b) excludes diagrams, charts and reference lists.
Textbooks:
Ford, D, Gadde, L.E. Hakansson, H and Snehota, I. (2011). Managing business relationships. 3rd Ed. Chichester: Wiley.
Peng, M. and Meyer, K. (2011) International Business, London: Cengage Learning
Recommended reading:
1. Benoliel, M. (2011). Negotiation Excellence: Successful Deal Making. London: Wold Scientific Publishing.
2. Billings-Yun, M. (2010). Beyond Deal making: Five Steps to Negotiating Profitable Relationships. Times Business Series.
3. Cavusgil, S. T., Ghauri, P. N. & Agarwal, M.R. (2013) Doing Business in Emerging Markets: Entry and Negotiation Strategies. 2nd Edition. London: Sage
4. Ellis, N. (2010). Business-to-Business Marketing: Relationships, Networks and Strategies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5. Fisher, R., Ury, W. and Patton, B. (1991). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. 2nd ed. New York: Penguin Books
6. Ford, D, Gadde, L.E. Hakansson, H and Snehota, I. (2011). Managing Business Relationships (3rd edn). Chichester: Wiley.
7. Hakansson, H., Ford, D., Gadde, L.-E., Snehota, I., and Waluszewski, A. (2009), Business in Networks, John Wiley & Sons
8. Sorensen, H.E. (2012). Business Development: A Market-Orientated Perspective. Chichester: Wiley.
Journals:
Journal of International Trade Law and Policy
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management
Industrial Marketing Management
Journal of Sales and Marketing Management
