ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS

WRITING YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

• This assignment must be completed individually.
• You must use the Harvard referencing system.
• Your work must indicate the number of words you have used.  Written assignments must not exceed the specified maximum number of words.  When a written assignment is marked, the excessive use of words beyond the word limit is reflected in the academic judgement of the piece of work which results in a lower mark being awarded for the piece of work (regulation 6.74).
• Assignment submissions are to be made anonymously. Do not write your name anywhere on your work.
• Write your student ID number at the top of every page.
• Where the assignment comprises more than one task, all tasks must be submitted in a single document.
• You must number all pages.

SUBMITTING YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

In order to achieve full marks, you must submit your work before the deadline. Work that is submitted late – up to five working days after the published submission deadline – will be accepted and marked.  However, the element of the module’s assessment to which the work contributes will be capped with a maximum mark of 40%.

Work cannot be submitted if the period of 5 working days after the deadline has passed (unless there is an approved extension). Failure to submit within the relevant period will mean that you have failed the assessment.

Requests for short-term extensions will only be considered in the case of illness or other cause considered valid by the Director of Studies Team. Please contact [email protected]. A request must normally be received and agreed by the Director of Studies Team in writing at least 24 hours prior to the deadline. See rules 6.64-6.73: http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/academic/public/academic_regs.pdf

Mitigation: The deadline for submission of mitigation in relation to this assignment is no later than five working days after the submission date of this work. Please contact the Director of Studies Team – [email protected].

See rules 6.112 – 6.141: http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/academic/public/academic_regs.pdf

CASE STUDY: NIO, Inc.

China’s Nio to launch in Europe as it starts global expansion EV maker aims to start delivering to Norway in September NIKKI SUN, Nikkei staff writer May 6, 2021, 19:57 JST

Nio aims to start delivering its electric ES8 SUV to Norway within four months. © Reuters

HONG KONG — Chinese electric vehicle start-up, Nio, has started its first overseas foray with a plan to sell cars to Norwegians from September.

At a Thursday press conference, Marius Hayler, general manager at Nio’s Norway branch, said the company aims to deliver the Nio ES8, an all-electric seven-seater sport utility vehicle, later this year and to start taking orders for the ET7, a premium sedan, next year.

He said Nio’s first overseas store is expected to open in Oslo in September, together with an 18,000 square meter service center. By 2022, Hayler said the company aims to expand its store network to other Norwegian cities.

“From day one, our goal has been becoming a global brand that provides high quality products and services to global users,” Nio founder and Chief Executive William Li said through a video link. He said Norway is among the

countries most friendly toward electric vehicles, which prompted him to make it the company’s first overseas foray.

Nio has hired 15 people in Norway. Hayler expects to expand the local team to around 50 by the end of the year.

Besides stores and service centres, Nio also plans to build stations in Norway where drivers can charge and swap batteries, Hayler said Nio did not unveil plans for other European markets.

Despite the high acceptance of clean energy cars in Europe, the market — home to some of the world’s oldest car brands — will not be an easy one to crack for Nio.

European customers appear to prefer EVs from established carmakers over those from emerging brands.

The Zoe, made by France’s Renault, and the ID. 4 from Germany’s Volkswagen are the two bestselling EV models in Europe. America’s Tesla only ranks third.

Nio’s Chinese rivals Xpeng Motors and Aiways have started delivering to Europe, but they have not been very well received by local customers judging from sales, said Le Tu, managing director of Beijing-based Sino Auto Insights.

“Right now, Chinese brands are brand new so they need time to establish themselves,” Lu said, adding that Chinese products face the pricing challenge of import tariffs and could face further entry barriers if relations between European governments and Beijing worsen.

URL:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Electric-cars-in-China/China-s-Nio-to-launch-in- Europe-as-it-starts-global-expansion

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION (ESSAY)

Required and Recommended Reading(s)

In order to complete the above essay, students are expected to draw on a range of advanced literature (scholarly journals and academic textbooks) and primary data sources.

• Firstly, as a minimum, submissions must demonstrate sustained engagement with- and therefore command over- the core introductory source(s) connected to the particular IB theory that they have selected as the framework for the essay. These core sources are available in a clearly marked folder in the ‘Week Three’ section of the module VLE page. Insights from these texts should be applied to the given question and in relation to the NIO case study.
  • Secondly, students must draw on relevant parts of the module textbook, which is available via Kortext:

Hill, C. and Hult, T., 2019. International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace (12th ed.). NY: McGraw Hill Education.

• Thirdly, the essay must also draw upon sources specifically connected to the NIO case study. This will likely include contemporary journalistic pieces and/or official documents/websites of the company itself.
  • Fourthly, it is recommended that students engage with various other relevant texts that are included across the rest of the VLE weeks.
  • Lastly, as this is a Level 6 assessment, it is recommended that students go beyond the sources that have been provided via the VLE and Kortext, by conducting their own independent research via the ARU Digital Library and/or Google Scholar.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

1. Knowledge and understanding of the key issues in international business activity in the context of contemporary globalisation
2. Capacity to evaluate and select an appropriate national marketplace in terms of political, economic, cultural, ethical and legal frameworks
3. Knowledge and understanding of multinational enterprises’ responses to external influences and possible modes of entry into new markets
4. Capacity to critically assess the activities of a given multinational enterprise in terms of its business interests

Marks will be awarded according to:

• Addressing the Task: the extent to which the essay has directly engaged the given case study and provided a complete response to the specified task(s), without digressing or straying into generalities. [30 marks]

• Analytic Content and Organisation: the extent to which the essay offers a coherently organised critical analysis in response to the task(s), on the basis of aptly-deployed core concepts, rather than pure description or narration, on the basis of ill-defined key terms. [30 marks]

• Literature and Evidence: the extent to which the essay demonstrates knowledge and understanding of required and recommended scholarly readings, while supporting and illustrating its claims with apposite examples and reliable evidence. [30 marks]

• Demonstration of Academic Skills: the extent to which the essay maintains a clear and scholarly style that adheres consistently to referencing conventions. [10 marks]

Ensure your submission is sequenced as follows:

• Cover page
  • Reference List.
  • Appendices (optional) Please note:
  • The overall word count should be 3000 words

• You may include appropriate graphics to support your points if you consider they will add value to your answer
  • Any tabulated data should be included within an Appendices section at the end of the document
  • Cover page, Reference List and Appendices are NOT included in the word count
  • You should use scholarly works and reliable data sources to support your text; any theory used should be applied to the context of the scenario
  • You must use in-text citations to evidence your work, in addition to producing a full reference list. All of these should conform to Harvard Referencing format.
  • The bulk of this text should be your own original work and should not be excessively paraphrased.