MGMT1001 (Week 3) – Essay Plan, Group Project & International Culture

Administrative Deadlines & Communication

  • Week 3 is labelled “defining week”; students who have not emailed the lecturer (AM709@newcastle.edu.au) confirming they watched the Academic Skills video will not receive feedback or acceptance of drafts after this week.

    • Alternative email addresses fine, but always check uni email; maintain two-way contact.

  • Draft acceptance window

    • Essay‐plan drafts (assessment 2) accepted until Friday night (end of Week 3) only for students who have emailed.

  • Lecturer’s stance: “I work with the living, not the dead” – engagement prerequisite.

Assessment 2 – Essay Plan (10 marks → scaled)

  • Raw marking: 15 criteria; score multiplied by 0.6667 ⇒ 15\times0.6667\approx9.9 then rounded to 10.

  • “Gimmick” emphasis: show planning skills (core of project-management course) and tick every criterion for full marks.

The 15 Essay-Plan Criteria (include ALL)

  1. Chosen grade target (HD/D/Cr/P).

  2. Number & type of sources matched to grade:

    • HD = 10 sources

    • D = 8 sources

    • Cr/P = 5 sources (minimum allowed)

  3. At least 5 academic sources overall.

  4. At least 2 peer-reviewed journal articles; one must be Hofstede 1998 (today’s reading).

  5. Clear list of intended sources with indication of journals vs books.

  6. Indicate additional journal articles for HD aspiration (≈ 4–5 journals).

  7. Declare essay structure: Introduction–Body–Conclusion.

  8. State plan for 4 body paragraphs (one per cultural dimension).

  9. Name the 4 of 6 Hofstede dimensions you will analyse (list can change later):

    • Power Distance

    • Individualism / Collectivism

    • Masculinity–Femininity (success vs nurture)

    • Uncertainty Avoidance

    • Long-Term Orientation

    • Indulgence/Restraint

  10. Argument pledge: critical evaluation (pros & cons), no bias.

  11. Examples promise: at least 2 countries per dimension (up to 8 different countries, prefer contrasts/extremes).

  12. Writing mechanics: commitment to external proofreading (e.g.
    studiosity); author cannot proof own work.

  13. Use of topic sentences (not author-name starts).

  14. Specification of APA 7 referencing: in-text paraphrase & limited direct quotes (≤ 10 % ≈ 150 words of a 1\,500-word essay).

  15. Statement that spelling/grammar will be checked.

Technical & Numerical Details

  • Essay due in 2 weeks (Week 5).

  • Word count: 1\,500\pm10\%\;\Rightarrow\;1\,350\text{–}1\,650 words in paragraphs (headings, reference list, bracketed years not counted).

  • Direct-quote limit: \le0.10\times1\,500=150 words.

Source Strategy & Value Hierarchy

  • Journals have higher scholarly weight than books (≈ “100 points” vs “20–30 points”).

  • Recommended databases & keywords:

    • ProQuest (ABI/Inform) → filter full text, peer reviewed.

    • Keywords: “international management” + “cultural differences”.

  • Today’s compulsory reading: Hofstede G. (1998) “Think Locally, Act Globally.” (defines all dimensions).

Required Essay Structure Template

  1. Introduction (1–2 ¶):

    • Re-phrase essay question; define culture & distinguish national vs organisational culture.

    • Introduce chosen framework (Hofstede, Trompenaars, or GLOBE).

  2. Body (4 ¶): one per selected dimension.

    • Start with definition (cite Hofstede 1998 + page).

    • Provide current index scores for 2 extreme countries (cite Hofstede Insights website).

    • Discuss contrasting management behaviours/examples.

  3. Conclusion (1 ¶): third-person academic voice, summary only, no new data.

  4. Reference List: alphabetised APA 7; minimum 5 sources (≥ 2 journals inc. Hofstede 1998).

Referencing & Academic Integrity

  • Turnitin automatically screens all submissions; plagiarism threshold guidance:

    • Zero similarity impossible (shared definitions). Aim < 20–30 %; > 35–50 % triggers scrutiny.

    • Students can resubmit until deadline; originality report releases ~ 10 min after upload.

  • AI policy (course-specific):

    • Permitted for minor re-wording (e.g., intro/conclusion) with citation of AI tool (APA 7).

    • Forbidden for sourcing references or generating substantive content.

    • Canvas can detect AI usage; Grammarly flagged, Uni-endorsed tool = Copilot (Microsoft) or Curiosity.

Group Project (Assessment 3)

  • Groups finalised this week; 4 pm tutorial full – overflow to 5 pm.

  • One editor per group uploads all files to avoid 100 % self-match plagiarism.

  • Three ungraded documents due Week 5 (submit via Assessment 3):

    1. PPAP (Pre-Project Action Plan) – member list.

    2. Group Roles Matrix

    • Report sections & Presentation slots (5 speakers, 3 min each, 15 min total).

    1. Seven-Step Plan draft

    • Step 1 Intro/Background

    • Step 2 PLC (Intro–Growth–Maturity–Decline)

    • Step 3 PEST or PLC analysis

    • Step 4 SWOT

    • Step 5 Target market & objectives

    • Step 6 Porter strategy (Low-Cost / Differentiation / Focus)

    • Step 7 Recommendations (7 Ps: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Processes, Physical Evidence)

  • Presentation Weeks 7–9; Written Report Week 10.

Business-Development Rationale (Career Insight)

  • Role parallel: Business Development Manager (BDM).

  • Real-world 3-phase cycle mirrored in assignment:

    1. Analyse (SWOT, PEST, PLC, 7 Ps audit).

    2. Formulate Strategy (Porter positioning).

    3. Implement (recommendations for 7 Ps).

Weekly Checklist (Week 3)

  • Complete 12-step induction (video + quizzes).

  • Academic Skills video watched + confirmation email sent.

  • Obtain Robbins et al. textbook (free via Course Readings) for Ch. 2 – International Management.

  • Attend first three lectures & tutorials; join a group.

  • Submit essay-reflection/plan by Sunday.

Lecture Content – International Management & Culture

  • Australia: only 30 M people, continent-scale geography → need international markets (customers, labour, profits).

  • Risks & downsides of international operations:

    • Foreign‐investment restrictions; political unrest; volatility (e.g., volcanic ash destroying planes).

    • Sweatshops, child labour, corruption (e.g., Pacific Brands in Indonesia; Foxconn for Apple devices – suicide nets).

  • Multinational ethical dilemmas: exploitation, environmental impact, cultural disrespect.

  • Globalisation: world as a “24-hour” village; resource, market & competition interdependence.

  • Host-country pros/cons matrix:

    • Pros: growth, income, learning.

    • Cons: excess profit extraction, local talent drain, minimal tech transfer, cultural insensitivity.

Hofstede’s Six National-Culture Dimensions (refresh)

  1. Power Distance (PDI)

  2. Individualism vs Collectivism (IDV)

  3. Masculinity vs Femininity (MAS)

  4. Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)

  5. Long-Term Orientation (LTO)

  6. Indulgence vs Restraint (IVR)

  • Website “Hofstede Insights” provides up-to-date scores; include in essay.

  • Example Australian profile (legacy scores):

    • PDI ≈ 36 (low), IDV ≈ 90 (high), MAS ≈ 61, UAI ≈ 51, LTO ≈ 21 (short-term), IVR ≈ 71 (indulgent).

Illustrative Cross-Cultural Stories

  • McDonald’s in China: Beijing sign-board regulations before 2008 Olympics forced dismantling of iconic yellow arches (example of host-country power).

  • KFC banned for policy disputes; contingency risk.

  • Coal deal anecdote: Australian delegates quoted \$10/\text{tonne} to Japanese buyers; Japanese side deferred price talk until 4th visit – high-context negotiation.

  • Royal‐baby prank tragedy: cultural high vs low power distance; Indian receptionist’s suicide illustrates extreme PDI consequences.

Practical Tips & Reminders

  • Proofreading options: peer, Studiosity.

  • Use topic sentences: e.g., “This paragraph examines Power Distance between Germany and China.”

  • When citing scores: “According to Hofstede Insights (2024) Australia scores 36 on Power Distance…”

  • Avoid beginning paragraphs with author names.

  • Work-load warning: juggling 4 courses + full-time job often unsustainable; depth breeds passion.

Numerical & Formula Recap

  • Mark scaling: \text{Score}=\frac{15_\text{criteria}\times0.6667}{10}=9.9\rightarrow10 (if all met).

  • Word-count band: 1\,500\pm10\%\;(1350–1650).

  • Direct-quote ceiling: 0.10\times\text{total words}.

  • Turnitin red-flag threshold (guide): ≥ 30\% similarity.

Resources to Access

  • Canvas → Help → StudioSity, AI “Copilot”, free MS Office apps.

  • Library databases: ProQuest (ABI/Inform), Google Scholar.

  • Example essay (Assessment 2 folder) – read, don’t copy (stored in Turnitin).

Ethos & Take-aways

  • “Planning is the heart of Project Management” – every task (lecture schedule → daily plan) embodies this.

  • Critical evaluation & cultural sensitivity are core graduate attributes.

  • Engage early, use drafts, balance workload, and harness tools ethically for success.