Unit Outline

BMA348

Managing Business in the Asia Pacific

Shanghai Semester 2, 2024

Tasmanian School of Business & Economics (TSBE)

College of Business and Economics

CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Contact Details

Unit Coordinator

Dr. Roshni Narendran

Email: roshni.narendran@utas.edu.au

Contents

What is the Unit About?.................................................................................................................................... 3

Unit Description.............................................................................................................................................. 3

Intended Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................................... 3

Requisites........................................................................................................................................................ 3

How will I be Assessed?................................................................................................................................... 4

Assessment schedule.................................................................................................................................... 4

Assessment details........................................................................................................................................ 4

How your final result is determined............................................................................................................. 9

Submission of assignments.......................................................................................................................... 9

Requests for extensions................................................................................................................................ 9

Late penalties.................................................................................................................................................. 9

Review of results and appeals..................................................................................................................... 9

Required Resources....................................................................................................................................... 10

Required reading materials........................................................................................................................ 10

Recommended reading materials............................................................................................................. 10

Unit schedule................................................................................................................................................... 11

AACSB Accreditation...................................................................................................................................... 12

Sustainability.................................................................................................................................................... 12

What is the Unit About?

Unit Description

The Asia Pacific region has gained impressive economic growth in recent decades and thus greater significance to the world economy. The region presents unique and diverse environmental conditions for business operation and therefore it is imperative for businesses engaged in the region to develop a comprehensive understanding both of that environment and the strategies and operational management required to succeed. This unit will examine key features of that business environment, particularly the prominent business systems. You will explore ways through which business might effectively utilise opportunities and overcome barriers for their business operations in the Asia Pacific region. This is an advanced unit. Students enrolled in this unit are expected to draw upon knowledge in other units to examine the regional environment and the strategies and management of businesses, attaining the skills and capabilities of applying knowledge to business practices in the Asian context.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

1.	Discuss and analyse the Asian business environment.
2.	Analyse and evaluate business practices in major Asian countries.
3.	Work independently, and with others, to communicate a reasoned argument.

Requisites

REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	BMA181
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	BMA285-A AND BMA385-A

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule

ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Review Report	Week 9	10 %	LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Group Assignment	Group formed in Week 4; first submission in Week 8; final submission Week 11	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Essay	Week 5	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:	Exam	Exam period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Review Report

Task Description:

Group work involves cooperation and collaboration, of which both will be assessed. Each member of your group is required to complete a self and peer review report to critically reflect on the first submission of the group assignment by referring to the marking criteria and rubrics for the group assignment. The review report must be well organised and include four sections to clearly list: a) the contribution of each group member; b) identification of at least five major problems of the first submission; c) critical evaluation of each identified problem, and d) feasible and implementable suggestions for further improvement of the group assignment. Wherever appropriate, references must be provided. The review report will be assessed and must be provided to your group to inform the revision of the group assignment. More information about the group assignment and the review process will be provided on MyLO and discussed in tutorials.

Task Length:

1000 - 1500 words

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Work collaboratively with others to complete a task.	LO3
2	Communicate in structured and formatted writing.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Group Assignment

Task Description:

The group assignment requires you to complete an argumentative case study. It aims to develop your skills in critical thinking and academic writing. Your skills and capabilities in cooperating and collaborating with others will also be assessed through this assignment. To complete this work, you are required to form groups with three or four members in a group. You must identify a real-life foreign company which has business in or with Asia or an Asian country covered in this unit. The company should not be too big or too small. You need to do background research about the company by referring to reliable sources, provide a descriptive analysis about the company and its business in Asia or an Asian country, identify and evaluate significant issues in its strategies or business operation in Asia, discuss opportunities and challenges facing the company, and provide practical suggestions for the company to overcome the issue. The case study must be written in a report format and includes an executive summary, a table of contents, a title, an introduction, body sections, a conclusion, recommendations, and a referencing list. A minimum of ten (10) references from both academic (e.g. journal articles, academic books, etc.) and non-academic (e.g. business magazines, newspapers, company websites, etc.) publications should be used.

The group case study must be submitted twice. The first submission needs be in a completed format meeting all the requirements. It will be used to seek feedback and comments for further improvement through the self and peer review process. It will not be assessed by the lecturer. The second submission will be final and used for marking. The marking will mostly be based on the overall outcomes of the group work. However, no marks will be given to those who fail to contribute to the group work. Those members who fail to contribute to the first submission in a timely manner will receive no marks for the group assignment as such failure will affect the group work. Those students who fail to contribute to the first submission for genuine reasons and have obtained prior approval are required to submit an individual case study on a different topic and provide a self- review report for the work in progress, following all the relevant requirements.

Task Length:

3,500 words maximum

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Comprehend the key features of the Asian business environment.	LO1
2	Apply knowledge to practical international business issues.	LO2
3	Identify and analyse key issues in business operation in the Asia-Pacific region.	LO2
4	Analyse and evaluate opportunities and challenges for businesses in the region.	LO2
5	Develop evidenced recommendations	LO2
6	Work collaboratively with others to complete a task.	LO3
7	Communicate in structured and formatted writing.	LO3
8	Write using the language of international business.	LO3
9	Use and reference academic sources of information to support arguments.	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Essay

Task Description:

This piece of assessment requires you to complete an individual academic essay. The purpose of this essay is to assess your skills in obtaining functional knowledge through independent research, evaluating practical issues through critical thinking, and presenting well-reasoned and evidenced arguments through academic writing. To complete this essay, you are required to choose a specific topic related to an issue in an area of either cross-cultural management or human resource management in Asia or an Asian country. You must identify and clearly define the issue, discuss its causes and implications, and make practical suggestions for businesses. The essay must have a complete structure and key elements of academic writing, including a topic title, an introduction, body sections, a conclusion, a referencing list, and a format appropriate for academic writing. At least seven academic publications must be referenced following Harvard referencing style. More information will be provided on MyLO and discussed in Tutorials.

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Comprehend the key features of the Asian business environment.	LO1
2	Apply knowledge to practical international business issues.	LO2
3	Identify and analyse key issues in business operation in the Asia-Pacific region.	LO2
4	Analyse and evaluate opportunities and challenges for businesses in the region.	LO2
5	Develop evidenced recommendations.	LO2
6	Communicate in structured and formatted writing.	LO3
7	Write using the language of international business.	LO3
8	Use and reference academic sources of information to support arguments.	LO3

Assessment Task 4: Exam

Task Description:

The final exam will cover all the materials of this unit and will assess your comprehension of conceptual knowledge and analytical capabilities.
The final exam is worth 40 percent of the overall assessment.
You must answer a compulsory question in Section A and answer three out of five questions in Section B.

Task Length:

3 hours plus 15 minutes reading time

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)

1	Comprehend the key features of the Asian business environment.	LO1
2	Discuss and analyse major Asian business systems.	LO1
3	Apply knowledge to practical international business issues.	LO2
4	Identify and analyse key issues in business operation in the Asia-Pacific region.	LO2
5	Analyse and evaluate opportunities and challenges for businesses in the region.	LO2
6	Write using the language of international business.	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

A comprehensive reading list will be provided on MyLO.

Unit schedule

Week	Date beginning	Topic/ Module/ Focus Area	Activities	Resources/ Readings/ Further Information
1	26 February	The Business System
2	4 March	Asian Culture
3	11 March	HRM and Leadership in Asia
4	18 March	Regionalism and production		Group formation
5	25 March	The Business System of Japan		Assessment 3 submission
6	1 April	The Business System of China
7	8 April	The Business System of India		Assessment 2 First submission
8	15 April	The Business System of Korea
9	22 April	The Business System of Singapore		Assessment 1 due
10	29 April	The Business System of Malaysia
11	6 May	The Business System of Philippines		Assessment 2 Final submission
12	13 May	The Business System of Thailand
13	20 May	Overview
Study Period: 3 June to 7 June
Exam Period: 11 June to 25 June

AACSB Accreditation

The Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE) gained initial Business Accreditation from the AACSB International (AACSB) in July 2021 – the lead program for accrediting business schools globally. AACSB seeks to connect educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal – to create the next generation of business leaders.

AACSB is the most reputable standard in business education and TSBE is now one of an elite group of the world’s business schools. By being an AACSB accredited School, TSBE has joined a global alliance committed to improve the quality of business education around the world, and to share the latest innovations in business education.

Gaining Business Accreditation with AACSB means that we have satisfied a multi-year process involving TSBE demonstrating our performance against the 15 accreditation standards.

TSBE has joined a select community of accredited business schools, with only five percent of all business schools globally accredited with AACSB. This will further enhance the reputation of TSBE, as well as the global recognition of your qualifications. To find out more about AACSB click here.

Sustainability

The College of Business and Economics is now a PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) signatory. We are committed to the six PRME values of Purpose, Values, Method, Research, Partnership and Dialogue and you will see in various units how we embed sustainability values in our teaching and research and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Across all sustainable development goals, our university is ranked at 25 overall globally, and for Sustainable Development Goal 13 – Climate Action – UTAS is the number one university. For more information about PRME, click here.