BBS11603 Introduction to International Business Assignment 1 Sample (Sept 2026)
For information and reference only – not to be submitted as your own work. This is a model-answer extract for BBS11603 Introduction to International Business, Assignment 1 (Report), September 2026 session. It shows how one member’s Section A subsection and the Section B dashboard content can be written and laid out. For the reasoning behind the layout, read our BBS11603 country comparison dashboard guide, and browse the solved question archive for other briefs.
The case is illustrative. The brief lets a group use a real or an imaginative Malaysian business, so the extract uses a hypothetical halal-certified packaged snack manufacturer based in Malaysia, expanding to Japan. Replace the company, product and every figure with your own group’s choices and sources.
Case snapshot used in this extract
| Item | Illustrative choice |
|---|---|
| Home country | Malaysia |
| Business | Hypothetical mid-sized halal-certified snack manufacturer (imaginative business, as the brief allows) |
| Target country | Japan |
| Why Japan | Large, high-income consumer market; ASEAN–Japan and regional trade agreements; growing interest in halal-friendly food among Muslim visitors and residents |
| Group role | International business consulting firm advising the client |
Section A extract: globalisation analysis (individual, 20 marks)
A(a) Defining globalisation
Globalisation can be defined as the shift towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy, in which markets for goods, services, capital and labour become less separated by national borders (Hill & Hult, 2019). Hill and Hult describe two linked parts: the globalisation of markets, where tastes converge and national markets merge into one global marketplace, and the globalisation of production, where firms place activities wherever cost and quality are best.
The definition needs a caveat, and markers reward it. Ghemawat (2003) argues that the world is better described as “semiglobalised”: cross-border integration has risen sharply but remains incomplete, so location and national differences still matter to strategy. For our client, that point is practical. A Malaysian snack brand cannot assume that Japanese shoppers want the same flavours, packaging or labelling as Malaysian ones.
A(b) Three drivers of globalisation
| Driver | What it means | Link to the client |
|---|---|---|
| Declining barriers to trade and investment | Postwar liberalisation under the GATT and later the World Trade Organization, plus regional trade agreements, lowered tariffs and eased cross-border investment (Hill & Hult, 2019) | Malaysia is a party to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (ratified 18 March 2022) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (ratified 29 November 2022), both of which involve Japan as a partner (Malaysian Investment Development Authority [MIDA], n.d.) |
| Technological change | Cheaper transport, containerisation, and communications and information technology shrink the cost of distance (Hill & Hult, 2019) | Dry snacks ship by container without a cold chain; the firm can manage Japanese retailers and online marketplaces from Malaysia |
| Growth of multinational and cross-border investment | Firms locate production, sourcing and sales across borders, creating global supply chains | Ingredients may be sourced regionally and packed in Malaysia, or later through a Japanese distributor or joint venture |
Do not just list drivers. Write two or three sentences per driver that connect the concept to the client, as the table does, and cite a textbook or journal source for each.
A(c) One real-world globalisation issue: the 2021 Suez Canal blockage
On 23 March 2021 the container ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal and blocked it until it was freed on 29 March, six days later. Reuters reported that around 15 per cent of world shipping traffic passes through the canal (Reuters, 2021). The incident exposed how a single chokepoint can delay goods across interlinked supply chains.
For a Malaysia-to-Japan snack exporter, the lesson is about resilience rather than the Suez route itself, since Malaysia–Japan sea freight does not normally need the canal. Ingredients, packaging or equipment from Europe might. The firm should map supplier dependencies, hold safety stock of key inputs, and qualify an alternative supplier. State plainly in your report that the issue is selected as a supply-chain disruption example, and link it back to your chosen business.
Working on the group report with a tight deadline? Submit your brief for guidance and a free quote.
Section B extract: comparative country dashboard (group, 80 marks)
The tables below are written as dashboard panels. In your PDF, each panel becomes a card on a slide, with a short caption underneath. Figures are shown only where they were checked against the World Bank country pages in October 2026.
Panel 1: political and legal systems
| Dimension | Malaysia (home) | Japan (target) |
|---|---|---|
| Political system | Federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; the Federal Constitution is supreme law | Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; the Constitution of Japan is the supreme law |
| Democratic or totalitarian? | Democratic, with elections and a multi-party system | Democratic, with elections and a multi-party system |
| Legal system | Common law inherited from British rule, alongside Syariah courts that hear personal and family matters for Muslims; native courts operate in Sabah and Sarawak (Fulcrum, n.d.) | Civil law system based on codified statutes |
| Business effect | Contract and company disputes are handled in civil courts; halal certification and Islamic matters sit under a separate religious framework | Codified rules mean documents must be precise; product-safety, food-labelling and import requirements need checking before shipment |
Marker tip: the brief asks you to give specific examples of how political and legal systems affect business. One concrete example per country, such as food-labelling rules in Japan or halal certification in Malaysia, scores better than a general statement about stability.
Panel 2: economic systems
| Indicator | Malaysia | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP, current US$ (World Bank, 2025) | About US$472.19 billion | About US$4.44 trillion |
| GDP per capita, current US$ (World Bank, 2025) | About US$13,125 | About US$35,951 |
| GNI per capita, Atlas method | Look up the World Bank indicator NY.GNP.PCAP.CD for the latest year and state the year | Use the same indicator and the same year as Malaysia |
| Economic system | Mixed economy: market-led, with government-linked companies, state investment funds and targeted support policies | Mixed economy: advanced market economy with active government guidance of industry policy |
The GDP figures above were read from the World Bank country pages for Malaysia and Japan (World Bank, n.d.-a; n.d.-b). The GNI per capita row is left as a method on purpose: the page we could open did not display GNI values, so we do not quote a number. Pull both GNI values yourselves, state the year, and put the download in an appendix.
Remember what the two measures show. GDP measures output produced inside a country’s borders; GNI adds income earned from abroad and subtracts income paid abroad. Per-capita figures compare living standards roughly, but they ignore how evenly income is shared.
Investor implications
- Market size: Japan’s GDP per capita is roughly 2.7 times Malaysia’s on the figures above, which suggests higher spending power per consumer.
- Price positioning: a premium or mid-premium position is more realistic than competing on price with local manufacturers.
- Market access: check tariff lines for snack products under the regional agreements before setting landed prices.
- Currency: yen and ringgit movements change margin; plan a pricing review point.
Panel 3: cultural differences (Hofstede)
Use The Culture Factor (formerly Hofstede Insights) country comparison tool to read the six scores for Malaysia and Japan, then put the numbers in your panel with the access date. We give the direction only, because we are not quoting scores we did not read from the tool.
| Dimension | Malaysia (direction) | Japan (direction) | Implication for negotiation and management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power distance | Very high; hierarchy accepted | Moderate | In Malaysia, decisions flow from the top; in Japan, expect consensus-building across levels |
| Individualism vs collectivism | Collectivist | Moderately collectivist, group-oriented | Relationships and group harmony matter in both; avoid pushing individuals for quick commitments |
| Motivation towards achievement (masculinity) | Middle range | Very high | Japanese partners expect excellence, detail and polished presentation |
| Uncertainty avoidance | Relatively low | Very high | Japanese buyers want specifications, testing, certificates and risk planning in writing |
| Long-term orientation | Lower to moderate | High | Expect slow, patient supplier evaluation and a preference for lasting relationships |
| Indulgence vs restraint | Leaning indulgent | Leaning restrained | Formal, reserved meeting style in Japan; marketing tone should be understated |
Business etiquette and negotiation
Malaysian firms usually value personal rapport, courtesy towards seniority and flexibility on timing. Japanese firms usually expect punctuality, formal introductions, careful exchange of business cards and thorough preparation. Decisions in Japan often take longer because the group must agree; pressing for a quick answer can damage trust.
For management, the client’s Malaysian team should prepare complete documents early, assign one named contact for the Japanese distributor, and accept that questions may arrive in writing and in detail. Hofstede’s framework describes national averages, not individuals, and your report should say so (Hofstede et al., 2010).
Turning this into a 5-page visual dashboard
The brief limits the dashboard to five pages, excluding the cover, references and appendices. One workable plan follows.
| Page | Content | Visual idea |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Client snapshot and target-country rationale | Two-column profile cards, small map |
| 2 | Political and legal comparison | Side-by-side panels with icons and one example each |
| 3 | Economic comparison: GDP, GNI, system type | Bar charts, labelled with source and year |
| 4 | Hofstede dimensions (at least four) | Paired bar or radar chart |
| 5 | Etiquette, negotiation, investor implications | Three action cards and a one-line recommendation |
- File name: follow the pattern in the brief exactly (module code, assignment, group number, group name). A wrong title attracts a deduction.
- APA 7th: cite on every chart and card, for example “Source: World Bank (n.d.-a)”, and list full entries in the reference list.
- Appendices: put the raw data tables and downloads there, not on the five pages.
- Section A: each member submits an individual subsection, so write yours in your own words and label it clearly.
Our international business assignment sample and this international business assignments example show how other briefs are answered. A related international business assignment brief is also available for comparison.
If your group is short of time on the written parts, our report writing help for Malaysian students provides model answers and guidance. You stay responsible for how you use them and for your institution’s rules. Past customer feedback is on our student reviews page.
About the expert
Amirul Azam holds an MBA from the University of Malaya and works in marketing, management, organizational behaviour and international business, including brand management, digital marketing and strategic management. He has spent over a decade in managerial roles in marketing and advertising, has six years of experience providing academic assistance, and has completed 2,341 orders.
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References
Fulcrum. (n.d.). Legal pluralism in Malaysia: Navigating the civil and Shariah systems. https://fulcrum.sg/legal-pluralism-in-malaysia-navigating-the-civil-and-shariah-systems/
Ghemawat, P. (2003). Semiglobalization and international business strategy. Journal of International Business Studies, 34(2), 138–152. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400013
Hill, C. W. L., & Hult, G. T. M. (2019). International business: Competing in the global marketplace (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Malaysian Investment Development Authority. (n.d.). Revitalising trade and investment: Unleashing the power of Malaysia’s free trade agreements. https://www.mida.gov.my/revitalising-trade-and-investment-unleashing-the-power-of-malaysias-free-trade-agreements/
Reuters. (2021, July 7). Factbox: The Ever Given’s stranding in the Suez Canal. Nippon.com. https://www.nippon.com/en/news/reu20210707KCN2EC2EF/
World Bank. (n.d.-a). Malaysia [Country data]. World Bank Open Data. https://data.worldbank.org/country/malaysia
World Bank. (n.d.-b). Japan [Country data]. World Bank Open Data. https://data.worldbank.org/country/japan
