MSC INTERNATIONAL

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

MSC GLOBALISATION OF
BUSINESS
MODULE GUIDE: EXPORT
MANAGEMENT 2010-11

EXPORT MANAGEMENT MODULE GUIDE AND KEY

INFORMATION
MODULE LEADER:
DAVID LAUGHTON
E mail: [Link]@[Link]
Phone: (0114) 2255118
Internal phone extension: 5118
TUTORS:
ALEX ANDERSON
Phone (0114) 22553253
Internal phone extension: 3253
TILAHUN MEKONNEN

WHATS THIS MODULE ALL ABOUT?

AIMS OF THIS MODULE

Direct and indirect exporting are the most frequently used mode of
internationalisation, and are of particular importance to SME's. Being able
to manage distributors and agents successfully is a crucial factor in the
overall success of a firm's exporting strategy. Moreover, export market
development is fundamentally concerned with the facilitation and
management of an efficient and effective sales and distribution
infrastructure for a firm's products or services. This module will focus on
the management of the export function within firms and the successful

management of distributors and agents within the context of the

increasing internationalisation of business activity.

WHAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO AFTER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THIS

MODULE:
1. Identify the different types of distributors and agents available to
exporting firms, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using
these, and review approaches and sources of information relevant to
finding a suitable distributor or agent.
2. Assess the role of distributors and agents within the context of the
export marketing strategy of the firm focusing on short and medium
term perspectives using value added, cost - benefit, strategic scenario,
and market development techniques.
3. Evaluate the nature and legal dimensions of the different types of
relationships that exits between firms, agents and distributors within
the context of both concentration and spreading export development
strategies.
4. Evaluate the different payment and reward systems that firms may use
with their international distributors and agents.
5. Analyse the choice of distribution channel within the context of an
export strategy.
6. Review the key issues in export finance and how export finance risks
can be managed.
7. Assess the legal issues associated with the termination of agreements
with agents and distributors
8. Define and appraise the competencies associated with successful
relationship marketing within the context of the successful
management of distributors and agents.
LECTURE/SEMINAR CONTENT
Session one
- Introduction to the module, including assessment
strategy. Introduction to exporting: why export? Exporting and the small
firm. Direct and indirect exporting intermediaries; advantages and
disadvantages of different export intermediaries.

Session two
- Developing an export strategy: key strategic
decisions; product differentiation; market segmentation; trade channel
mapping.
Session three - Sources of information and market research to support
the export marketing plan; implementing an export strategy and
monitoring performance.
Session four
- Market and performance data in planning; export sales
forecasting; market concentration versus spreading.
Session five

- Selecting and managing agents and distributors.

Session six

- Agency and distributor agreements.

Session seven

- Export pricing and costing.

Session eight - Review of each group's progress with respect to

assignment two.
Session nine

- Export finance.

Session ten

- Export logistics.

Session eleven- Export promotion.

Session twelve- Intellectual property protection.
THESE ARE THE MAIN WAYS YOU WILL BE SUPPORTED IN YOUR
LEARNING (i.e. THE TEACHING AND LEARNING APPROACH)
The teaching and learning strategy will be a combination of tutor input
and student activity. The tutor will introduce general and conceptual
issues relevant to the module. These will then be explored using case
material and the experiences of the student group to subject the didactic
input to review and critique. When possible, external speakers from the
corporate world will be invited to make an input on specific topics and
themes. Activity based learning is the fundamental approach adopted in
the unit.
Additional features of learning sessions are:

poster presentations by students on issues reviewed in the session;

small group presentations (unassessed), where groups present their
response to questions prepared outside of class sessions;
brief summary of a journal article by a micro group of students; the
journal article will be related to the theme of the teaching session; the
summary should reflect on the topic, research approach and

findings/conclusion; the summary should be posted to the course first

class conference site;
analysis of case studies;
guest speakers;
company visits (hopefully!).

Going back to bullet point two above, your tutor will put together small groups
of 2/3 people and allocate responsibility for summarising an academic article
and giving a 5 minute presentation on this article to the rest of the class. These
small, non-assessed, presentations will happen in each seminar, and the
presentations should:
a.
b.
c.
d.

Identify the research question or research focus of the article;

Describe the research method(ology) used;
Summarise key findings;
Comment on any managerial implications for exporting firms.

You only need to introduce brief details in these informal presentations, so

make sure to pick out the key points and dont go into too much detail.
The articles can be downloaded from the session folders on the Blackboard site
for the module and the schedule for the article presentations is as follows:
Session two Brouthers, L., Nakos, G. Hadjimarcou, J. and Brouthers, K. (2009)
Key Factors for Successful Export Performance for Small Firms, Journal of
International Marketing, Vol. 17, No. 3. pp.21-38.
Session three Chung, H. (2010) Analysing Marketing Customisation
Strategies in Australian Firms: a Framework for Services and Goods Exporters,
Asia Pacific Business Review, Vol. 16. No. 4, pp.505-525.
Session four Johnson, J., Yin, E., and Tsai, H. (2009) Persistence and
Learning: Success Factors of Taiwanese Firms in International Markets, Journal
of International Marketing, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp.39-54.
Session five Leonidou, L. Katsikeas, S. and Hadjimarcou, H. (2002) Building
Successful Export Business Relationships: a Behavioural Perspective, Journal of
International Marketing, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 96-145.
Session six Sichtmann, C. and von Selasinsky, M. (2010) Exporting Services
Successfully: Antecedents and Performance Implications of Customer
Relationships, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 18. No. 1, pp.86-108.
Session seven Lages, L., Silva, G. And Styles, C. (2009) Relationship
Capabilities, Quality and Innovation as Determinants of Export Performance,
Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp.47-70.

Session eight Diamantopoulos, A. and Kakkos, N. (2007) Managerial

Assessments of Export Performance: Conceptual Framework and Empirical
Illustration, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp.1-31.
Session nine Sousa, C., Ruzo, E. And Losada, F. (2010) The Key Role of
Mangers Values in Exporting: Influence on Customer Responsiveness and
Export Performance, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp.1-19.
Session ten Mohamad, O., Ali, A. and Ramayah, T. (2009) Exports to ArabSpeaking Countries: Determinants of the Performance of Malaysian Companies,
International Journal of Management, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp.465-475.
Session eleven Sharma, V. (2005) Export Management Companies and EBusiness: Impact on Export Services, Product Portfolio, and Global Market
Coverage, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Fall 2005, pp.61-71.
Session twelve Barnes, B., Leonidou, L., Siu, N. and Leonidou, C. (2010)
Opportunism as the Inhibiting Trigger for Developing Long Term Oriented
Western Exporter-Hong Kong Importer Relationships, Journal of International
Marketing, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp.35-63.
THIS IS HOW YOU WILL BE ASSESSED ON THE MODULE
Assessment will be comprised of two elements:
ASSIGNMENT ONE
Individual development of a case centred on the export marketing
strategy of a specified company (30 % of module mark; word limit 2,000
words).

Scenario
You are a member of a consultancy organisation which helps small firms
develop their exporting capability. You have a lead role in developing
materials that can be used in training sessions with people who work in
these small firms.

Task
Your task is to produce a fictional case study which focuses on a problem
or issue which is faced by small firms interested/involved in exporting.
This case study should draw upon and be underpinned by research into
this problem or issue, and you should specify (at least) 8 key sources of
information (references) that you have drawn upon to help formulate your
case. You should also produce 3 discussion questions that can be used

with your case study in a workshop/consultancy type session, and some

brief notes in response to these questions that could be used by a
facilitator who was taking this kind of training session.
Any questions?
1 What do you mean by a fictional case study? You will be familiar with
case studies from text books and resources that are used in the rest of the
course. A fictional case study is one that you have produced yourself. It is
not a study of an actual or existing company or situation, but one that
could exist. Your case study therefore has to be plausible and indicative of
things that happen in the real world, but is not a study of something that
has happened or which involves a real life company.
2 What do you mean by being underpinned by research? The case study
should be developed from problems, issues, experiences or results which
have featured in research on exporting companies and exporting in
general. So although your case study is fictional , it is grounded, based on
and illustrative of something that has been identified in the real world.
3 Whats the point of the questions at the end of the case study? These
are there for anyone using the case study in a training or consultancy
situation to use with the audience as a learning tool. They therefore need
to encourage discussion and debate amongst the audience and encourage
more complex and sophisticated responses than simply yes or no.
4 Whats the point of the brief notes in response to the questions? Again,
these are to help the trainer or consultant who is using the case study
when discussing the questions with the audience. They should therefore
identify the kind of topics, themes, issues, technicalities and ideas that
the trainer or consultant should bring to the attention of the audience.
Assessment criteria will be made available via the Bb site for the module.

ASSIGNMENT TWO
Learners will be working as part of a team to undertake a project,
although the final written work in this assignment will be an individual
effort. Learners will therefore have contributed to and shared information
concerning the development of this project, but the final written paper will
be constructed independently from the rest of the group. The group will
keep a formal record (project diary) of each of its meetings, detailing
action points agreed upon and the allocation of tasks. The final version of

this project diary should be signed by each group member and handed to
the tutor at the due date for the assignment.
The assignment task focuses on the development of an export strategy for
a specified company in a target market (70% of the module mark; 3,000
words plus appendices).

Scenario
You have been appointed as part of a consulting team charged with the
task of producing a report on the viability and feasibility of a new target
market for a product using exporting as the mode of entry. Your tutor will
allocate you to a group and provide you with the product you are to
research and your target market. Your terms of reference are:

Task
To produce recommendations for an exporting strategy for the product
and the target market which includes:
1 An analysis of the business and market environment of the proposed
target market relevant to the companys product.
2 Details relating to market segmentation and distribution channels
relevant to the product and target market.
4 Details of the financial issues, practicalities and technicalities associated
with moving the product from the company in the UK to the customer in
the proposed target market.
The final outcome of this project will be an individual written assignment
worth 70% of the module mark; word limit is 3,000 words.
Assessment criteria will be made available via the Bb site for the module.
Any Questions?
1 What does working as part of a group but then submitting an individual
assignment actually mean? This assignment involves quite a lot of
research, so working as a group will enable you to spend more time on
this research than if you were working alone. You can then share the
research findings of individuals within the group before producing an
individual assignment by yourself where you will be able to write this
assignment as you please?
2 How should the group work together? Thats up to the group, but the
actions and decisions of the group need to be recorded in summary form

and signed off by the group and submitted with the final assignment so
that the tutor knows the process the group has been involved in.
3 So in my individual assignment I can write what I want? Yes, obviously
you need to produce a direct response to the question, but it is entirely up
to you what parts of the group research you drawn upon and include in
your final assignment.

SUMMARY ASSESSMENT TASK INFORMATION

ASSESSMENT TASK

%
weighti
ng of
overall
module
mark

Duratio
n of
task /
word
count

Inmodul
e
retriev
al
availa
ble?

Individua
l task
pass
mark
ONLY IF
OVER
40%**

Individual case study

30

2,000
words

Yes

No

Group project,
individual written paper
based on this project

70

3,000
words

No

No

THIS IS HOW YOU WILL BE GIVEN FEEDBACK ON YOUR PERFORMANCE

Learners will be provided with verbal feedback on class activities (poster
presentations and presentations of journal findings). Review meetings will be
held with project groups and the module tutor throughout the duration of the
module to generate formative feedback on work in progress for assignment two.
Written feedback will be provided for the assessed pieces of work. The written
feedback will comment on how well the assessment criteria and learning
outcomes have been met and will use a specially designed proforma. Learners
will be able to clarify any outstanding issues after assignment one in one-to-one
discussions with the module tutor.

LEARNING RESOURCES

BOOKS
The adopted text for this unit is:
Branch, A. (2006) "Export Practice and Management", Thomson.
Supplementary reading for this unit is:
Albaum, G. and Duerr, E. (2008) International Marketing and Export
Management, Financial Times Prentice Hall.
Reuvid, J. and Sherlock, J. (2011) International Trade an Essential Guide
to the Principles and Practice of Export, Kogan Page.
Noonan, C. 1999, The CIM Handbook of Export Marketing: A Practical
Guide to Opening and Expanding Markets Overseas, Butterworth
Heinemann.
Capela, J.J. (2008) "Import/Export for Dummies", Wiley.
Weiss, K.D. (2007) "Building an Import/Export Business", Wiley.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
See above in the teaching and learning section of the module guide.
KEY WEB RESOURCES
UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills [Link]
International Chamber of Commerce [Link]
Institute of Export [Link]
UK Trade & Investment: Services for Exporters & Importers Free
information to help you do business internationally. Lots of information for
importers and exporters.
[Link]/
Business link has an international trade section:
[Link]
lang=en&topicId=1079717544
A Blackboard site for the module includes seminar preparation activities,
key journal readings, and multimedia resources e.g. those produced by
the UK government.