1. 1
Academic Session 2021
May 2021 Semester
ASSIGNMENT
BMG306/03 Introduction to International Business
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1. This assignment is the alternative assessment to replace the
proctored
examination.
2. This assignment consists of a case study followed by two (2)
questions related to
the case study. Answer All questions.
3. You are allowed a maximum of one (1) attempt to submit
3. The German Automotive Industry
Germany is the largest manufacturer of automobiles in the
European Union with
market reaching a value of $54.02 billion (Data monitor, 2004).
It is home to the BMW,
Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen cars which are world
famous for their
innovation and quality.
The automobile industry is the largest contributor to the German
economy. According
to the figures of VDA (2010), the production of German
vehicles was 6.0 million in
2008 and 5.2 million in 2009, which puts it at the top among
other European countries.
The German automobile industry is also an important
employment sector. According
to the data from ACEA (2010), around 1.4 million people work
in the automotive
sectors or related sectors in Germany.
While lacking in natural resources, Germany holds other
advantages to maintain its
competitiveness in the automobile industry in Europe. Highly
educated, qualified and
motivated employees are the crucial part of its factor
conditions. Germany overcame
its lack of natural resources by developing advanced factors
conditions. Education in
4. Germany is relevant to local industry requirements, particularly
in science and high-
technology. German workers are better educated in theoretical
and technical
knowledge, which enhances their skills in practice in specific
technical fields.
The German automotive industry is well known for its related
and supporting
industries. For example, the region around the city of Stuttgart
is the core of Mercedes-
Benz and its suppliers. The other related industries near BMW’s
facility in Regensburg
and similarly for Volkswagen are good examples. All these
leading brands in
automobile manufacturing have benefited from their industrial
clusters. The suppliers
around automakers’ areas are supported by smaller components
providers, such as
metal, plastic, iron and steel producers. Buyers and suppliers
reinforce each other to
enhance their respective industries. Therefore, there are various
opportunities for
buyers and suppliers to cooperate regarding new productions
and improving them,
which improves the competitiveness of the particular industry.
The availability of cars of high quality, innovative products and
excellent service of the
German automobile industry has earned its customer’s loyalty.
German automakers
5. pay attention to the international market and their dominance is
embodied in dealing
with the relationships among industry, strategy and firm
performance. Furthermore, in
a recent International Motor Show, among 100 automotive
manufacturers, there were
55 companies from Germany, which proves its competitiveness
in the automobile
industry.
Germany’s automotive industry is faced with a challenging and
demanding domestic
market. The number of consumers in the German market is the
highest in the
European Union. German consumers are willing to buy larger,
better equipped and
higher valued automobiles. As a result, Germany focuses on
higher value, high quality
automobiles that are globally renowned.
3
The German automobile firms are required to face international
competition
independently, while the government plays a vital role in
industrial advancement. The
automobile manufacturing requires technicians and scientists to
continuously improve
product quality and the German government supports the
6. industry in terms of
education system and policies to develop industry-relevant
workforce and research
investment funding.
Germany suffered hardships and great losses due to the two
world wars. Yet the
positive effects outweighed the negative as Germany made great
achievements in
post-war industrial competition. Porter (1998. p.179) mentioned
that the wars created
opportunities for Germany in producing high technology
products and complex
components.
Hofstede (1983) holds that national and regional cultures
influence management,
involving multinational, multicultural organisations in both
public and private sectors.
The German automobile companies are very efficiently
managed. The competitive
advantages like technology can be duplicated by other
companies, whereas culture is
the unique characteristic of a nation or a company. Therefore,
the culture also can be
a factor of competitiveness.
(Source: https: www.grin.com, accessed 11 Apr 2021)
Note:
7. Read Unit 3, section 3.1 on International Trade Theories and
focus on Michael
Porter’s National Competitive Advantage Theory (Diamond
Theory). As much as
possible, use your own words.
Question 1 should be a general explanation of the National
Competitive
Advantage Theory using appropriate examples.
Question 2 should be focused on the analysis of the German
automobile
industry as discussed in the case study based on the National
Competitive
Advantage Theory.
Question 1
Explain using suitable examples, Michael Porter’s National
Competitive Advantage
Theory.
(50 marks)
Question 2
Based on the National Competitive Advantage Theory, analyse
the German
automotive industry.
8. (50 marks)
End of Assignment Questions
http://www.grin.com/
Academic Session 2021
May 2021 Semester
ASSIGNMENT
BIS303/03 Management Information System
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1. This assignment is the alternative assessment to replace the
proctored
examination.
2. This assignment consists of two (2) sections. Answer ALL
questions in Part A and
Part B.
3. You are allowed a maximum of one (1) attempt to submit
10. Big Data Trends In Healthcare
Since people are becoming more and more conscious about their
health and
well-being, they are investing more in better tools and
applications to monitor
their health and are making regular trips to the doctor for check
-ups of follow-
ups. Because of this, as well as the many, many cases of
illnesses and injuries,
there is a constant flow of information when it comes to the
healthcare industry.
Since this data pertains to people’s lives, it is highly sensitive
and must be
handled with care.
By carefully recording, storing, reading, and analyzing medical
data, there have
been many positive developments in the industry. They will
continue to happen
if everything is managed well. There is a need to focus heavily
on factual data
or evidence to ensure that the patients are being looked after
well, receive the
right diagnosis and treatment, and that there are no unnecessary
11. expenses.
Some Major Data Trends in the Industry
A trend is essentially a gradual change or shift in movement,
condition, or output,
and when it comes to the health care industry, there have been
many data trends,
owing to the developments in technology. Some of them are as
follows: –
Patient-Oriented Care: The main objective of the healthcare
industry is to
provide adequate healthcare facilities to the patients. Since
treatments or
medical attention can prove to be very expensive, many health
payors such
as insurance companies or other organizations are making use of
technology
to provide value-based and data-driven incentives, which will
eventually help
cut down costs. The main features of patient-oriented healthcare
are
improving the quality of the healthcare provided so that the
desired outcomes
are obtained, reducing the cost of seeking healthcare, and
providing support
12. to reformed paying structures. By focusing primarily on the
patient, their
needs, and history, the doctors, hospitals, organizations , and
insurance
companies, etc. need to work a way to not only efficiently
record data but
also provide the right diagnosis and treatment while ensuring
that the prices
are justified and not too high.
Monitor Patients: With the many advancements in the field of
technology
and healthcare, patients, as well as doctors, have the means to
monitor the
medical situation. Patients are constantly connected to
apparatus which
monitor vital signs such as heart rate, blood sugar level, etc.
and also alert
the doctors or nurses immediately if there is any change in
condition. Even if
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13. the patients are not admitted to the hospital, they wear or carry
devices that
come with sensors and monitor health. For instance, those with
diabetes or
asthma can wear such devices, which will ensure that the right
medication is
being administered at the right time. Such devices also provide
a
comprehensive idea of the patient’s medical condition.
Predictive Analysis and Improving Outcome: The encouraged
adoption of
EHR or Electronic Health Records by hospitals and other
healthcare
organizations has not only made it easier and more efficient to
store medical
data but has also made it much easier to provide the right
treatment to
patients. With the vast and varying nature of medical
information, there is a
need to efficiently organize and store it, and tha t is where EHR
comes into
the picture. About $30 billion was spent on encouraging the
adoption of EHR
and the subsequent sharing of patient information among
14. different healthcare
facilities to ease the process of analyzing the data and providing
adequate
treatment. By being able to analyze such data, it has become
possible to
diagnose any underlying health issues beforehand, treat them on
time, and
also avoid any unnecessary expenditure. Since the signs for
illnesses such
as congestive heart failure can be missed by doctors, having a
proper record
and health history enables them to catch the issue and treat it
accordingly,
without having to spend a lot (on the part of the hospital or the
patient).
Besides these, data analysis can also help in avoiding any fr
auds, unnecessary
costs, or wastage and abuse of funds. Given that the healthcare
industry is a
major aspect of life, there are bound to be those that commit
any frauds with
respect to their insurance, bills, etc. and also, there is always
the possibility of
spending too much on a particular area or case. What data
15. analysis helps with
is avoiding such situations so that the industry can function
better and provide
adequate facilities. However, it is also important to keep in
mind that recording
and analyzing all the medical data is a tedious task, even with
the help of
advanced technology, and there can always be an error or
inadequacy, owing to
the different kinds of data available.
[source : https://www.mobifilia.com/big-data-trends-in-
healthcare]
Question 1
a. What are the data sharing challenges do you foresee of big
data in
healthcare? Explain.
(10 marks)
b. Describe any 3 (three) application of big data in Covid-19
pandemic.
(15 marks)
c. Do you think big data analytics help significantly in the
16. Covid-19 mitigation?
(15 marks)
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https://www.mobifilia.com/big-data-trends-in-healthcare
Part B : Answer all the questions
Question 1
a. Name four (4) industries that you think will be most affected
by achievements
in technologies in the last decade and explain what these
industries will go
through.
(12 marks)
b. Explain why there could be reasons to believe that
Information System and
people are the driving force behind developments in Information
Technologies.
(8 marks)
17. Question 2
a. Byzia et al. (2001) identify four (4) business management
styles in pursuing
organisational goals. Explain these management styles with
example of any
organisation.
(12 marks)
b. Functional information systems automate some of the
business processes in
an organisation.
Do you think automating function informa tion system would
beneficial
organisation? Explain.
(8 marks)
Question 3
a. Expert System (ESs) are information systems that mimic the
decision-making
and problem solving processes of human experts
i. Identify and explain the four (4) compone nts of an expert
system with
examples of how each component works.
18. (8 marks)
ii. Briefly explain with example of the application of an Expert
System in
medical industry
(4 marks)
b. How does a what-if analysis differ from a goal-seeking
analysis? Clearly
explain with examples how they differ.
(8 marks)
END OF QUESTION PAPER
