trident Bus401 module 1 case study and SLP

Walmart has recently announced plans for expansion to China. Already a retail giant in the U.S., they now hope to tap into a growing and potentially lucrative new market. However, such expansion is not without risks. Doing business in China is a much different environment than doing business in the U.S. Furthermore the Chinese government has announced plans for a series of ambitious new reforms that add to the level of uncertainty and may change the business environment for international firms.

Case Assignment

Read the following two articles and do some of your own additional research on Walmart and the new enviornment in China:

Roberts, M. (October 24, 2013). Walmart China Expansion Aims to Tap Urbanization, Business Week,http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-24/walmarts-china-expansion-aims-to-tap-urbanization

Yao, K., Blanchard, B. (November 15, 2013) China unveils boldest reforms in decades, shows Xi in command, Reuters,http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/15/us-china-reform-idUSBRE9AE0BL20131115

After researching these issues, write a four to five page paper answering the following question:

How will economic reform in China impact the success of Walmart's expansion plans?

In your answer, consider the following issues:

A. The risks involved in expanding to China

B. How specific aspects of China's economic reform will impact the business enviornment that Walmart will face

C. The potential benefit of Walmart's expansion to China

Helpful Tips:

• Please first read in-depth the background materials for module 1.

• Identify key concepts in the background materials write a list, and study them

• Read the case in-depth and conduct additional research, if necessary

• Develop arguments by applying the concepts of international business from the background materials to Walmart's expansion plan in China

Case 1 Assignment Expectations

• Answer the assignment question directly
• Stay focused on the precise assignment question, don't go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to general background materials
• List supporting references and cite sources in proper format
• Use appropriate writing style in essay form (organization, grammar, & spelling- see Writing Guidelines).