Published by: Anu Poudeli
Published date: 11 Jun 2023
POKHARA UNIVERSITY
Semester : spring
level : Bachelor Year : 2018
Programme : BBA Full Marks : 100
Course : Introduction to international business Pass Marks : 45
Time : 3hrs
Candidates are required to give their answers in their own words as far as practicable.
The figures in the margin indicates full marks.
Section "A"
Very short Answer Questions
Attempt all the questions. 10*2
1. Define the international Business.
2. Outline the five import items of Nepal at International Trade.
3. What is duty free drawback facilities?
4. Differentiate between the multi-domestic and transactional strategies.
5, Explain the meaning of ad-valorem duty.
6. Define the nature of globalization in brief.
7. Outline the four different types of e-marketing strategies used in international business.
8. Define the meaning of intellectual property rights.
9. Differentiate between licencing and franchising.
10. Describe in brief Leontief paradox.
Section "B"
Descriptive Answer Questions
Attempt any six questions. 6*10
11. Doing business at international level is changing over the time periods. New business trend and issues are emerged. In this given context, explain the new trends and issues related with international business at contemporary business world,
12. Do you see the any differences between doing business in home country and international level? Explain with suitable examples.
13. What is regional economic integrations ? Explain the different types of regional integrations existence in international level.
14. Define the meaning of foreign direct investment . Despite of implementation of several liberal policies, the status of FDI is not satisfactory in Nepal. Why is it so, explain the major reasons? And also recommend the suggestions to increase the flow of FDI in Nepal.
15. World Trade Organization (WTO) is an apex body of international trade Nepal being the member of WTO since 2004. Npal's membership of Wto is questioning. How do you assess the impact of WTO membership on Nepalese economy ? Explain.
16. What are the different types of currency exchange rate system? How do you manage the currency convertibility risk at international business?
17. What is factor endowmwnt theory? Do you have any critical opinion about this theory ? Explain.
Section "C"
Case Analysis
18. Read the case situation given below and answer the questions that follow:
The collapse of the Rana Plaza started from the prior dat (April 23th, 2013) when the employees have discovered cracks on the wall of the manufacture. Direction of the building asked an expert to verify the structure and after a short investigation, " Sohel Rana reported to the local media channel that the worker could came back work securely" (The Guardian,2013). At 8:00 am he asked the workers could come back otherwise they could lose their job. At 9:00, the construction workers of the 9th floor have turn on power generators causing numerous vibrations and then, the building has broken and the entire block has collapsed. this disaster resulted in1,134 fatalities and around 2,500 injured workers. The building was used for clothes manufacture by a lot of international brands.
The first responsible is the building's owner, sohel Rana, who is a politician with a lot of links withthe local governament. He has forced the workers to go wprk and has pverlooked the security of his block. Moreover , his cinstruction was illegal because no permit or authorisation from an authorised authority was delievered. One may well wonder that has given to him whatever authorization to extend his factory. In this case, he was the responsible of the building and was in an illegal situation. His responsibility was about the material and about the workers. He has chosen to use low quality materials and to build an extension that have considerably weakened the building . In a report we can read that the first building with only 4 floors was built without permit and that the extension of the 5th,6th,7th and the 8th floors was made without supporting walls. The building was like a house of cards . "The ill-fated building had no approval from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAjuk) that authorises the construction of buildings. The pillars of the illegel structure contained only nine thin iron rods each. And its floor were constructed in phases' (thedailystar, 2013).
Before the collapse, Rana and the manufactures' managers agreed about the obligation for the workers to go back. Each manager was responsible of his floor and his workshops. In the case of the manufactures, the security inside the building was out of order. "The fire alarm waved off by managers. An exit door looked. The fire extinguishers; not working and apparently meant just to impress inspectors and customers" (Weber & Lawrence). No fire evaculation plan or other think to organize an evaculation of the building. The responsible were looking for efficiently without security. Looking at the both stockholders, buliding owners and manufacture owner,there is a client link between theBangladesh authority and us. In fact, the government played an important role in the collapse of the Rana plaza. After the tragedy, the investigation has shown that SohelRana and manufactures had tried to corrupt the government to accept the extension of the building. "He and 17 others have also been charged with breaching building" (BBC, 2017). Here we understand that a non-official authorization was delivered, resulting in a weakening of the structure.Also in the same context of irresponsibility. we can talk about the architect who has realised the construction of the building. In amedia he said that the edifice was for shops and office but not for factories (David Bergman ,2013). In this case, the responsibility is split in many pieces but is centralised by Sohel Rana. here it is talked about the local stakeholders, but there is also foreign. The most important are the brands, which asked the manufactures to work for them. The actual market oblige the brands to be perform and competitive. That is why they tey to produce more and more with low cost to create the maximum benefit possible. Often, the problem is that this performance has a cost: human work condition . But it is not only the work condition but also the work force asked to produce. A significant use of illegal child labor in Rana plaza's factories. A survey pf 1,436 survivors by Action Aid found 202 were under 18, while research by Human Rights watch found evidence that child workers were research by Human Rights watch found evidence that child workers were forced to hide in lavatories when buyers abd inspectors visited" (Dean Nelson, 2014). The article reports that they were children in the Rana Plaza who were working for the manufactures. In Bangladesh, the fact to have workers under years old is current and often never punished. The question about the integrity of the police can be posed.
In this illustration, we can see that there are some stakeholders outside the Bangladesh like the Brands and Foreign Government. Both said after the collapse that they would assure all rescue cost. But the problem is not to reinburse but to help change in requiring a real list of workers" rights. Moreover, on the 35 Brands involved, only a half has send money to the organization. Certain company thing not being concerned by this tragedydespite police found their products under the rubbles. This illustrates the fact that some company have an ethic problem that injure their identify but also don't follow thw human world rights.
Questions:
a) Express your opinion towards reason for tragedy and responsible one involved in it?
b) What measures can ne taken in these incidents, as there are involvements of multinational brands?
c) Assets the industry response.
d) How governance can help in this scenario?