In-semester exam: Mid-term exam (20% of the course value) is an open-book “individual” exam consisting of a few specific questions based on a case study. The mid-term exam will be held in the scheduled time for lecture 8. The case study text will be shared with you a week in advance through Canvas (week 8 page). Specific questions to which you should respond will be shared with you at the begining of exam (i.e., leccture 8 day, 6 pm, Sydney time) and you should submit your responses by leccture 8 day (9 pm, Sydney time). Material needed for responding to the case is included in the case study text: you are just expected to apply the analytical lenses learned in the unit into the material provided in the case study text to respond to the specific questions. Please note that your responses will go through Turnitin plagiarism checks: so please make sure that you work on the case individually and cite your used references (if any) properly.

Group assignment (case analysis): During most sessions you are required to prepare case analyses in groups. The groups alternate in preparing and presenting their view of case findings to the class. After the presentations, a discussion will take place about the contents of the presentations and how the readings enlighten the answers to the case. This setup intends to promote a discussion of the interplay between the theory of the readings and the case and is designed to emulate the exam.

Each group will be involved twice: (i) as the presenting group (10% of the course value) and (ii) as the opponent group (5% of the course value) to debate the perspectives of the presenting team. The groups alternate in preparing and presenting their view of case findings to the class. The dates when each group takes the role of presenting and the opponent team will be determined before lecture 2.

All students must read all cases in order to be prepared for discussion and learn from this exam-emulating discussions. There also could be in-class quizzes based on the case study that would count toward your class participation mark.

Participation (class and case discussions): Engaging in discussions and debating the concepts are essential to learning soft concepts and developing critical thinking and communication skills. Cultures associate different connotations to eloquence and sometimes impede active participation in discussions. To formalize your right to have your voice heard, this item assesses you based on your contributions to the class discussion. The following criteria will be considered for your participation mark (10% of the course value):

• Canvas discussion board: Each lecture has its weekly page (see under the quick link) which posts some tasks including links to the discussions section of the Canvas. You are expected to contribute to those discussions. The best contributions do not repeat the existing comments posted under the question. They add something to the debate: they bring in a new perspective, draw attention to a different angle, or synthesize the information more effectively (compared to what has been done already)
• Quiz and surveys: Unlike the classroom setting, it is a bit hard to keep track of your engagement during a zoom session. So there will be occasional surveys and quizzes to gauge if you are following the discussion. Some of these surveys will be made available through Canvas.
• Open camera: For noise issues, we must keep the microphones mute (unless when you ask questions) but we aim to reconstruct the classroom experience through interactions. To partially achieve this, we need to sense each other presence, observe each other’s facial impressions and build a community that produces enthusiasm. Open cameras allow me to get a sense based on your facial gestures to regulate my speed, and understand whether we need to spend more time on something or maybe we should start from elsewhere. It also assures me that there are some people on the other side of the line. Please help us reconstruct the classroom experience as closely as possible (and keep your cameras on as much as possible).
• Contribution to class discussion and activities: Still, the most important criterion (for getting an HD mark in participation) remains your contribution to the class discussions. Please raise your hand and speak during the lecture, ask questions, and challenge what the instructor presents. That's how learning occurs both for you and for other participants in the lecture (who observe this interaction). Your participation and questions also help me regulate myself (in terms of what should be explained further, where the ambiguities are, and when we can comfortably move on). So, this is a service to the class and the learning of everybody.

International group project (including peer evaluation): This assessment item will be performed in teams each composed of five students. Each team has taken over as managers of a multinational company (MNC) and will be reporting on the “global” aspects of the firm's “operations”. Groups will be using the course concepts to think critically about managing “global operations” of their firm with a particular focus on local adaptation vs. standardization of activities/offerings, centralization/concentration of each activity, and the extent to which activity benefits from location-specific advantages. Examples of critical thinking could be (i) assessing the compatibility of these dimensions (e.g., does local adaptation matches with the degree to which authority is concentrated at the headquarter: if so what mechanisms are enabling this?), (ii) comparison with major industry players and (iii) examining the compatibility of operational level decisions with the business model of the firm. You are responsible for the performance of this unit: use your analytical thinking to examine the global aspects of firm operations and suggest alternatives if possible. The outcomes of this project will be (a) a written report where you elaborate on global aspects of the firm operations (i.e., adaptation, concentration/centralization, and location), (b) a 15-min presentation of the “most important/interesting” parts of your findings (please do not present the whole report), (c) a peer-evaluation of your teammates’ contribution to this group project.

Final exam: The final exam is a closed-book assessment and will test your understanding of and the ability to apply key concepts and knowledge you have learned from the unit. It is based on the material covered in this unit, including assigned readings and lecture slides. The final exam includes both short- and long-answer questions.

Further information about each assessment item will be released in Canvas.