Lesson correlates with National Business Education Association National Standards for Business Education, 1995, Reston, Virginia.
· Standard III. Environment...Achievement Standard: Describe the social, cultural, political, legal, and economic factors that shape and impact the international business environment.
               D. Economic
Level 3 (Secondary) - Performance Expectations: Analyze the availability of resources in a country and the economic potential of the country to improve its quality of life by engaging in international trade.
Country Report

 
TIME REQUIRED:
Semester on-going project
 
RECOMMENDED GRADE:
Grades 9-12


 
MAJOR CONCEPTS:
INSTRUCTIONAL
OBJECTIVES:
 Students will
1. Develop library and non-library research skills, including doing original research
2. Become aware of the geographic, social, cultural, political, legal, and economics characteristics and practices of a specific country
3. Speculate how the geographic, social, cultural, political, legal, and economic environment of a specific country might impact a company doing business in that country
4. Understand the importance of trade between nations, with the United States, and specifically with Wisconsin businesses

Key Terms:
 1. Passport
 2. Visa
 3. Consulate office
 4. Absolute advantage
 5. Comparative advantage
 6. Infrastructure
 7. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
 8. Balance of trade
 9. Standard of living
10. Intellectual properties

 
MATERIALS:
1. Current listing of embassy, consulate, and national tourist office addresses
2. Listing of Federal and State offices (and addresses) providing trade information
3. Most recent trade statistics for the country being researched and particularly with the United States and Wisconsin
4. Access to daily foreign exchange rates
RATIONALE:
 The purpose of this lesson is to give students an opportunity to study in detail the geographic, social, cultural, political, legal, and economic environment of just one country.  This project will then provide each student a greater in-depth analysis of the various factors encountered in international business.
PROCEDURE:
1. The student is to select and research a country of choice.  This project will include library research; letter writing to consulate offices, embassies, government agencies, and tourism offices; daily tracking of foreign exchange rates; keeping current with newspaper and magazine articles.

2. Prepare a report to include the following sections:
 a. History.  A brief history of the country emphasizing its trade among nations.

b. Country.  Geography, physical features, climate and weather, fauna and flora, natural resources.
· speculate how the geographical environment of the country will impact international business
· identify the natural resources used to produce goods and services exported to other countries
· analyze the availability (and scarcity) of resources in the country and the economic potential of the country to improve its quality of life and economic development by engaging in international trade
· identify which resources (if any) could give the country a comparative or absolute advantage

 c. People.  Culture, family structure, religion, ethnic groups, holidays, language, standard of living.
· describe the social roles of various subpopulations (women, minorities, social classes) in the country
· identify distinctive social cultural factors affecting business activities (time, workday, workweek, schedules, religious practices, holidays)
· predict how the cultural, religious, and social environment of the country might impact a company doing business in that country
· discuss the effect of literacy level and technology on the country's economic development

 d. Government and Legal System.  Form of government, governmental services, infrastructure, monetary system, trade group memberships, passport and visa regulations, foreign business regulations, legal system, employment practices.
· identify and describe how trade barriers, tariffs, quotas, and taxation policies affect companies operating in the country
· describe how the political stability/instability of the country will impact on international business
· describe the legal system of the country
· describe the licensing requirements for exports and imports from both the United States and the foreign country
· recognize the legal differences between the United States and the foreign country, especially in the area of child labor, intellectual properties, and product liability
· discuss the government's role in the economics system's decision of what, how, and for whom goods and services should be produced
· discuss the level of technological and infrastructure development
· identify and list the trading groups memberships
· describe the monetary system

 e. Production and Trade.  Agricultural and forestry; mining, industrial, and manufacturing; tourism; imports and exports; major trading partners; balance of trade; trade volume with the United States, and particularly Wisconsin
· identify and list the major industry groups and the volume of production for each
· identify the most important products produced and/or manufactured in the country, relating this information to any absolute or comparative advantage
· discuss the importance of tourism
· list major trading partners, imports and exports of each, and the resulting balance of payments
· identify and discuss the impact of the export/import products that might be affected in time of political instability

 f. Exhibits. 
· colored flag of the country
· map(s) of the country in color or black & white
· graph showing the fluctuation of the exchange rate
· copy of the national anthem

 g. Reference list.

3. Prepare a "student instruction sheet" and distribute to students listing information to be included in the report, time schedule for completion of various tasks, and due date for paper.

 
EVALUATION: 1. Prepare an evaluation sheet.  The student will have the work evaluated as to the completeness and timeliness of the project.  Materials obtained for preparation of the report will be collected and placed in the school IMC unless the item was purchased by the student.
 2. Each student will prepare and give an oral and/or computerized summary presentation to the class.
AUTHOR:
 Jim Beistle, Unity High School (ret.), Balsam Lake, WI.
EDITORS:
Les Dlabay, Lake Forrest College, Wildwood, IL.
Robert Ristau, Eastern Michigan University (ret.), Ypsilanti, MI.

 
 
 
 
 

Click here to download Microsoft Word version of the plan including handouts.