FacultyofBusinessStudies ArabOpenUniversity ManagingAcrossOrganizational&CulturalBoundariesB325 TutorMonitoringAssignment–Version2 Spring2023 QUESTION B325TMA–Spring2023–SB Page1 TMAintroduction Thebasisoflocal,regional,andglobalc

FacultyofBusinessStudies

ArabOpenUniversity


ManagingAcrossOrganizational&CulturalBoundariesB325


TutorMonitoringAssignment–Version2

Spring2023

QUESTION


B325TMA–Spring2023–SB


Page1




TMAintroduction
Thebasisoflocal,regional,andglobalcompetitionhaschanged.Nowadays,itisnolongeraracebetweenbusinessesinrelationtootherbusinesses,butratherthecompetitionbetweensupplychains.Therefore,companiesmovetomanagesupplychaincollaborationinwhichthereistheparticipationofmanyfirms,includingsuppliers,manufacturers,transporters,intermediaries,takinguponeorsomeworkphrase(suchasmarketing,logistic,finance…)andcollaboratingtoachievecompetitiveadvantage.Thus,supplychaincollaborationisbecomingessentialstrategyforanysuccessfulbusiness.Yetobstacles(suchasdistinctivelevelsgoals,differencesinculture……)tosupplychaincollaborationarepersistent.

QUESTION
ChoosealargeDEPARTMENTSTOREfromyourregionorlocalcontextthathasbestsupplychainpracticeswithinternationalpartnerandprepareareportforsupplychaincollaboration.Thereportneedstoincludeaclearintroductionofthechosenlargedepartmentstoreandanalysethechallengesfacingthedepartmentstoreregardingsupplychainmembers’differentgoalsandculturechallengesandsuggestactionstobetakentotacklethesechallenges.Itneedstoclearlyidentifythegoalsinsupplychainnetworksandcriticallyevaluatethechallengesthatarisefrommulticulturalcollaborationaswellasstrategiesusedtodealwiththesechallenges(wordlimit:2000words).

IMPORTANT GUIDELINES:
1- What you need to consider before you start your TMA:BeforestartingyourTMA,makesuretodoyourownresearchandensurethattheinformationneededisavailable.ThisisveryimportantsincetheTMAdoesnotonlyrelyoncoursematerialbutaswellonexternalresources.Todoso,youneedtousesearchengine,suchasgooglescholar,google,ask.com,yahoo.com,etc.tosearchforarticles,reportsthatdiscusssupplychaincollaboration,multiculturalcollaboration,challengesthatarisefrommulticulturalcollaboration.Youneedtointerviewatleastonememberfromthelargedepartmentstoreandtomakeaninitialcontactwithhimearlyintheresearchprocess,to


B325TMA–Spring2023–SB


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ensurethatthepersonisindeedwillingtotalkwithyou.Youranswershouldnotbelistingofideasbutratheracriticaldiscussionofrelevantelements.Recommendationsareexpectedinthisregardattheendofyouranswer.

2. Hint:inyouressay,youneedtoconsiderthefollowing:

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B325relevantcoursematerial:Ch5Theroleofgoalsinthemanagementofsupplychainnetworks,andCh13thechallengesthatarisefrommulticulturalcollaborationaswellasstrategiesusedtodealwiththesechallenges.

-ExplainrelevantB325coursematerialinacomprehensiveway;i.e.nolistingmakingsurethatexplanationisanintegratedpartoftheanswer.
-Clearlydefinethechosendepartmentstoreandtheinternationalsupplypartnerthatcollaboratewith.
-Criticallydiscussandevaluatethesupplychaincollaborationandexplaintheculturalchallengesthatarisefromthecollaborationbetweenthechosendepartmentstoreandinternationalsupplypartneraswellassuggestedstrategiestodealwiththesechallenges.
-Clearlywriteboththepartneringandthesupplychainmanagementstrategiesaretobesetbythedepartmentstoreascomponentsoftheoverallcollectivestrategy.
-Discussgoalcompatibilitybetweenthechosendepartmentstoreandinternationalsupplypartners,andsimultaneouslyarrangethenetwork’sharmoniouswork.
-Youhaveaplusorminus10%withregardtowordcount.
3. Answer Guidance
-Youranswershouldbewritteninanessayformat.

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Intheintroduction,youmayreflectprovideadefinitionaboutsupplychaincollaborationandwhychosendepartmentstorecollaboratewiththeinternationalsupplypartner.Alsodefinethechosendepartmentstoreandtheinternationalsupplypartnerthatcollaboratewith.
Thebodytextcanbededicatedtoexplainingrelevanttheories.Thechallengesthatarisefromthecollaborationbetweenthechosendepartmentstoreandinternationalsupplypartnerbesidessuggestedstrategiestodealwiththesechallenges.

-Thepartneringandthesupplychainmanagementstrategiesaretobesetbythedepartmentstoreascomponentsoftheoverallcollectivestrategy.
-Thegoalcompatibilitybetweenthechosendepartmentstoreandinternationalsupplypartner,andsimultaneouslyarrangethenetwork’sharmoniouswork.

B325TMA–Spring2023–SBPage3