Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC)Individual Assignment 2
Assessment 2: Individual Assignment
Individual Assignment Question:
Critically discuss the Drivers of Competitiveness in the UAE. 
Background
Achieving real and sustainable competitive advantage requires a clear understanding of what “competitiveness” means and how to analyze it effectively. Such clarity is the key to creating economic environments that boost innovation, efficiency and prosperity.
Candidates will work individually on this project.  The project report will consist of approximately 1500 words.
You are required to conduct an in-depth literature review of the concept of competitiveness and draw conclusions from your findings. You are required to provide a rational basis for your answer, detailing the implications of these deductions for the UAE Government, and industry, and the way they need to be structured.
Identify your standpoint and research literature to support your view.
In order to develop a sound argument and discussion of the proposed topic / issue, you should use relevant academic literature, to support the recommended reading supplied on the ADSM LMS.  Make sure that you actually answer the question.
Your terms of reference:

• What does competitiveness mean, – why, and what are the implications of these for the Government?
• Consider the key competitiveness issues facing the Government in achieving microeconomic capability, macroeconomic competitiveness and how the UAE endowments create a foundation for prosperity.
• Use the framework from the ‘remaking Singapore’ case study to assist you. To start – use four sections
  • Initial conditions
    • Assets and Liabilities
  • Policy evolution over time
    • 1971 onward
  • Cluster portfolio evolution over time
  • Key challenges and Policy advice
  • Learnings
    • Transferable and Context Specific

Key issues – you will need to develop:

• A comprehensive discussion of national competitiveness from the work of Michael Porter.
• A clear and interpretive reflection on the UAE Competitiveness. How it has developed, the policies that have supported it, the challenges and the learnings that can be taken from it.

 
Your terms of reference / Assignment Criteria

• Your final essay should be approx. 1500 words, (1000 would probably be inadequate, over 2,000 too long and needlessly verbose). Put the word count on the cover page.
• The cover page should include the title of the essay, your name and student number, the date of submission, and the word count.
• The report should be typed and clearly laid out, preferably Times New Roman 12-point font, 1 1/2-line spacing
• Use one consistent referencing style throughout the report.
• Make sure it is spell/grammar checked
• The report must be Submitted in the LMS through Turnitin by 23:30pm on Thursday 26^th April 2018
• The key to success is analysis:  Ensure you address the basic question of the assignment.
• There must be a reference section and bibliography where sources are utilised, and all references must be correctly cited.

Assignment: Useful Hints

This is a practical project, you need to be balanced critique, – strengths and weaknesses, and use the literature you have discovered, this will help ensure you conduct a thorough analysis and derive valuable recommendations. The same is equally true for over praising, make sure that you identify why they are good or bad in terms of performance, and this will help you discuss the aspects worth looking at.
It is vital that your assignment demonstrates a number of elements. This is a practical project, and so should show those characteristics.

• It should be written as a long essay. Break it down into a logical sequence.
• Ensure you have a clear introduction to lead the reader through the work
• Ensure you include a detailed literature review.
• Provide a clear aim, and scope of study.
• Ensure you make a comprehensive critical evaluation of your findings.
• Have a critical reflection on achievement of the essay.

The work should show be able to demonstrate three stages of academic/practical analysis:

1. A) Knowledge: demonstrating that the relevant models and frameworks exist.
2. B) Understanding: You know what the literature is actually saying.
3. C) Your ability to apply concepts and frameworks

You should be able to use the literature to discuss the situation as it exists, why it exists as it does, and make a critical evaluation.
This is coupled with the balance between description and analysis. Some of the former is necessary, but it is the latter that is vital. This demonstrates your understanding and particularly your ability to apply the theory and derive useful practical results, and understanding. It is these analytical aspects which represent the higher levels of learning that can be used a transferable skills valued by both academia and employers.

Required 
Discuss the impact of inflation on a nation’s economic health. This include both the pros and cons (550 words).

The idea is to write a marketing plan for a new hospitality franchised operation to be built in the future, at a location of your choice within the United States. (See the “Marketing Plan Information” tab for information on selecting a franchise.) Your project should contain the following sections, in the following order.

1. Introduction (15 points, 2 – 3 pages)

Include a description of the franchisor (parent company) and what it does. Use your own words here; paraphrase and summarize. Also include the company mission statement, the location of your chosen site (including the address and documentation that the property is available), and the reason for choosing this location. Finally, provide an introduction to the rest of your paper by providing a brief overview of what you will discuss

1. Market Analysis (35 points, 3 – 4 pages)
2. Target Markets. Describe your target markets (at least three). Identify each target market as geographic, demographic, or psychographic. Use information from the franchisor, but also consider new targets for your business. Support your descriptions with research about the markets. (25 points)
3. Positioning Statement. Describe the position of your product in the minds of your target markets. In other words, what will your customers and potential customers think of when they think of your operation? How is this different from the competition? Review Chapter 5, Section 5.4 of the textbook if you need help with the concept of positioning. (10 points)
4. Environmental Analysis (45 points, 4 – 7 pages)
5. Analysis of competition. Who are your three or four primary competitors? Where is each located? Focus on the competitors of your specific unit in your specific location (not those of the parent company). How will they affect your new business? (20 points)
6. Describe all of the other external environmental factors that will affect your business.  Identify, research, and explain the types of factors and how they will affect your business and/or your target markets that you identified in Section 2. Identify each factor as a threat or an opportunity. Chapter 2, Section 2 of the textbook should help you a great deal with this section. (Do not do competition here. Cover this separately in Section 3a.) (25 points)
7. Works cited/Grammar/Spelling/Format (5 points):
   Use the MLA method, making sure to cite your sources throughout your paper. Significant deductions will be made for grammatical errors.