Assessment Information

This assignment is designed to assess learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the legal environment of international business.
2. Understand the various ways in which international business transactions {export, licensing, FDI etc} are conducted and the legal issues involved in each.
3. Evaluate the social, political and legal risks of conducting business transactions beyond national borders.
4. Identify the relevant international treaties and national laws which affect international business transactions.
5. Understand how international business disputes are resolved with particular appreciation of the problems of jurisdiction and enforcement of judgments.

 

This assignment is an individual assignment.

Assignment question

This assignment requires you to write an essay on the following question:

• Globalization and neoliberal ideologies are driving an increasing internationalization and liberalization of trade and markets. Local barriers, such as tariffs, however, constrain international trade, while regional arrangements, such as preferential trade agreements, are criticized as a threat to the future stability of a multilateral trade system. The GATT/WTO system tries to resolve some of these issues and promote free international trade. Critically discuss the GATT/WTO system and its relationships with preferential trade agreement and critically assess its effectiveness in the context of globalization and local resistances, also providing perspectives and recommendations for improvement.

All essays must rely on a solid knowledge of the relevant law and on appropriate academic theories, evidence from case studies, official documents etc. Please do not cite lecture slides and unreliable online sources.

Criteria for Assessment

• Clearly written, coherently structured and well-referenced presentation;
• Evidence of individual research;
• Depth of analysis of the subject matter;
• An objective justification of points argued and personal views expressed. Students are reminded of the University’s strict policy on plagiarism.  Students must follow the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) and use it correctly) (details can be found in Plagiarism section).

 

Word Count

The word count is 4000.

There will be a penalty of a deduction of 10% of the mark (after internal moderation) for work exceeding the word limit by 10% or more.

The word limit excludes references.

How to submit your assessment

The assessment must be submitted by 18:00:59 on 6 April 2020. No paper copies are required. You can access the submission link through the module web.

• Your coursework will be given a zero mark if you do not submit a copy through Turnitin. Please take care to ensure that you have fully submitted your work.
• Please ensure that you have submitted your work using the correct file format, unreadable files will receive a mark of zero. The Faculty accepts Microsoft Office and PDF documents.
• All work submitted after the submission deadline without a valid and approved reason (see below) will be given a mark of zero.
• The University wants you to do your best. However we know that sometimes events happen which mean that you can’t submit your coursework by the deadline – these events should be beyond your control and not easy to predict.  If this happens, you can apply for an extension to your deadline for up to two weeks, or if you need longer, you can apply for a deferral, which takes you to the next assessment period (for example, to the resit period following the main Assessment Boards). You must apply before the deadline.

You will find information about the process and what is or is not considered to be an event beyond your control at https://share.coventry.ac.uk/students/Registry/Pages/Deferrals-and-Extension.aspx

• Students MUST keep a copy and/or an electronic file of their assignment.
• Checks will be made on your work using anti-plagiarism software and approved plagiarism checking websites.

GUIDELINES AND BACKGROUND TO THIS ASSIGNMENT

Plagiarism

As part of your study you will be involved in carrying out research and using this when writing up your coursework. It is important that you correctly acknowledge someone else’s writing, thoughts or ideas and that you do not attempt to pass this off as your own work.  Doing so is known as plagiarism.  It is not acceptable to copy from another source without acknowledging that it is someone else’s writing or thinking. This includes using paraphrasing as well as direct quotations. You are expected to correctly cite and reference the works of others. The Centre for Academic Writing provides documents to help you get this right. If you are unsure, please visit www.coventry.ac.uk/caw.  You can also check your understanding of academic conduct by completing the Good Academic Practice quiz available on Moodle.

Self-plagiarism or reuse of work previously submitted

You must not submit work for assessment that you have already submitted (partially or in full), either for your current course or for another qualification of this and any other university, unless this is specifically provided for in your assignment brief or specific course or module information. Where earlier work by you is citable, ie. it has already been published/submitted, you must reference it clearly. Identical pieces of work submitted concurrently will also be considered to be self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism is unacceptable because you cannot gain credit for the same work twice.

 

Moodle includes a plagiarism detection system and assessors are experienced enough to recognise plagiarism when it occurs. Copying another student’s work, using previous work of your own or copying large sections from a book or the internet are examples of plagiarism and carry serious consequences. Please familiarise yourself with the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) and use it correctly to avoid a case of plagiarism or cheating being brought.  The OSCOLA quick reference guide can be found on your Moodle page and on the Courseweb. For the full guide, please visit https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/research-subject-groups/publications/oscola. Again, if you are unsure, please contact the Centre for Academic Writing, a member of the course team or refer to the OSCOLA LibGuide available on Locate.

Return of Marked Work

You can expect to have marked work returned to you in 15 working days for level 4 and 5, 10 working days for level 6 and 7 level. If for any reason there is a delay you will be kept informed. Marks and feedback will be provided online. As always, marks will have been internally moderated only, and will therefore be provisional; your mark will be formally agreed later in the year once the external examiner has completed his / her review.