7008IBA Global Business Strategy
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · T2 20267008IBA Overview
- Griffith University
- Trimester 2, 2026
Within Griffith University, 7008IBA Global Business Strategy builds international strategy from Verbeke's seven conceptual foundations — internationally transferable (non-location-bound) and location-bound firm-specific advantages, location advantages, value creation through recombination, complementary resources of external actors, bounded rationality and bounded reliability — then applies them week by week to home-country diamonds, host-country CAGE distance, multinational networks and subsidiary roles, expatriate management, strategic-alliance partner selection, and emerging-economy (springboard) MNEs.
A case-method course with no lecture in the room: mini-lectures are recorded and the single weekly workshop exists to work a named case (Four Seasons, IKEA, Silicon Valley, Wal-Mart, Nestlé, Danone & Wahaha, Geely) through a framework.
- 7008IBA grading 50% Assessment 1 Case Study (A1a 5-minute pitch presentation = 20 marks, individual marks; A1b 1,500-word report = 30 marks, group marks; due Week 8, 5:00 pm 18 Sept) + 50% Assessment 2 Timed Case Study (individual, Week 13; four questions at up to 12.5% each).
- 7008IBA task mode No traditional exam. Assessment 2 is an online timed case study quiz: 4 case questions which have come from a randomly generated pool of questions, a 240-minute (4-hour) limit inside a 24-hour window (Available Oct 9 at 11:00 - Oct 10 at 11:00; you must start the timed case study 4 hours before the end time), approximately 300 words per answer, minimum one academic journal article cited per question in APA or Harvard with the reference list excluded from the word count. Once you have submitted an answer, you will not be able to change it later.
- 7008IBA mark trap The four-hour timed case study is one-way: Once you have submitted an answer, you will not be able to change it later. You will not be able to view the previous question. It is important to use your own words and demonstrate your understanding. On A1 the marks bleed on compliance instead: Do NOT go over 5 minutes.
- 7008IBA rule check Treat the 7008IBA hurdle status as unconfirmed. Check the current official course outline for any component-level pass rule before relying on the overall mark.
How 7008IBA is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1A: Pitch | 20% | Presentation component |
| Assessment 1B: Report | 30% | Written strategic analysis |
| Assessment 2: Timed Case Study | 50% | Four-hour timed case task; use current instructions |
The two assessment groups total 100%: Assessment 1 contains a 20% pitch and 30% report, while Assessment 2 is a 50% four-hour timed case study. This corrects the candidate-plan shorthand that labelled the course no-exam/100%-assignment.
What 7008IBA covers
The learning path moves from Assessment Map and Case Method, through the problems opened by Multinational Networks, to the synthesis required in International Strategy Trends and Timed Synthesis.
Assessment Map and Case Method
20/30/50 structure · case evidence · timed judgement · separate diagnosis, framework choice and recommendation before writingAssessment Map and Case Method frames a decision through 20/30/50 structure, case evidence and timed judgement.
- 20/30/50 structure
- case evidence
- timed judgement
- Applying 20/30/50 structure
- Limits of case evidence and timed judgement
Conceptual Foundations of Global Strategy
international strategy · value creation · location and coordination · define the strategic problem at firm, activity and country levelsConceptual Foundations of Global Strategy frames a decision through international strategy, value creation and location and coordination.
- international strategy
- value creation
- location and coordination
- Applying international strategy
- Limits of value creation and location and coordination
Firm-Specific Advantages
resources and capabilities · VRIO logic · transferability · test whether an apparent strength remains valuable and deployable abroadFirm-Specific Advantages frames a decision through resources and capabilities, VRIO logic and transferability.
- resources and capabilities
- VRIO logic
- transferability
- Applying resources and capabilities
- Limits of VRIO logic and transferability
Home-Country Location Advantages
home institutions · clusters and ecosystems · country-of-origin effects · explain how the home environment creates or constrains firm advantageHome-Country Location Advantages frames a decision through home institutions, clusters and ecosystems and country-of-origin effects.
- home institutions
- clusters and ecosystems
- country-of-origin effects
- Applying home institutions
- Limits of clusters and ecosystems and country-of-origin effects
Host-Country Distance and Difference
host institutions · CAGE distance · liability of foreignness · identify which difference changes customer value, cost, legitimacy or controlHost-Country Distance and Difference frames a decision through host institutions, CAGE distance and liability of foreignness.
- host institutions
- CAGE distance
- liability of foreignness
- Applying host institutions
- Limits of CAGE distance and liability of foreignness
Multinational Networks
subsidiary roles · knowledge flows · integration and responsiveness · map where capability sits and how it moves across a multinational networkMultinational Networks frames a decision through subsidiary roles, knowledge flows and integration and responsiveness.
- subsidiary roles
- knowledge flows
- integration and responsiveness
- Applying subsidiary roles
- Limits of knowledge flows and integration and responsiveness
Managing Managers in MNEs
control systems · managerial incentives · cross-unit conflict · align autonomy and accountability with the strategic role of each unitManaging Managers in MNEs frames a decision through control systems, managerial incentives and cross-unit conflict.
- control systems
- managerial incentives
- cross-unit conflict
- Applying control systems
- Limits of managerial incentives and cross-unit conflict
Strategic Alliances
partner complementarity · governance · appropriation risk · compare alliance value with coordination, learning and leakage risksStrategic Alliances frames a decision through partner complementarity, governance and appropriation risk.
- partner complementarity
- governance
- appropriation risk
- Applying partner complementarity
- Limits of governance and appropriation risk
Emerging-Economy Multinationals
institutional voids · springboard strategy · latecomer capability · evaluate how firms use internationalisation to acquire and recombine advantageEmerging-Economy Multinationals frames a decision through institutional voids, springboard strategy and latecomer capability.
- institutional voids
- springboard strategy
- latecomer capability
- Applying institutional voids
- Limits of springboard strategy and latecomer capability
International Strategy Trends and Timed Synthesis
geopolitical fragmentation · digital and sustainability pressures · case synthesis · turn a changing global condition into a qualified firm-level response under time limitsInternational Strategy Trends and Timed Synthesis frames a decision through geopolitical fragmentation, digital and sustainability pressures and case synthesis.
- geopolitical fragmentation
- digital and sustainability pressures
- case synthesis
- Applying geopolitical fragmentation
- Limits of digital and sustainability pressures and case synthesis
Both assessments are case work — a group consulting report on the real Raystech solar business plus a 5-minute pitch, then a four-hour individual timed case study the convenor calls 'like open-ended questions in an open-book exam'.
Every answer, exam answers included, must carry academic journal references, and the course front-loads critical reading/writing training (Wallace & Wray critical-synopsis templates) plus a compulsory reflective journal on AI use.
Assessment in 7008IBA is distributed as follows: 50% Assessment 1 Case Study (A1a 5-minute pitch presentation = 20 marks, individual marks; A1b 1,500-word report = 30 marks, group marks; due Week 8, 5:00 pm 18 Sept) + 50% Assessment 2 Timed Case Study (individual, Week 13; four questions at up to 12.5% each).
The operational assessment conditions matter here.
No traditional exam.
Assessment 2 is an online timed case study quiz: 4 case questions which have come from a randomly generated pool of questions, a 240-minute (4-hour) limit inside a 24-hour window (Available Oct 9 at 11:00 - Oct 10 at 11:00; you must start the timed case study 4 hours before the end time), approximately 300 words per answer, minimum one academic journal article cited per question in APA or Harvard with the reference list excluded from the word count.
Once you have submitted an answer, you will not be able to change it later.
What makes 7008IBA demanding is concrete: The four-hour timed case study is one-way: Once you have submitted an answer, you will not be able to change it later. You will not be able to view the previous question. It is important to use your own words and demonstrate your understanding.
On A1 the marks bleed on compliance instead: Do NOT go over 5 minutes.
Treat the 7008IBA hurdle status as unconfirmed.
Check the current official course outline for any component-level pass rule before relying on the overall mark.
The learning path moves from Assessment Map and Case Method, through the problems opened by Multinational Networks, to the synthesis required in International Strategy Trends and Timed Synthesis.
Worked example · free
Worked example: Global Business Strategy integrated response
- 1Mark the starting condition or object represented by 20/30/50 structure.
- 1Write the change, rule or mechanism supplied by host institutions as a verb-led link.
- 1Show how that link reaches partner complementarity; do not skip an intermediate actor, quantity or stage.
- 1Answer the task with the completed chain and preserve this limit: Partner fit at formation does not guarantee stable incentives over time.
Key terms
- Firm-specific advantages (FSAs)
- Firm-specific advantages are transferable or location-bound resources, capabilities and knowledge that allow a firm to create value or overcome the costs of operating abroad.
- Location advantages
- Location advantages are country- or region-specific conditions, such as resources, institutions, demand, clusters or costs, that make particular activities more valuable in that place.
- Value creation through recombination / resource recombination
- Resource recombination creates value by combining a multinational's existing firm-specific advantages with new knowledge, capabilities or location assets rather than merely replicating the home operation.
- Complementary resources of external actors
- Complementary resources are assets or capabilities held by partners, suppliers, governments or other external actors that increase the value of a firm's own resources when used together.
- Bounded rationality and bounded reliability
- Bounded rationality limits actors' ability to process information and foresee contingencies, while bounded reliability means promised effort or commitments may not be fully delivered despite initially good intentions.
- Administrative heritage and the four MNE archetypes
- Administrative heritage is the inherited structure, routines and culture shaping a multinational; the four archetypes are the centralised exporter, international projector, international coordinator and multi-centred MNE.
- Liability of foreignness
- Liability of foreignness is the additional cost or disadvantage a firm faces abroad because of unfamiliarity, distance, discrimination and the complexity of coordinating across countries.
- CAGE distance
- CAGE distance compares countries across Cultural, Administrative, Geographic and Economic dimensions to identify barriers and differences relevant to international strategy.
7008IBA FAQ
Is 7008IBA hard?
The four-hour timed case study is one-way: Once you have submitted an answer, you will not be able to change it later. You will not be able to view the previous question. It is important to use your own words and demonstrate your understanding. On A1 the marks bleed on compliance instead: Do NOT go over 5 minutes.
How is 7008IBA assessed?
50% Assessment 1 Case Study (A1a 5-minute pitch presentation = 20 marks, individual marks; A1b 1,500-word report = 30 marks, group marks; due Week 8, 5:00 pm 18 Sept) + 50% Assessment 2 Timed Case Study (individual, Week 13; four questions at up to 12.5% each).
What is the 7008IBA exam or final-task format?
No traditional exam.
Assessment 2 is an online timed case study quiz: 4 case questions which have come from a randomly generated pool of questions, a 240-minute (4-hour) limit inside a 24-hour window (Available Oct 9 at 11:00 - Oct 10 at 11:00; you must start the timed case study 4 hours before the end time), approximately 300 words per answer, minimum one academic journal article cited per question in APA or Harvard with the reference list excluded from the word count.
Once you have submitted an answer, you will not be able to change it later.
Does 7008IBA have a hurdle or component-level pass rule?
Treat the 7008IBA hurdle status as unconfirmed. Check the current official course outline for any component-level pass rule before relying on the overall mark.
What prerequisites or restrictions apply to 7008IBA?
Check the current official handbook before enrolling in 7008IBA; prerequisites are not inferred from its course number.
Is 7008IBA offered in Trimester 2, 2026?
This resource is aligned to Trimester 2, 2026. Confirm your class and assessment timetable in the current institutional system.
Is this 7008IBA resource an official university guide?
No. It is an independent 7008IBA study resource; current institutional instructions remain authoritative for assessment operation.
Questions students ask in each 7008IBA chapter
- What is the main task in Assessment Map and Case Method?
- Separate diagnosis, framework choice and recommendation before writing. Chapter 01 · Assessment Map and Case Method
- What is the main task in Conceptual Foundations of Global Strategy?
- Define the strategic problem at firm, activity and country levels. Chapter 02 · Conceptual Foundations of Global Strategy
- What is the main task in Firm-Specific Advantages?
- Test whether an apparent strength remains valuable and deployable abroad. Chapter 03 · Firm-Specific Advantages
- What is the main task in Home-Country Location Advantages?
- Explain how the home environment creates or constrains firm advantage. Chapter 04 · Home-Country Location Advantages
- What is the main task in Host-Country Distance and Difference?
- Identify which difference changes customer value, cost, legitimacy or control. Chapter 05 · Host-Country Distance and Difference
- What is the main task in Multinational Networks?
- Map where capability sits and how it moves across a multinational network. Chapter 06 · Multinational Networks
- What is the main task in Managing Managers in MNEs?
- Align autonomy and accountability with the strategic role of each unit. Chapter 07 · Managing Managers in MNEs
- What is the main task in Strategic Alliances?
- Compare alliance value with coordination, learning and leakage risks. Chapter 08 · Strategic Alliances
- What is the main task in Emerging-Economy Multinationals?
- Evaluate how firms use internationalisation to acquire and recombine advantage. Chapter 09 · Emerging-Economy Multinationals
- What is the main task in International Strategy Trends and Timed Synthesis?
- Turn a changing global condition into a qualified firm-level response under time limits. Chapter 10 · International Strategy Trends and Timed Synthesis
How to prepare for the assessments
Retrieve the course map, practise the recurring method—connect firm-specific advantage with home, host and network conditions, then test transferability through a structured international case—on changed scenarios, and verify every operational assessment detail in the live institutional system.
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