CAREFULLY

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ASSIGNMENTS SUBMITTED THROUGH EMAIL WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

STUDENTS ARE ADVISED TO MAKE THEIR WORK CLEAR AND WELL PRESENTED, MARKS MAY BE REDUCED FOR POOR PRESENTATION. THIS INCLUDES FILLING YOUR INFORMATION ON THE COVER PAGE.

STUDENTS MUST MENTION QUESTION NUMBER CLEARLY IN THEIR ANSWER.

LATE SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.

All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism).

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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education Saudi Electronic University

College of Administrative and Financial Sciences

Logistics Management

ASSIGNMENT -2

Submission Date by students: 18.04.2026

Place of Submission:Students Grade Centre

Weight:10 Marks

Course Learning Outcome:3

Recognize how global competitive environments are changing supply chain management and logistics practice.

Assignment Workload:

This assignment is an individual assignment.

Critical Thinking

In today’s highly competitive, highly unpredictable, and dynamic environment, many organizations are searching for solutions. Businesses begin to realize that doing the right thing is more thrilling than doing everything as supply chain management becomes more complicated and the gap between what they want to do and what they can achieve internally widens. As a result, businesses become more specialized and sharper by outsourcing and offshoring jobs that are not relevant to their core business. Companies usually decide to hire agents or outside logistics firms to do this task entirely or in part.

Answer the following questions by mentioning any Saudi company is considering shifting part of its manufacturing operations to an offshore supplier to reduce costs. However, recent global disruptions (such as pandemics, geopolitical tensions, and transportation delays) have highlighted vulnerabilities in globally dispersed supply chains.

Question:

1. What services do third-party logistics providers offer to ensure the seamless operation of a multinational corporation’s supply chain? (3 Mark)

2. What are the primary drivers of international business expansion? (3 Mark)

3. Why do businesses try to outsource their operations to developing countries? Provide specific examples. (Mention the country and decisive factors) (3 Mark)

4. References (Use APA style of referencing (1 Mark)

The Answer must follow the Keyword/ outline points below:

Each answer should be 250 to 300words.

Outsourcing, offshoring, Third Party Logistics

Their Main functions

Motivational Factors /Drivers

Reasons with suitable Examples

Reference

Note:You can support your answer by reading your book.

You can use secondary source available on internet.

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THE ASSIGNMENT MUST BE SUBMITTED ON BLACKBOARD (IN WORD FORMAT ONLY) VIA THE ALLOCATED FOLDER.

ASSIGNMENTS SUBMITTED THROUGH EMAIL WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

STUDENTS ARE ADVISED TO MAKE THEIR WORK CLEAR AND WELL PRESENTED; MARKS MAY BE REDUCED FOR POOR PRESENTATION. THIS INCLUDES FILLING IN YOUR INFORMATION ON THE COVER PAGE.

STUDENTS MUST MENTION THE QUESTION NUMBER CLEARLY IN THEIR ANSWER.

LATE SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Avoid plagiarism; the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.

All answers must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism.

Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted.

Learning Outcomes:

CLO 2: Carry out effective self-evaluation through discussing economic systems in the international business context

Case study

Please readCase 9: FDI in the Indian Retail Sectoravailable in your book International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace (13th ed.), at page no.637, and answer the following questions:

1. What explains the fragmented nature of Indias retail sector? What are the benefits of this system? What are the costs? (2 Marks)

The fragmented nature of Indias retail sector can be explained by the dominance of small, family-owned businesses and traditional market structures. Many retailers operate on a very small scale due to limited access to capital, low entry barriers, and strong cultural preferences for local shops.

This system provides several benefits. It creates employment opportunities for a large number of people and supports local communities. Additionally, small retailers often offer personalized services and flexible pricing that appeal to customers.

However, there are also costs. Fragmentation leads to inefficiencies in supply chains, higher distribution costs, and limited economies of scale. It also reduces the ability to maintain consistent product quality and limits technological advancement in the sector.

2. How might investment by foreign retailers change retailing in India? What are the potential benefits of such FDI? (2 Marks)

3. Who stands to lose from FDI into Indias retail sector? Who stands to gain? (2 Marks)

4. Why has India been so slow to change its laws regarding foreign ownership of retailers? What, if anything, can foreign retailers do to influence the laws in a way that benefits entry? (2 Marks)

5. Given the political and economic realities in India, what is the best entry strategy for a foreign retailer? (2 Marks)

References should follow the APA citation style.

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