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BUS 100 International Expansion Project

This guide will help you collect information on your company and its industry, as well as the consumers and culture in your country!

Penny's Top Tips for Research Success

Look for connections. Learn about your company/brand, and your country, and see where there are connections. Example: Your company, Chipotle, is committed to environmental causes. Then you learn that most people in your country are concerned about the environment and are willing to support sustainable products. There's a connection you can use for your project!

Be flexible about your keywords in searching. If you are researching the industry for your company, think broad (restaurants, fast food, dining out) and specific (burritos, Mexican food, healthy choices, vegan, organic)

Read widely about your company to learn the most about it. Use company web site, articles, social media, analyst reports (for public companies), reviews, and specialized library databases like Statista and Fusion.

Get help as soon as you need it! Contact your professor, your librarian, or the library 24/7 chat service! Or all three!

 

Company Information

 

The first place you'll want to look is your company's web site. There you can find:

  • Values, products, locations, information for employees, history
  • Financials, annual reports (if it's a public company), investor information
  • Information about strategies, partnerships, sustainability actions
  • Look at everything! What graphics do they use? What information do they share? What do they NOT share? This is all useful information!
  • Social media links

And, in addition to your company's web site, try these library databases!

Country Culture and Business Climate

International Consumer and Industry Information

Citing Your Sources

Whenever you do research, you will need to cite the information sources that you use. Most business scholars use APA style. Here are some tools that can help you with this task:

 

Gleeson Library's guide to citations: How? Why? When? 

 

Getting Help!

There are several ways to obtain assistance with your research. Read on!

You have your very own librarian! She is Penny Scott, and you can contact her for help. 

Her contact information is: email: plscott@usfca.edu * phone: 415-422-5389

It is best to  email ahead, or make an appointment, to make sure she is available! Appointments are available virtually via Zoom, or in person, and are great for groups or individuals. If you don't see a time that works for you, email Penny. 

If Penny is not available, or any time you need help, you can always get help, just Ask a Librarian!

You can also take a look at our Research Guides on many topics!