HELP ACADEMY

University of London Programmes

COURSE OVERVIEW

MN1178 Business & Management In A Global

Context

Lecturer/Tutor: Mr Baldev S. Sidhu

Aims & objectives of the unit

• Give you a researched based grounding in the context of international

business including global trends, formal & informal institutions, the
political, economic, social, technological and legal issues & the
resultant diversity of international business

• Prepare you to be able to discuss cultural, ethical & social issues for
international business & suggest policies for corporate social
responsibility

• Provide an introduction to and develop your ability to assess

international trade & investment, multilateral organizations & regional
integration & the global financial system

• Prepare you to be able to discuss how firms develop international

business, marketing & R&D strategies, enter markets & alliances &
operate & manage on the global stage

• Give you insights through frameworks, studies & examples of how

businesses manage organizational structure & architecture, sourcing &
the supply chain, information systems & human resources in different
parts of the globe

• Give you insight into the contexts of international business & enable
you to work within these contexts to make judgements on strategizing
& managing operations in the global economy

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Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, you should be able to :

• Demonstrate knowledge of, and the ability to assess, core institutions

of IB and how firms manage on the global stage

• Assess regional, cultural & institutional differences in how business is

conducted globally

• Apply core understandings, frameworks & management principles to

specific business contexts

• Formulate choices & decisions in IB strategy & operations

• Operate as informed employee in an international firm

Course Description

The subject consists of FOUR main sections:

Part 1: Introduction to the global business environment

• Perspectives on globalization and international business

• Political, economic and legal environments
• Culture, society, ethics and corporate social responsibility

Part 2: Business across borders: the foundations

• International trade and investment: theory, patterns, growth of and

rationale for foreign direct investment
• Global and regional integration and multilateral organizations
• The global financial system

Part 3: International business strategy

• Strategy and enterprise in international contexts

• Competitive strategy for international business
• Entry strategies, alliances and evolution
• Marketing and R&D strategy

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Part 4: International business management

• Organisation of international business

• Global sourcing of production and services
• Global information systems management
• International dimensions of HRM

Selected Bibliography

Essential Reading

▪ Peng, M & Meyer, K (2011) International Business, Cengage Learning,

London

▪ Hill, C.W (2012), International Business: Competing in the Global

Marketplace, McGraw-Hill, Irwin

Note : Refer to references in Subject Guide and use a wide range of other
references which also include: periodicals/ magazines , newspapers,
internet and the VLE.

Assessment & Tasks

a) Semester 1 & 2 Examinations

b) Class presentations
c) Final Examinations (External)

3
Course Schedule (Reference: Subject Guide)

Lectures
Semester I

Week Topic
1 Introduction
• Route map to the subject: aims & learning outcomes
• Introduction to management concepts

2 Perspectives on globalization & IB (i)

• What is globalization?
• Trends toward globalization
• Globalization debates

3 Perspectives on globalization & IB (ii)

• What does globalization mean for firms?

• Discussion

4 Political, economic & legal environments (i)

• Institution based view of IB

• Political systems
• Economic systems

5 Political, economic & legal environments (ii)

• Legal systems
• Country development: political, economic & legal issues

6 Discussion and group presentation

7 Informal institutions: cultural, social & ethical challenges (i)

• Culture and IB
• Languages
• Religion & ethics

8 Informal institutions: cultural, social & ethical challenges (ii)

• CSR in IB

9 International trade & investment (i)

• Classic trade theories

• Modern trade theories
• National institutions & international trade

4
 10 International trade & investment (ii)

• Government intervention & free trade: the debate

• FDI
• Governments & FDI

11 Multilateral organizations and regional integration (i)

• Regional economic integration

• Multilateral trade system
• Multilateral monetary system

12 Multilateral organizations and regional integration (ii)

• Regional integration examples: Europe, North America, Asia

13 Exchange rates & the international monetary system

• Markets for currencies
• Implications for managers
• Institutions for international monetary system
• Managing exchange risks

14 Discussion and group presentation

Lecture Semester 2

Week Topic
1 Strategy and the enterprise (i)

• Strategy & value creation

• Going international
• Analysing the international environment
• Ghemawat’s AAA model

2 Strategy and the enterprise (ii)

• Presentation: Choosing a strategy/SWOT

3 Competitive strategy for international business (i)

• Porter’s five forces framework

• Generic strategies

4 Competitive strategy for international business (ii)

• Resource based perspective of competitiveness (VRIO)

• Institutions based perspective

5
5 Entry strategies, alliances and evolution

• Decisions to enter foreign markets

• Modes of entry
• Strategic alliances
• Growth through evolution
6 Group Presentation: Cases for Analysis

7 International marketing and R&D strategy (i)

• Marketing strategy & marketing mix

• Product strategy
• Pricing strategy
• Distribution strategy
• R&D strategy
8 The organization of international business

• Centralized or decentralized structure

• Geographic area structure
• Evolution of structure & contingency approach
• Fitting strategy, structure & organizational architecture
9 Global sourcing of production & services

• Location production/make or buy decisions

• Offshoring global services & production

10 Global information systems management

• Business & IT alignment

• Managing global enterprise IT architecture
• Global IT sourcing decisions & risks
•
11 International dimensions of HRM

• Trends and issues in international HRM

• Staffing policy
• Recruitment and selection
• Labour relations

12 Group presentation: Global strategy case

13 Revision

14 Revision