IBUS 410 INTRO TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Fall 2022, TuTh 09:30 - 10:45 AM, CAPF 2011 - LAWRENCE

Assistant Professor JUN HO LEE
Office: CAPF 3106
Office hours: TuTh 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM or by appointment
Tel: (785) 864-1851
Email: jun.ho.lee@ku.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an overview of the international business environment and explores its implications
for firms and managers. Students will analyze the political, economic, legal and socio-cultural forces that
shape the conduct of business in and across divergent cultural and institutional settings and examines
theories and trends in international trade and investment from the perspective of a manager doing
business across borders. Not open to students with credit in BBA 307. Prerequisite: ECON 144 or ECON
145. Enrollment restricted or permission of the instructor. Satisfies: KU Goal 4 Outcome 2 (AE42)
This is a 3-credit-hour semester-long course, with two 75-minute in-person class sessions on Tuesdays
and Thursdays at 9:30-10:45 am in CAPF 2011. For every credit hour students can expect to spend at least
two hours per week in additional study and preparation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

This course aims at providing students with a framework for understanding the basic concepts and issues
involved in international business and their implications for individuals, organizations, and
communities. The coursework is designed to promote diverse perspectives and critical thinking on global
phenomena. It covers general and contemporary topics of international business including globalization,
national differences, international trade, regional integration, foreign direct investment, and global
strategy.

TEXTS & MATERIALS

Global Business Today 11th edition (by Charles W. L. Hill and G. Tomas M. Hult). New York: McGraw-
Hill.
Harvard cases can be purchased as a packet at https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/965916
In addition to the required textbook, articles are assigned to some sessions during the semester. In
compliance with the copyright protection law, the instructor has made these materials available at the KU
Canvas when necessary.

COURSE FORMAT
A typical session will consist of lecture, discussion, and/or a case presentation. Throughout the semester,
students will have two exams and two required review sessions for the exams. Students will also have
two group presentations (one opening case and one team project). The instructor will organize groups at
the beginning of the semester. Each group will be responsible for (1) an opening case presentation and (2)
a team project presentation. Specifics for each case presentation are listed at the “Course Schedule
(detailed)” section of this syllabus. Each group can choose a topic for the team project. Five sessions will
be devoted to team project presentations with 2 groups presenting their projects during each session.

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADED ACTIVITIES
1. Contribution to Class Discussions
2. Harvard Case Study Discussion Reports
3. Two Group Presentations
3.1. Opening Case Presentation
3.2. Team Project Presentation
4. Takeaways on Team Project Presentations
5. Exams
6. Quizzes
7. Attendance

EVALUATION:

Item Points Notes

Attendance 100
Exam 1 150
Exam 2 150
Opening Case Presentation 150
Team Project Presentation 200
Contribution to Class Discussions 100
Takeaways on Team Project Presentations 100 (10*10 times)
Quizzes 20 (10*2 times)
Harvard Case Study Discussion Reports 30 (15*2 times)
Total 1,000

Course Points Grade

940 – 1000 A
900 – 939 A-
870 – 899 B+
840 – 869 B
800 – 839 B-
770 – 799 C+
740 – 769 C
700 – 739 C-
670 – 699 D+
640 – 669 D
600 – 639 D-
0 – 599 F

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS (DETAILED)
1. Contribution to Class Discussions
Contribution to class discussions is one of the most integral parts of this course. Attendance does not
automatically constitute active contribution to class discussion. Although the main focus of contribution
is on the class discussion, students are also strongly encouraged to actively contribute to the KU Canvas
discussions. Each student’s online contribution will also be taken into consideration by the instructor
when calculating contribution to class discussions scores. However, working on the online discussion
during the class hour is not allowed (please note that there are timestamps for any comments in online).

2. Harvard Case Study Discussion Reports

The sessions for Harvard Case Study Discussion require ALL students to submit a full-one page
summary/takeaway for the case studies to KU Canvas before the sessions start. Each Harvard Case Study
Discussion report is an individual assignment for every student. Harvard cases can be purchased as a
packet at https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/965916.

3. Group Presentation
Each group, as a team, will be in charge of presenting two (2) presentations throughout the semester:
opening case presentation and team project presentation. The dress code for presentation is business
casual.

3.1. Opening Case Presentation

In several sessions, one of the 10 groups will present an opening case discussed in each chapter of the
textbook or assigned by the instructor. The purpose of the opening case presentations is to provide a
group of students with an opportunity to lead class discussion. The assigned case materials provide a
starting point. Each team is expected to take their own critical perspective of the assigned materials, and
to conduct their own research to provide other students with an understanding/evaluation of the case
and connections parallel to the class topics. More specifically, each team first conducts an in-depth
analysis of the contents of the chapter from the perspective of the assigned case and then introduces the
main topics of the chapter to the rest of students with examples of the case. On the basis of this analysis,
the team then advances their own arguments and suggests discussion topics and leads the discussion.

Each group should prepare the following two (2) documents: (1) PowerPoint slides to be used for the
class presentation and (2) a stand-alone report of the case in a Word document. There is no limit to the
number of slides for the PowerPoint presentation. However, each team will be allotted 20 minutes for
presenting, followed by 10 minutes of a Q&A/discussion session. The stand-alone report should not
exceed 10 pages (single spaced) excluding the cover page. A preliminary version of both the PowerPoint
slides and the stand-alone report should be submitted to the instructor via email by Sunday at 5:00 pm
for the Tuesday presentation and by Tuesday at 5:00 pm for the Thursday presentation. The instructor
will provide feedback and each team will need to revise both documents accordingly. The final versions
of both the PowerPoint slides and the Word report should be uploaded to KU Canvas and e-mailed to
the instructor before the presentation time. Specifics to be included in the PowerPoint slides and the
stand-alone report are as follows:

 PowerPoint Slides
o The cover page should include: course title, titles of the chapter and the case, list of the
team members, and date of presentation.
o The slides require: (1) a brief description of the case (what is this case about in a
sentence?), (2) its relation with the chapter (in what dimension is this case related with

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 the chapter?), (3) the importance of the case (why should we care?), and (4) the main
arguments (what are your points?)
o Please include discussion questions at the end of presentation to facilitate class
discussion.

 Stand-alone Report
o The cover page should include: course title, titles of the chapter and the case, list of the
team members, and date of submission.
o The first page requires student information including names, majors, years, e-mails, etc.
o The second page should begin with an abstract that lists: (1) a brief description of the case
(what is this case about in a sentence?), (2) its relation with the chapter (in what
dimension is this case related with the chapter?), (3) the importance of the case (why
should we care?), and (4) the main arguments (what are your points?).
o Please cite all sources.
o Please refer to the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ) style guide for the styles of
fonts, margins, headings, page numbers, appendix, tables and figures, citations,
references, and biographical sketches (http://aom.org/publications/amj/styleguide).
o Please use the following structure for the case report:
 ABSTRACT
 A brief description of the case: what is this case about in a sentence?
 Its relation with the chapter: in what dimension is this case related with
the chapter?
 The importance of the case: why should we care?
 The main arguments: what are your points?
 INTRODUCTION
 Raise a question leading to your main argument
 Discuss the importance of the topic
 Summarize your arguments and rationales
 Take a brief overview of the structure of the report
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE
 ANALYSIS OF THE CASE
 Importance of the case
 Relation with the chapter
 Applications of the theories/models/frameworks/contents of the chapter
 YOUR ARGUMENTS
 Advance a set of arguments on the basis of the theoretical analysis
 Support them with the evidences you have collected
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

3.2. Team Project Presentation

The purpose of the team project is to provide students with an opportunity to explore various topics in
the field of international business, conduct independent research on the topics of their interests, and
advance and support a set of arguments on their topics. As such, the team project should be designed in
such a way that allows each team to demonstrate their mastery of and capability to apply theories,
models, and frameworks that they will have learned throughout the course. The topics can encompass
various issues in international business including evaluation of business strategies of a particular firm,
explanation of the particular phenomenon, etc. In particular, topics on international trade or international

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investment are strongly recommended. Each group is encouraged to secure their topic by entering the
project topic and a brief introduction into the “Team Project Topics” link on KU Canvas, as soon as
possible, to prevent possible duplication of topics. The team project consists of the following three parts:
one page proposal, proposal presentation, and final presentation.

3.2.1. One Page Proposal for Team Project: The one-page proposal should be submitted to KU Canvas by
5pm on the day before the proposal presentation session. Please articulate the following items in the one
page proposal:
 Research question: What will you research?
 Importance: Why should we care?
 Analytical frameworks: Which theories/models/frameworks are you employing?
 Main points/ arguments: What are you expecting?
3.2.2. Team Project Proposal Presentation: Each team should prepare a 5-minute presentation followed by
a 2-minute session for Q&A/discussion. The purpose is to briefly present each team’s project topic
focusing on its motivation and importance and receive feedback from fellow students. A copy of the
PowerPoint slides should be submitted to KU Canvas and e-mailed to the instructor by 5pm on the day
before the proposal presentation session. Please articulate the following items in the presentation:
 Research question: What will you research?
 Importance: Why should we care?
 Analytical frameworks: Which theories/models/frameworks are you employing?
 Main points/arguments: What are you expecting?

3.2.3. Final Team Project Presentation: For the final presentation, each group should prepare the following
two documents: (1) PowerPoint slides to be used for the class presentation and (2) a stand-alone report of
the project in a Word document. There is no limit to the number of the slides for the PowerPoint
presentation. However, each team will be allotted 30 minutes for presenting, followed by a five-minute
Q&A session. The stand-alone report should not exceed 10 pages (single spaced), excluding the cover
page, references, and appendix. A preliminary version of both the PowerPoint slides and the stand-alone
report should be submitted to the instructor by Sunday at 5:00 pm for the Tuesday presentation and by
Tuesday at 5:00 pm for the Thursday presentation. The instructor will provide feedback and each team
will need to revise both documents accordingly. The final versions of both the PowerPoint slides and
the Word report should be uploaded to KU Canvas and e-mailed to the instructor before the
presentation time. Specifics to be included in the PowerPoint slides and the stand-alone report are as
follows:

 PowerPoint Slides
o The cover page should include: course title, titles of the project, list of team members,
and date of presentation.
o The slides require (1) the research question (what are you presenting?), (2) the
importance of the project (why should we care?), (3) the analytical frameworks
(which theories/models/frameworks are you employing to analyze your topic?), and
(4) the main arguments (what are your points?).
o Please include discussion questions at the end of presentation to facilitate class
discussion.

 Stand-alone Report
o The cover page should include: course title, titles of the project case, list of team
members, and date of submission.

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 o The first page requires student information including names, majors, years, e-mails,
etc.
o The second page should begin with an abstract that lists (1) the research question
(what are you presenting?), (2) the importance of the project (why should we care?),
(3) the analytical frameworks (which theories/models/frameworks are you
employing to analyze your topic?), and (4) the main arguments (what are your
points?).
o Please cite all sources.
o Please refer to the AMJ style guide for the styles of fonts, margins, headings, page
numbers, appendix, tables and figures, citations, references, and biographical
sketches (http://aom.org/publications/amj/styleguide).
o Please use the following structure for the case report:
 ABSTRACT
 The research question: what are you presenting?
 The importance of the project: why should we care?
 The analytical frameworks: which theories/models are you employing?
 The main arguments: what are your points?
 INTRODUCTION
 Raise the main questions or issues of the project.
 Discuss the importance of the topic.
 Summarize your arguments and rationales.
 Take a brief overview of the structure of the report.
 DESCRIPTION OF TEAM PROJECT TOPIC
 Explain your topics with the information you have collected.
 Highlight or contrast conflicting points / raise questions / etc.
 REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL THEORIES
 Review and summarize the theories to analyze your project topics.
 Explain why the theories are appropriate to analyze the issues in
your topic.
 YOUR ARGUMENTS
 Advance a set of arguments on the basis of the theoretical analysis.
 Support them with the evidences you collected.
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

N.B.: Please note that exam questions cover the contents of the team project presentations. Please refer
to the “Exams” section for more information.

4. Takeaways on Team Project Presentations

ALL students, including those who present, are required to submit one of the following for each team
project presentation (NOT for case presentations) by Wednesday noon for the Tuesday presentation and by
Friday noon for the Thursday presentation.
∙ Summary of the team project presentation
∙ Takeaway - what you have learned from the team project presentation

Those who do not present should provide critiques and their own takeaways on each presentation.
Discussion during the presentation also provides the presenting teams with ideas for further
development of their presentation topic. This is a form of ‘self-critique’ to the presenting teams. As we
will have two team project presentations per session in the later part of the semester, each student should

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submit TWO takeaway reports (one for each presentation). Each report should be a full-one page. The
contents should include: (1) a brief summary of the presentation, (2) strong points, (3) weak points, and
(4) takeaways. This will help you develop your critical thinking skills. In addition to the student
information, please provide the following: (1) name of the presenting team; (2) date of presentation; and
(3) title of presentation. The form can be downloaded from the KU Canvas site (Course Documents >
Forms).

5. Exams (In-Class and Closed-Book)

Both Exam 1 and Exam 2 will be in-class and closed books. Each exam will be administered for 60
minutes. On both exams, questions will NOT be limited to only textbook material. You will also be
responsible for all other assigned readings, any in-class materials (e.g., pictures, videos, etc.), lectures,
student presentations, and information arising during Q&A sessions.
Particularly, the Exam 2 is not cumulative and also covers the content of the case/team project
presentations. You are expected to demonstrate your mastery of the theoretical concepts utilizing the
examples presented in the team projects. For example, you may be asked to discuss theoretical
frameworks covered in the lecture sessions using real world examples provided in the team project
presentations.

6. Quizzes
Two online quizzes will be available in KU Canvas prior to International Trade Theory and Foreign
Direct Investment Sessions.

7. Attendance
Tardiness to class will results in a penalty of half of the day’s total attendance points. The first two absences
may be counted as excused. Students are still responsible for submitting other assignments on time, so
please plan ahead. Note that the excused absences may not be used for the day of an exam.

ACADEMIC CODE OF HONOR

The KU School of Business seeks to develop future leaders with the highest ethical standards. It is
through a strong code of conduct that a feeling of mutual trust and respect between students, faculty, and
staff is maintained. This code of conduct was developed by the students, faculty, and staff to articulate
the School’s core values and provide guidance on academic integrity. This code applies to the conduct of
students, faculty, and staff at any function or academic activity conducted by the School of Business at the
University of Kansas. https://business.ku.edu/honor-code.

The instructor expects that students would never knowingly violate KU’s policy on academic
misconduct. Please refer to the guideline of academic integrity by the School of Business at the University
of Kansas (https://business.ku.edu/honor-code/code-of-conduct). The School of Business Code of Conduct
applies to all parts of this class. Academic misconduct by a student shall include, but not be limited to:
disruption of classes; threatening an instructor or fellow student in an academic setting; giving or
receiving of unauthorized aid on examinations or in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports or
other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; unauthorized changing
of grades; unauthorized use of University approvals or forging of signatures; falsification of research
results; plagiarizing of another's work; violation of regulations or ethical codes for the treatment of
human and animal subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly in research.

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The procedures used to resolve suspected acts of academic misconduct are available in the School of
Business at the University of Kansas (https://business.ku.edu/honor-code/academic-misconduct-
reporting-process).

Please be aware that all written work will be checked for plagiarism. The instructor will take appropriate
action if any student is found violating the policy on academic misconduct. DON’T DO IT!
Cell Phones and Laptop Computers. Cell phones must be on silent and put away during class. Cell
phones may not be answered in class and students may not leave the classroom to take cell phone calls,
except for verified emergency situations. If students anticipate an emergency call, please notify me before
class. No cell phones will be allowed at the desk during exams. All materials (backpacks, purses, cell
phones, etc.) must be placed at the perimeter of the room before the exam is handed out.
I will allow the use of laptops and tablets for class note-taking or other class related purposes only. Please
do not use any device to surf the web, play games, or catch up on Facebook. Doing so is distracting to
other students and keeps students from fully engaging in class. Misuse of these devices will result in a
reduction of the participation grade.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Student Access Center (SAC) coordinates academic accommodations and services for all eligible KU
students with disabilities. If students have a disability for which students wish to request
accommodations and have not contacted SAC, please do so as soon as possible. The SAC is located in 22
Strong Hall and can be reached at 785-864-4064 (V/TTY). Information about the SAC’s services can be
found at https://access.ku.edu/. Please also contact the instructor privately in regard to student’s needs in
this course.

CAMPUS RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS

Many resources exist on the KU campus that may be helpful to students: KU Writing Center
(http://writing.ku.edu/), Business Communication Center (https://business.ku.edu/services/business-
communication-center), Business Career Services (https://business.ku.edu/kubuscareer)

NOTES
The contents of this syllabus are tentative and subject to change, if necessary. The instructor reserves
the right to assign any additional required readings and assignments throughout the semester. It is the
student’s responsibility to attend class and regularly check email and KU Canvas to be aware of
announced schedule changes. Please contact the instructor as soon as possible if students have any
questions or clarification issues.

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COURSE SCHEDULE
The following schedule is tentative and can change throughout the course of the semester. Changes, if necessary, will be announced.

Date Session Topic Presentation Note

Tuesday, August 23 1 Course Overview
Thursday, August 25 2 Globalization (Ch.1) / [Team Workshop] Student Resume/Organizing Groups
Tuesday, August 30 3 National Differences (I) (Ch.2&3)
Thursday, September 1 4 National Differences (II) (Ch.4) Group 1 [CP]
Tuesday, September 6 5 Ethics & Governance in International Business (I) (Ch.5) Group 2 [CP]
Thursday, September 8 6 Harvard Case Study Discussion 1
Tuesday, September 13 7 International Trade Theory (I) (Ch.6) Group 3 [CP] Quiz 1 (online)
Thursday, September 15 8 International Trade Theory (II) (Ch.6) Online Discussion
Tuesday, September 20 9 [Team Workshop] Online Workshop
Thursday, September 22 10 The Political Economy of International Trade (Ch.7) Group 4 [CP]
Tuesday, September 27 11 Foreign Direct Investment (I): Concepts & Trends (Ch.8) Group 5 [CP] Quiz 2 (online)
Thursday, September 29 12 Foreign Direct Investment (II): Concepts & Trends (Ch.8)
Tuesday, October 4 13 Regional Economic Integration (Ch.9) Group 6 [CP]
Thursday, October 6 14 Team Project Proposal Presentation 1-page group project proposal
Thursday, October 13 15 Harvard Case Study Discussion 2 Group 7 [CP]
Tuesday, October 18 16 Review
Thursday, October 20 17 Exam 1
Tuesday, October 25 18 Global Strategy (Ch.12) Group 8 [CP]
Thursday, October 27 19 Entering Foreign Markets (Ch.13) Group 9 [CP]
Tuesday, November 1 20 Harvard Case Study Discussion 3 Group 10 [CP]
Thursday, November 3 21 Introducing Contemporary IB Research
Tuesday, November 8 22 [Team Workshop] Group 1 – Group 5 In-Class Workshop
Thursday, November 10 23 [Team Workshop] Group 6 – Group 10 In-Class Workshop
Tuesday, November 15 24 Team Project Presentation 1 Group 1 and Group 2
Thursday, November 17 25 Team Project Presentation 2 Group 3 and Group 4
Thursday, November 29 26 Team Project Presentation 3 Group 5 and Group 6
Tuesday, December 1 27 Team Project Presentation 4 Group 7 and Group 8
Thursday, December 6 28 Team Project Presentation 5 Group 9 and Group 10
Tuesday, December 8 29 Exam 2 Online Exam

*CP: case presentation, TPP: team project presentation