5136 - INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGY / INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGY

The course provides the basics of international business through the study of multinational enterprises in world business. The first half of the course will focus on theories of international trade/business, the role of environmental factors, mainly culture and government, in international business. The second half of the course will cover in detail, strategies of planning and organizing international operations, alternative market-entry mechanisms, and function-specific (human resource, production, marketing) strategies in the international context.
The aim of the course is to familiarize students with a large number of multinational corporations worldwide through examples and case studies and to provide them with a global perspective and awareness of the potential of international business in today's competitive business environment.

Introduction and Course Overview. What is Globalization?

Country Factors

• The Global Business Environment
       International Trade Theory
       Foreign Direct Investment
       Regional Economic Integration
  
• International Business Strategy and Structure
       International Business Strategy
       The Organization of International Business
       Entry Strategy and Strategic Alliances
  
• Business Operations
       Exporting, importing and countertrade
       Global Manufacturing 
       Global Marketing and R&D
       Global Human Resource Management

Attending students
Course Requirements and Assessment methods:

Students will be assessed on the basis of both group and individual work.  Group work consists of a group case presentation and a group written case analysis.  All other aspects of assessment are individual.   

1. In-class group presentation                            10% 
2. 1^st partial examination                                    30%
3. Group written case analysis                            20%
4. 2^nd partial examination                                   40%

Non-attending students
The exam for non-attending students will be based on the written assignment covering the course topics and on the written analysis and discussion of a business case.

Attending students

• C.W.L. HILL, International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace, McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2005, 5^th Edition (International).

Non-attending students

• A. RUGMAN, R. HODGETTS, International Business, Addison Wesley, Amsterdam, 3rd Edition.