ULMS Electronic Module Catalogue

The information contained in this module specification was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances, or following review of the module at the end of the session. Queries about the module should be directed to the member of staff with responsibility for the module.
Title INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
Code ULMS849
Coordinator Dr VE Kunst
Strategy, IB and Entrepreneurship
V.E.Kunst@liverpool.ac.uk
Year CATS Level Semester CATS Value
Session 2019-20 Level 7 FHEQ Second Semester 10

Pre-requisites before taking this module (other modules and/or general educational/academic requirements):

 

Modules for which this module is a pre-requisite:

 

Programme(s) (including Year of Study) to which this module is available on a required basis:

 

Programme(s) (including Year of Study) to which this module is available on an optional basis:

 

Teaching Schedule

  Lectures Seminars Tutorials Lab Practicals Fieldwork Placement Other TOTAL
Study Hours 28

          28
Timetable (if known)              
Private Study 72
TOTAL HOURS 100

Assessment

EXAM Duration Timing
(Semester)
% of
final
mark
Resit/resubmission
opportunity
Penalty for late
submission
Notes
             
CONTINUOUS Duration Timing
(Semester)
% of
final
mark
Resit/resubmission
opportunity
Penalty for late
submission
Notes
Group Assignment There is a resit opportunity. Standard UoL penalty applies for late submission. This is an anonymous assessment. Assessment Schedule (When): Second semester  -4000 words    50       
Individual Assignment There is a resit opportunity. Standard UoL penalty applies for late submission. This is an anonymous assessment. Assessment Schedule (When): Second semester  -2500 words    50       

Aims

To provide students with a solid foundation for analysing the major characteristics of the international business environment and to understand the major implications of these characteristics for organisations involved in international business activities;

To give students a good understanding of the dynamic nature of the international business environment and to understand the major implications of developments in this environment for organisations involved in international business activities;

To develop a sound understanding of the importance of sub-national location and especially the important of cities for organisation’s location of international business activities;

To provide students with knowledge and analytical capabilities to understand the implications for organisations for strategy and operations arising from internationalisation and to assess how to manage effectively international business activities;

To apply, to practical management i ssues, the knowledge gained from the investigation and analysis of the international business environment and from understanding of the theories and evidence on how organisations can manage international business activities;

To provide knowledge about the effects of international locations for the major areas of management including strategy, HRM, corporate governance and finance and thereby to provide useful insights on how internationalisation affects these management functions;

The major objective of the module is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to enable them to analyse the challenges and opportunities that arise for organisations from the internationalisation process and to be able to assess how to manage effectively international business activities.


Learning Outcomes

(LO1) Develop an understanding of the major characteristics of the international business environment and be able to analyse changes in these characteristics;

(LO2) Critically apply theories and evidence on the characteristics of foreign locations for practical issues in the management of international strategies and operations of organisations;

(LO3) Develop capabilities to utilise analyse on how the evolution of the international business environment is likely to affect practical issues in the management of international strategies and operations of organisations;

(LO4) Understand how diversity in foreign locations impacts on operational aspects such as HRM systems, marketing processes and knowledge acquisition and learning processes;

(LO5) Understand how diversity of moral and ethical norms in foreign locations affects key issues in corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

(S1) Commercial awareness. Developed through assignments and class discussion. Also, research for information and data involve consideration of the implications of the material studies for the international strategies and operations of organisations.

(S2) Problem solving skills. Developed through assignments and class discussion. Also, research for information and data involve seeking solutions to problems and opportunities arising from internationalisation.

(S3) Teamwork. The group assignment requires students to develop team working skills in order to produce the report.

(S4) International awareness. Developed through assignments and class discussion. Also, research for information and data involve developing international awareness.

(S5) Ethical awareness. Developed through assignments and class discussion. Also, research for information and data involve developing ethical awareness in the management of international strategies and operations.


Teaching and Learning Strategies

Lectures x 28 hours

Self-directed learning x 72 hours


Syllabus

 

Introduction to globalisation – investigation and analysis of the various views on the globalisation process and a critique of the concept of the ‘flat world’ view of globalisation and a critical assessment of the significance of the emerging economies for the likely direction of internationalisation processes;

International trade and FDI – investigation and analysis of theories and evidence on international trade and FDI and how these activities impact organisations – exporting, importing, off-shoring and sub-contracting – regional trade blocs - drivers of inward and outward FDI including the increasing importance of emerging economies for the direction and character of trade and FDI;

Exchange rates and risk management – investigation and analysis of how exchange rates affect trade and FDI - managing risk - political, economic and exchange rate risk;

Market entry modes - investigation and analysis of the pros and co ns of various entry modes - including exporting, franchising/licensing, FDI – joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries;

Differences in national institutional and cultural factors – investigation and analysis of the importance of institutional and cultural distance and liability of foreignness for strategy and operations - the increasing importance of the emerging economies for institutional and cultural distance;

Sub-national location – investigation and analysis of the factors driving sub-national location by MNCs especially the importance of cities for the location decisions of MNCs;

Internationalisation Strategies - investigation and analysis of the major internationalisation strategies of MNCs and SMEs - the strategies of MNCs from emerging economies;

Managing international business activities - investigation and analysis of systems and approaches to operational management of organisations in different national locations including issues of HQ/subsidiary relationships – problems facing SMEs of managing international business operations;

Corporate governance - investigation and analysis of the implications of the diversity of corporate governance systems in different locations – issues of regulating and taxing MNCs – corporate governance issues in emerging economies;

CSR and sustainability – investigation and analysis of problems of designing and implementing CSR and sustainability policies in locations with large institutional and cultural distance from home location - the impact of the emerging economies on these policies.

The content for this module is available via a multitude of sources including, books, journal articles, reports, videos and podcasts (available via the web) and handouts. Guidance on reading on topics in the module will be given via Vital and in the lectures. Students will conduct literature searches to find relevant sources using the library syst ems and online search systems such as Google Scholar. Guidance on how to conduct literature searches and how to analyse literature will be provided from material on the web.


Recommended Texts

Reading lists are managed at readinglists.liverpool.ac.uk. Click here to access the reading lists for this module.