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 international business activities effectively.

In particular, the module focuses on the following aims:

To provide students with a solid foundation for analysing the major characteristics and challenges 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 provide students with knowledge and analytical capabilities to understand the strategic implicatio ns for organisations arising from internationalisation and to assess how to manage international business activities effectively, including aspects of corporate social responsibility and implications for personal career planning;

To apply the theoretical 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 practical management issues.

(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 peer-to-peer learning activities require students to develop team working skills in order to work effectively together.

(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.

2 hour lecture x 5 weeks
3 hour seminar x 5 weeks
36 minutes asynchronous or peer to peer directed learning x 5 weeks
72 hours self-directed learning

Introduction to international business management in the context of 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; critical assessment of the significance of the emerging economies for the likely direction of internationalisation processes and the role of Corporate Social Responsibility for organizations as global actors;

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;

Market entry modes - investigation and analysis of the pros and cons of various entry modes - including exporting, fra nchising/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;

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;

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 case studies. 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 systems 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.