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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS 330"
COURSE NAME: "International Business"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session I 2018
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Ieva Jakobsone Bellomi
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MTWTH 11:10-1:00
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: Junior Standing, EC 202; Recommended: MKT 301
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The objective of this course is to expose students to the essential elements of international business, with particular emphasis on how it differs from domestic business. An extensive use of case studies provides a basis for class discussion, allowing students to develop their analytical skills and apply their theoretical knowledge.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The course introduces the students with
1. the foundation concepts of international business,
2. the specific characteristics of the environments the multinational companies operate in (cultural, ethical, political, economic and government related),
3. as well as describes the company's strategies for entering and operating in international markets.

 

The course shall provide the students with the fundamental practical methods to assess the markets and the opportunities for companies to go global. The course closely follows current issues and changes in the global market place with a focus on the new economic powers in South East Asia and Far East Asia, specifically China's rising presence on the political and global business map with its One Belt One Road Initiative in Eurasia, as well as touches upon Russia, India and Africa as critical emerging markets for the global sustainability efforts.

The course is tailored as a highly interactive one (assigned readings are the must!) with discussions on case studies (as assigned per syllabus) and class deliberations on contemporary international business issues. The value of the course - the students shall learn the theoretical concepts to be used to analyze critically and intelligently the business events on the international stage.

 

The students are welcome to contribute to the class discussions by reading business newspapers and magazines, like Harvard Business Review, Business Week, The Economist, Wall Street Journal,and others. It is also recommended to follow the World Economic Forum on social media as this will benefit the up-to-date understanding of international business dynamics. By these activities students shall learn to follow the business events on a daily basis, making it as a habit of being on top of the dynamics of the global business.

Attitude and interest in the subject shall be valued highly!
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the course the students shall be able to:

- to understand the general international business strategy framework;

- to understand and analyze international business environment, the threats and opportunities in it,

- to understand the new global challenges of political, economic and cultural nature in doing business

internationally.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
International Business: The New Realities, Global EditionS. Tamer Cavusgil, G. Knight, J. Riesenberger PearsonISBN-10: 1292152834     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
1st Quiz on theoretical concepts covered in the classA short quiz in the class of 10 multiple choice questions to check the general understanding of fundamental international business concepts learned (solely on the basis of the textbook)10%
Written individual assignment: Short essay on a topic covered in the classA short essay (3 pages of A4, Times New Roman 11, no spacing) - international business case study analysis, topics: ethics, corporate social responsibility, environment protection. Assignment to be done at home, due date: as per syllabus25%
Group assignment: Case study presentation in the class: multinational and its global environmentsCase analysis on the chosen global company (to be approved by the professor!) and its success/failure in the international markets with a focus on the SWOT analysis of the company going global and on the CAGE framework analysis of respective environments the company is operating in30%
Final: Quiz on theoretical concepts covered in the classA theory quiz in the class of 20 multiple choice questions to check the general understanding of fundamental international business concepts learned (solely on the basis of the textbook)25%
Class participationStudents are welcome to participate in the class discussions on business case analysis as well as contemporary international business issues. Students are encouraged to share new interesting articles, findings, and opinions on international business issues with the class. This will benefit greatly to the class participation score of a student.10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will

grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness,

hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity.

Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student

misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

 Preliminary Dates

Topic

Assigned readings

Principal activities

21May

Part 1 FOUNDATION CONCEPTS

 

What is international business?

Globalization of Markets and the Internationalization of the Firm

Chapter 1&2, textbook

  Class discussions:

1. Globalization and going international: SWOT analysis

2. New realities of international business

22 May and 23 May

Part 2 ENVIRONMENT OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

 

The cultural environment of International business,

CAGE framework of distances

Chapter 3, textbook

 

Case studies:

1. Baidu: culture and social media in China

2. Hollywood and global culture

 

 

24 May

Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Governance in International Business

Chapter 4, textbook

 

Case studies:

1. Improving the lives of Bangladeshi garments factory workers

2. Bribery and corruption at Siemens

28 May and 29May

Theories of International Trade and Investment

Chapter 5, textbook

 

Case study:

1. Taobao’s rise

30 May

Short quiz on the theoretical concepts covered in the classes

 

Political and Legal Systems in National Environments

 

Chapter 6, textbook

Case studies:

1. Risks in Russia’s political and legal systems

31 May

Government Intervention and Regional Economic Integration

Chapter 7, textbook

Case study:

1. Government intervention at Airbus and Boeing

 

4 June

Understanding ‘emerging’ markets: special focus on South East Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa

Chapter 8, textbook

 

Case study:

1. Prowling for Success: the revival of Jaguar and Land Rover

 

5 June

Written individual essay due: Ethics and corporate social responsibility: case analysis

 

International Monetary and Financial Environment

Chapter 9, textbook

Case studies:

1. The European Union and the Euro

2. Asian International Financial Centers – Singapore and Hong Kong

 

6 June and 7 June

PART III STRATEGY AND OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT

Strategy and Organization in the International Firm

 

Chapter 11, textbook

Case studies:

1. IKEA’s strategies for global success

2. Global strategy at Lenovo

 

Class discussion:

1. What are the critical factors for the company to succeed internationally?

11 June and 12 June

Global Market Opportunity Assessment

Chapter 12, textbook

Case study:

1. Estimating demand in emerging markets

 

Class discussion:

1.  National demand in the emerging markets – what are the factors critical for assessing the demand?

13 June and 14 June

PART IV ENTERING AND WORKING IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

 

Exporting and Global Sourcing

Chapter 13, textbook

Case study:

Barret Farm Foods: a small firm’s international launch

18 June

Group Assignment: case analysis: presentations

 

Case analysis of the chosen global company’s success or failure in the international markets (SWOT analysis of the company going global and CAGE framework analysis of respective environments the company is operating in)

19 June and 20 June

Foreign Direct Investment and Collaborative Ventures

Chapter 14, textbook

Case studies:

1. Huawei’s investments in Africa

2. China’s going out strategy

 

21 June

Licensing, Franchising, and Other Contractual Strategies

 

Chapter 15, textbook

Case studies:

1. How Lego built global value in the toy industry – block by block

2. Subway’s franchising challenges in China

22 June

Final exam: quiz on the theoretical concepts covered in the classes