Week
|
Topic
|
Reading *
|
Principal activities
|
1
|
Introduction to international business, and contrast with international management. A unifying framework for international business strategy - seven key concepts
|
Verbeke, Introduction & Chapter 1
|
Immediate engagement with course themes through lively discussion in pairs and groups drawing in part on international diversity of students in class
Case study on Honda
|
2
|
Firm specific advantages (FSAs) – how critical they can be
First short assessment
|
Chapter 2
|
Individual and group work on case studies: 3M and IKEA
|
3
|
Home country location advantages: their nature
|
Chapter 3
|
Case study on Shiseido (perfume)
|
4
|
Home country location advantages: the problem of ‘distance’
Second short assessment
|
Chapter 4
|
Case studies on Starbucks and Wal-Mart
|
5
|
Combining FSAs and location advantages in a multinational network
|
Chapter 5
|
Case studies on Nestlé and Tata
|
6
|
International innovation: R&D decentralisation, benefits and conflicts
|
Chapter 6
|
Case studies on Siemens and Sony
|
7
|
International sourcing and production: strengths and weaknesses
|
Chapter 7
|
Case studies on Flextronics and BMW
|
8
|
International finance: managing risk and market imperfections
|
Chapter 8
|
Case studies of Avon and Porsche
|
9
|
International marketing, including use of internet, and potential and constraints of global account management
|
Chapter 9
|
Case studies of Anheuser Busch and Haier (China)
|
10
|
Management issues in multinational enterprises
|
Chapter 10
|
Case on LVMH
|
11
|
Entry mode dynamics of global strategy (I): foreign distributors; strategic alliance partners
Fourth assessment
|
Chapter 11 & 12
|
Cases on Dell and Danone
|
12
|
Entry mode dynamics of global strategy (II): mergers and acquisitions
|
Chapter 13
|
Case studies on CEMEX, and Lenovo
|
13
|
Emerging economies: their role in international business, I
|
Chapter 14
|
Cases on AIG, and Google
|
14
|
Emerging economies: their role in international business, II
|
Chapter 15
|
Case studies on Chinese energy, and on Infosys
|