INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

COURSE SYLLABUS

Contact details
Instructor: Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trang, Ph.D
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: by appointment
Class time and room numbers: TBA
Course delivery: This course is student-centered and use multiple approach which includes
videos, in-class discussion, and group projects to enhance student learning and application of
key concepts of the course.
Lectures and discussion: 30 hours
Quiz and Group project: 15 hours
Course learning objectives
Upon completion, students are expected to be able to:
1. Understand key factors shaping the international business environment
2. Know main trade theories and trade tools commonly affect the international business
environment
3. Realize different entry modes
4. Get familiar with criteria and measures commonly used to evaluate international
markets
5. Understand fundamental global strategic directions firms can adopt in their
international operations
6. Understand the impact of the international business environment on firm businesses
7. Analyze business environments across countries
8. Aware of information and information sources necessary to analyze international
markets
9. Develop a habit for updating news in international business
10. Develop and further refine skills related to research, analysis, critical-thinking,
teamwork, writing, and communication
Course description: This course focuses on the environmental factors which affect strategy
and practices of international businesses. Key content of the course is centered on
globalization, national differences, practices of international trade, foreign direct investment
and how multinational companies form their global strategy. The application of international
business management concepts and theories through in-class mini-cases, readings, discussion,
and projects develops the student’s analytical skills and understanding of managing
internationalization processes of business organizations.
Course materials:
Required readings:
Textbook: Hill, Charles W.L. Global Business Today (12e)
All Newsclip/Reading on LMS
Recommended resources:

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 Fortune list world’s 500 largest coroporations. This can be a good resource to start
investigating multinational companies.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/full_list
Students should find these following websites useful for their research project.
- http://www.doingbusiness.org
- http://www.transparency.org/country
- http://globaledge.msu.edu/Reference-Desk
o Research phrases: Country risk and economic research, Market Potential
Index, Intercultural Skills, Business etiquette around the world, Market access
database
- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook
- http://geert-hofstede.com/l
- http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/statis_e.htm
- http://www.trademap.org
Additional useful information includes the World Bank’s Cost of Doing Business and
Logistics Performance Index (LPI), the World Economic Forum’s Enabling Trade Index
(ETI) and the OECD’s Trade Facilitation Indicators (TFIs).
Evaluation
Assignment Type Weight
#1 Attendance and Participation Individual 10%
#2 Case study Group 30%
#3 Final presentation Group 30%
#5 Final exam Group 30%

Class schedule

Dates Topic Case study Objective

#1 Welcome
Course introduction
Group formation
Topic: Globalization
Read chapter 1 1, 6, 9, 10
- Concepts of globalization
- Drivers of globalization
- Key changes in the global economy
- Impact of globalization on business

#2 Topic: National differences in political economy NETFLIX

Read chapter 2 1, 6, 7, 9, 10
- National differences in political, economic, and legal
environment
- Why is understanding national differences vital to
international business?
#3 Topic: National differences in culture AGNICO EAGLE 1, 4, 6, 7, 9,

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 Read chapter 4 MINES 10
- Key concepts of culture
- Determinants of Culture
- Impact of Culture on business
Discussion:
1. Outline why the culture of a country might influence
the costs of doing business in that country. Illustrate
your answer with examples.
Why do you think cultural intelligence is important
(irrelevant) in international business?
#4 Topic: The political economy of trade and FDI NIKE versus 1, 2, 6, 9, 10
Read chapter 7 NEW BALANCE
- Trade tools
- Impact on trade tools
Discussion
- What are trade barriers? Why do they exist?
- What impacts do trade barriers have on international
business?
#5 Read: Chapter 8: XIAOMI
- Key concepts of FDI
- FDI policies

#6 Topic: Global strategy AMAZON 1, 5, 6, 10

Read: Chapter 12
- Factors influencing the pressures of cost reduction
and local responsiveness
- Four main global strategies
Discussion:
- In what kind of industries does a localization
strategy make sense?
- When does a global standardization strategy make
most sense?
- What were strategies adopted by the multinationals
as described in the minicases?
Topic: Chapter 13: Entering Foreign Markets
- Three key decisions in internationalization
- Entry modes and their pros and cons

#7&8 Group presentation 1 to 6

BÀI THUYẾT TRÌNH

This assignment is designed to make you aware of the big wide world around you and its
influence on international business at a firm-level. You need to focus on a real international
company, and do a report on how the company deals with the dynamic international business
environment which affects the company’s success and failure in the international context.

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In particular, you need to identify what practices regarding the activities of R&D, marketing,
production, or human resource management causes their success or failure in the foreign
country. Based on the issue(s) in their operations, you will make recommendations to
improve their performance.

The project PPT consists of following parts:

1. Company profile
Which industry is the company in?
Brief description of the company’s history and background
Brief description of the focal Product(s)/Service(s)
The markets the firm served (share of international sales/profits in the key market areas)
Who is the company’s major domestic/international competitor(s)?
2. Entry modes
Analysing entry modes used by the firm
3. Situation Analysis. Identify the key issues influence company practices and describe them
in details (You can start with the PESTLE framework)
4. Global strategy in one (more than one) functions/activities
- Analysing the firm standardization and adaptation practices related to these activities (R&D,
marketing, production, or human resource management) to either strengthen their market
penetration or improve their global coordination
5. Recommendations
6. References