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2012/2013  BA-HAI_1IBE  International Business Environment

English Title
International Business Environment

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Course period First Quarter, Autumn
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc in International Business
Course coordinator
  • Ari Kokko - Department of International Economics and Management
  • Sanjay Peters - Department of International Economics and Management
Main Category of the Course
  • Globalization, International Business, markets and studies
Last updated on 28-08-2012
Learning objectives
After having followed the course the students should be able to:
  • Explain how and why there are differences in national or regional business environments.
  • Present a thorough review of the economics and politics of the international trade and investment environment.
  • Analyse the strategies and structures of international businesses.
  • Assess the functions of an international business.
  • Highlight the adjustments needed in the transition from domestic to international business, and the adjustments needed to operate successfully in specific foreign markets.
  • Synthesize the above into a detailed and comprehensive analysis of internationalization at the firm level.
Examination
.
International Business Environment:
Type of test Home Assignment
Marking scale 7-step scale
Second examiner External examiner
Exam period October and December/January, the regular exam takes place in October. The make-up and re-examination takes place in January.
Aids Please, see the detailed regulations below
Duration 48 Hours

48 hour individual home assignment of max. 10 standard pages.

The aim of the home assignment is to assess the knowledge students have accumulated during the course. The assignment requires students to analyze an actual company’s overall entry strategy and operations in a foreign market. This can either be a case where the company of the student’s choice has already entered a host market or a case where the analysis focuses on a market that the company has not entered yet. The take-home project should integrate and synthesise all the main blocks of the curriculum (as presented below), to demonstrate the students’ skills in the practical application of theory to the chosen case.

No restrictions regarding literature and other aids. However, assignments should include proper references to background literature and information sources.

Declaration of Authorship (available on E-campus) must be included in the individual home assignment.
Examination
The Make-up and Re-examination takes place according to the same rules as the regular exam.
Course content

The aim of the course is to provide an integrated understanding of the complexity of the international business environment and the challenges it poses for firms engaged in cross-border activities. Emphasis is put on highlighting the differences among countries in terms of their national business environments, and how these differences are linked to the various strategic choices firms adopt in order to compete internationally. By the end of the course students should have developed their ability to explain, interpret, and synthesize international business practices in a multidisciplinary discourse. Both theory and empirical cases are included in the curriculum.

The main blocks of the curriculum are:

  • Selected cross-country differences with a potential impact on business operations, including historical, institutional, geographical, cultural, and political structures
  • Global trade and foreign direct investment, including the regulatory systems for international trade, investment, and monetary transactions
  • Strategy and International Business
  • Business Operations
Teaching methods
The course is based on a lecture series covering 42 lecture hours. The time will be used to cover the textbook materials through traditional lectures and discussions in class, but will also include some in-depth treatment of chosen topics (guest lectures).
Expected literature

Charles W.L. Hill (latest edition), “International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace”, McGraw Hill International Edition.
Additional reading material to be distributed during the course.
Last updated on 28-08-2012