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2014/2015  BA-BEUBO1008U  Europe as a Multicultural Business Environment

English Title
Europe as a Multicultural Business Environment

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 15 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Course period Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for Bachelor of Arts in European Business
Course coordinator
  • Magali Gravier - MSC
Main academic disciplines
  • Globalization, International Business, markets and studies
  • International Politics
  • Language and Intercultural Studies
Last updated on 15-08-2014
Learning objectives
The course aims at teaching knowledge on the EU as a business environment and at the same time at developing the students’ capacities to work in a multilingual environment. At the end of the course, students should be able to:
  • display basic knowledge on the main EU institutions;
  • display basic knowledge on the decision making process in the EU;
  • display basic knowledge on selected business related policies;
  • present relevent theories and models on the European integration process, marketing, management and lobbyism;
  • apply in a relevant way theories, models, policies and factual information learned during the course as well as relevant empirical data collected by the student to a seleted case;
  • be able to handle the knowledge learned during the course (theory, concepts and models) in the second language chosen (English, German, French or Spanish).
  • Defend the written project in the second language chosen by the student (English, German, French or Spanish) making use of the relevant vocabulary.
Examination
Europe as a Multicultural Business Environment:
Exam ECTS 15
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance.
Individual or group exam Group exam, max. 5 students in the group
It consists of a written group project and an individual oral defence of the project. The project is written in English, while the oral exam takes place in the second language, which the students are studying (English, French, German or Spanish).

Groups consist of 3-5 students.

Date for turning the project in: Students have a minimum of 2 weeks after the last lecture in the course to turn in the project.
Size of written product Max. 5 pages
Each student is expected to write max. 5 pages: groups of 3 students hand in a project of max. 15 pages, groups of 4 students max. 20 pages and groups of 5 students max. 25 pages. If the project is written individually, the maximum pages is 10 pages per project.
Assignment type Project
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period December/January
Make-up exam/re-exam
Another examination form
Retake:
If one student should fail the exam, the student must hand in a new individual project, on a different topic, of max. 10 pages and take an oral exam in his/her second foreign language (English, French, German or Spanish).
If two students should fail the exam and wish to write a new project together, they must hand in a new projecton, on a different topic, of max. 15 pages.
For groups of 3 students and above, the same rules as for the regular exam apply.

The same rule applies for the oral exam as for the regular exam; the oral exam lasts 20 min and takes place in the second foreign language, the student is studying (English, French, German or Spanish).

Make-up exam:
If the whole exam could not be taken (written project and oral exam) due to sickness, the same rule applies as for the retake exam.
If only the oral exam could not be taken due to sickness, a new oral exam is organized based on a resubmission of the original project. The oral exam lasts 20 min and takes place in the second foreign language, the student is studying (English, French, German or Spanish).
Description of the exam procedure
The projects are written in English, they must make use of the literature of each second foreign language of the members of the group. The project must indicate on the front page the second languages of the members of the group.
Projects will present a case-study of a company doing business in the European Union. The company will be chosen freely by the groups and approved by the course coordinator. Companies can be EU based (Danish or not) or not EU based but having a business activity in the EU; they can be of any size (SME to MNC).
Each project is expected to make use of one or several of the theories, policies or models presented in class, to relate it/them to the business strategy of the chosen company, and to show how the context of the EU has an impact – positive or negative – on the company’s activities. The assignment must keep a balance between theories/policies/models and empirical facts on the company presented in the case study, and display an understanding of the way in which the EU affects the activities of the chosen company.
Course content and structure
The EU is a major actor in international trade. It has the biggest share in world trade, before the USA and China. It is also the biggest importer and exporter. Due to its economic importance in world trade the EU’s decisions (e.g.: in competition policy, on health standards or environmental standards) impact business conditions and strategies not only European companies but also of non-European companies. The EU is also a major actor in international fora such as the World Trade Organization. In other words, knowing more about the EU and its policies affecting business conditions is a major asset both for European companies willing to develop international trade and for non-European companies that have important activities in the EU or wish to develop such activities.
Today’s business conditions within the member states of the European Union are to a large extent defined by the European Union, its Single Market and related policies. Many pieces of legislation affecting business conditions within the member states are either passed or framed at the EU level. The EU’s strategy aiming at stimulating trading activities and innovation also operate at the company level with the creation of a European legal status for big companies – the so-called “societas europaea” (SE) – and the adoption of the Small Business Act for Europe targeting small and medium sized companies. Therefore, a good knowledge of the EU is a necessary part of a successful business strategy. It allows companies to master the rules under which they have to operate. It allows them to optimize the legal aspect of their activity. It also allows European as well as non-European companies to develop successful lobbyism strategies which contribute to enhance their business conditions. But the EU is also multilingual. Working successfully in such an environment requires a capacity to deal with the simultaneous presence of several languages, which is why the course also builds languages in its teaching objectives.
The course therefore aims at giving students basic knowledge on the EU as a business environment. The course will explain the institutional framework of the European Union, the decision making process, selected business related policies. Complementary aspects such as marketing, lobbying and managing in the multinational European context will also be presented. Conceived of as an interdisciplinary approach to Europe and the EU, the course will present complementary theories and models on the European integration process, marketing, management and lobbying strategies and practices.
Teaching methods
This course combines several types teaching formats which allow a double focus. The course aims at teaching knowledge on the EU as a business environment and at the same time at developing the students’ capacities to work in a multilingual environment.
1) The module revolves around a set of lectures introducing to the EU. The lectures are taught in English and last 2h each. The goal of the lectures is to give common landmarks on the EU. It is based on a common textbook (see below).
2) Language classes complete the lectures and take place in the second foreign languages taught in the programme: English, French, German and Spanish. Students are split according to the second foreign language they are studying. The language classes focus on one particular aspect of the lecture but are taught in one of the four languages mentioned. They are based on press and scientific articles in the respective languages. The goal of these classes is to deepen the knowledge learned during the lectures while learning at the same time how to work on it in a second foreign language.
3) The third dimension is multilingual group work. Groups consist of 3 to 5 students, with students of at least two language groups (EN, GE, FR and/or SP). Groups are built at the beginning of the course. The two goals of the multilingual group work are: a) to ‘decluster’ the languages and thus avoid students not communicating with one another because of language choices; b) to train actively their capacity to work in a multilingual environment, where different languages are spoken and needed. Groups can turn in 2 written assignments on the topics studied in class. Like for the final exam, assignments are written in English and must make use of the literature of each second foreign language of the members of the group. These assignments are graded on a pass/fail basis. They are not mandatory but students are given the strong advice to turn them in so as to train for the final exam.
Student workload
Teaching 72 hours
Preparation 273 hours
Exam 75 hours
Expected literature
Main textbook: Gabriel Suder, Doing Business in Europe, Sage, 2nd edition.
Additional litterature will be indicated in time.
Last updated on 15-08-2014