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2022/2023  BA-BINBO1145U  Contemporary Issues in International Business

English Title
Contemporary Issues in International Business

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course Third Quarter, Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in International Business
Course coordinator
  • Flladina Zilja - Department of International Economics, Goverment and Business (EGB)
Main academic disciplines
  • Globalisation and international business
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 28-11-2022

Relevant links

Learning objectives
  • • Critically analyse a range of contemporary issues and debates in International Business from practical, theoretical, and methodological perspectives
  • • Assess the immediate and broader implications of these issues and debates in International Business – including connections between them – for research, organizations, and society
  • • Propose alternative courses of action across the domains of research, business practice and/or policy making that reflect socially responsible and ethical practices
  • • Demonstrate the reflective and collaborative capabilities that are essential to support one’s own and other’s life-long learning, especially in the context of the ambiguity typically inherent in international business and professional life
Examination
Contemporary Issues in International Business:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 10 pages
Assignment type Project
Duration 48 hours to prepare
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Spring
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

The aim of the course is to explore and develop nuanced understandings of a range of contemporary issues and debates in International Business, and further develop the skills that will enable lifelong learning. To this end, emphasis is placed on ‘problematizing’ current understandings of contemporary issues in international business by placing them in their historical context, tracing the evolution of knowledge, and questioning taken-for-granted assumptions that inform current theory and business practice.  Sources of contemporary issues include debates in the academic literature alongside current events in business and society. A focus on contemporary issues means that specific topics covered will vary over time.  Nonetheless, indicative issues include: How do crises – such as global pandemics or financial crises – shape the location decisions of multinational enterprises and re-shape core IB theory? What are the implications of using English as a ‘lingua franca’ for relationships of power and the management of diversity within MNEs? How can innovative small firms shape international institutions for competitive advantage, or is this solely the domain of government and large MNEs? How do MNEs foster – and destroy – subsidiary initiatives and local entrepreneurship? In what ways do MNEs advance or detract from the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, such as ‘reduce inequality’ and ‘economic growth’? The exploration of these and similar questions will draw on the latest academic literature and case studies of international businesses.  Students will be expected to make connections across contemporary issues and revisit prior learning with new understanding

Description of the teaching methods
The course is based on eight 3-hour lectures, amounting to a total of 24 lecture hours, and six 2-hour (small-group) tutorials, amounting to 12 tutorial hours. The lectures are designed to introduce students to contemporary issues and surrounding debates relating to both industry practices and research in international business. Emphasis is placed on problematizing what is taken-for-granted in both theory and practice, with the implications of alternative ways of understanding and acting being explored. Connections across the contemporary issues covered in each lecture are explored.

Collaborative learning communities are fostered through small-group tutorials, with active engagement and preparation in advance expected. The tutorials are designed to extend students understanding of the contemporary issues and related readings covered in lectures through: (1) application of the issues and debates raised in lectures to business case studies , reports on current events and the design of future research; and (2) the sharing of reflections on how this new learning may impact prior learning in this course or earlier, and students’ own professional practice – possibly leading to reinforcement of what is already known, greater recognition of the contingent nature of knowledge, or entirely new understandings. The skill development through tutorials thus fosters the reflective and collaborative capabilities that underpin one’s own and support others’ life-long learning.
Feedback during the teaching period
The students should actively seek feedback from the lecturers during lectures, tutorials and scheduled office hours. Tutorials provide a structured forum for peer feedback as students develop skills in the giving and receiving of constructive feedback as they share, discuss and critique insights with each other.
Student workload
class 36 hours
class preparation 116 hours
exam preparation 48 hours
Expected literature

This course will include selected readings from academic literature that address contemporary issues and debates in international business, augmented by case studies, contemporary news items, policy and industry reports, videos and blogs. 

Last updated on 28-11-2022