Academic Year 2011/2012

Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Internazionalizzazione

delle Relazioni Commerciali

Course Syllabus

Course Title

International Business

Course hours

Monday –Tuesday – Wednesday 8.00 -10.00

Teacher

Dr. Lorena D’Agostino

e-mail

ldagosti@unict.it

Office hours

Monday- Wednesday 12.00-13.00

Brief course description

This course aims at providing students with a foundation in the theory and practice of international business. Specifically, the course will offer students an overview of different theoretical perspectives on MNEs, an understanding of the content and context of strategy and strategic decision making in MNEs and a comprehension of different organizational issues within MNEs. In addition, the course will also provide students with the technical tools necessary to formulate coherent international plans in the context of the contemporary global economy.

Learning outcomes

After this course students are expected to have an understanding of the core concepts of International Business, and their application to international business strategy and organization. On completion of this module students will be able to understand:

-        the underlying principles of firm internationalization,

-        different theoretical perspectives on multinational enterprises (MNEs),

-        strategic challenges MNEs face and strategic making by MNEs

-        how MNEs organize for sustained competitive advantage,

-        challenges and opportunities offered by emerging economies,

-        features and strategies of emerging multinationals.

In addition, on completion of this course students will be capable to formulate coherent international plans in the context of the contemporary global economy.

Course outline

Module 1: Globalization and the Multinational Enterprise

-        Globalization,

-        Foreign direct investments,

-        Theories of foreign direct investment,

Module 2: IB Strategy and the Organization of the Multinational Enterprise

-        IB Strategy,

-        Organization of the Multinational Enterprises,

-        IB Operations.

Module 3: New Issue in IB

-        Emerging economies,

-        Emerging multinationals

Teaching methods

The course will be delivered by means of lectures and seminars organized around student case presentations and group discussions.

Reading list

Textbook

-        Charles W. L. Hill (2010) International Business: Competing in the Global Market Place, McGraw-Hill, 8th Edition. (chapter 1, 7 (pp. 230-238, 249-256, 258-259), 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18).

Additional (compulsory) readings

-        Dunning J. and Lundann, S. (2008), Multinational Enterprises And The Global Economy, Second Edition, Edward Elgar. (pp. 67-74, 83-86 and 91-109).

-        Emergent Giants Multinationals from China, India, Brazil, Russia, and even Egypt are coming on strong. They're hungry -- and want your customers. They're changing the global game”, Business Week 13 Jul 2006.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_31/b3995001.htm

-        Guillen, M.F. and Esteban Garcia-Canal, E. (2009) “The American model of the multinational firm and the “new” multinationals from emerging economies”. Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 23( 2): 23-35.

-        PriceWaterhouse Cooper Emerging Multinationals 2010 - The rise of new multinational companies from emerging economies. Economic View.

http://www.pwc.fr/assets/files/pdf/2010/04/pwc_emerging_multinationals.pdf

-        Lenovo: Building a global bran, Harvard Business School case study, October 2006. http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/7663916

-        Verbeke, A. (2009) International Business Strategy, Cambridge University Press, pp.4-10, 359-381.

Assessment method

Assessment will be by means of a written examination.

Notes

The students are assumed to know elementary microeconomic theory, with particular reference to the theory of firm and of markets.