Academic Credit Weighting: 15 Westminster Business School Marketing and Business Strategy

Transcription

1 Full Module Title: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS POLICY Short Module Title: International Business Policy Module Code 4EQMM02 Module Level: M Academic Credit Weighting: 15 School: Westminster Business School Department: Marketing and Business Strategy Length: One semester Module Leader: Dr George Bailey Ext: Baileyg@Wmin.Ac.Uk Site: Marylebone Campus Host Course: MA in International Business and Management (MAIBM) Status: Core for MAIBM, MSc International Business Economics Subject Board: Economics and Quantitative Methods Pre-Requisites: Co-Requisites: Assessment: 30 % Coursework, 70 % Examination Special Features: Access Restrictions: Summary of Module Content: Corporate Strategy, Business Policy, Case Study Analyses Available as a free option subject to any pre-requisition or equivalent background Module Aims To develop the skills to analyse strategic problems and reach strategic decisions in an international context. To develop an understanding of the most important strategic issues confronting the international manager in the Twenty-First Century. To synthesise the learning from other modules and provide a means of setting their principles and practices in the overall organizational context; the International Business Policy module thus draws on and builds upon theoretical and practical information covered earlier in the course, in particular that relating to the international business environment (The International Economy), competitor analysis (covered in Marketing Management), organisational control, organisation culture, the structuring of organisations and the management of change (Human Resources Strategies). Learning Outcomes

2 By the end of the module the students should be able to: Critically assess the forces that drive organisations to operate and to market internationally in the Twenty-First Century. Evaluate the strategic situations of firms in their search for sustainable competitive advantage over their key rivals. Synthesise and critically evaluate the problems of managing cultural diversity, both within their organisations and among their customers, suppliers, shareholders, and competitors. Develop, evaluate and select appropriate strategic options as possible solutions for international,multi-national or transnational companies. Develop realistic implementation plans for their preferred strategic options. Debate major contemporary strategic issues and ideas of importance to the international manager such as e-commerce, organisational ethics and social responsibility. Indicative Syllabus Content 1. The analysis of the global business environment using the Political, Economic, Social Technological factor model. Analysis of industry structure using the Porter s Five Forces and industry life-cycle models. Basics of scenario planning the technique, its application in an international context. The identification of customer requirements and industry success factors as a prerequisite for developing competitive strategy. 2. International competitive strategy. Applying the generic competitive strategies within a global context. Providing solutions to the problems of managing the diversity of customer needs and expectations, and of maintaining comparable quality standards across national borders. Global branding. 3. The appraisal of an organisation s resources and competences. Value chain analysis and other techniques. 4. Human resources as critical strategic assets. Culture and learning capacity as sources of competitive advantage. Knowledge management. The relationship between organisation structure and strategy. 5. International corporate strategy. Differing modes of international business expansion and development; internal growth, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances. Approaches to building diversified organisations: holding company, restructuring and synergy-based models. Allocating resources to different businesses: the Boston and GE matrices. The competency vs the SBU model of an organisation.

3 6. Strategic options in differing contexts; growing, maturing, and declining industries. 7. Developing and evaluating strategic options. Matching an organisation s capabilities with the demands of its environment. Organisation culture and ability to change as a determinant of the feasibility and acceptability of options. Implementation planning the strategic plan as an action plan. 8. Contemporary issues in international business policy; eg think global, act national, e-commerce., Total Quality, empowerment. Japanese management approaches and their applicability.

4 Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures: the essential elements of each part of the Module will be introduced by lectures or managed discussions between tutors and students. Seminars: practical learning exercises based on action learning techniques, such as case studies and structured analyses of contemporary business practices. Assessment Rationale The assessments are designed to test the students competences, either as individuals or working in task situations using peer groups, to critically assess many case studies and business practices. Emphasis will be put on their capabilities to self-manage their literature reviewing skills, in preparation for the Module s examination. These skills will be of later importance in progressing their Course Projects and also in the preparation and writing of reports in their professional working lives. Satisfactory performance will demonstrate their competence to handle complex business information, and develop their personal confidence in transferring their learning to implementing both strategic and functional decisions in their professional working lives. Assessment Criteria The assessment has three objectives: 1. For students to be able to critically evaluate examples of international business practice by analysing various case studies prior to presenting a formal report on a case study selected to demonstrate the range of issues relevant to the globalisation of business. 2. To demonstrate their ability to discuss the theoretical principles underpinning international business practices under examination conditions. 3. For groups of students to collaborate in analysing various case studies in order to gain experience of working together in multi-national teams. Assessment Methods and Weightings The formal report, counts for 30 % of the total marks for the Module. The written examination counts for the remaining 70 %. This examination has three objectives designed to test students individual learning and competences: 1. For individual students to demonstrate their ability to be able to critically evaluate an international business case study and answer questions about the management issues raised therein. 2. For them to be able to show ability in using the case study and other examples known to them to explain a topic central to understanding business practices, such

5 as mergers, corporate culture, and market development (exporting). 3. For them to be able to interpret and then discuss statements capable of being made by international managers which relate to business practices and gaining competitive advantage.

6 Sources Selected Books The Module text book: Charles W L Hill & Gareth R Jones, Strategic Management: An integrated approach, (Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1998), 4 th Edition. Two other highly rated texts: De Wit, B & Meyer, R (1998) Strategy, Process, Content, Context: An International Perspective, International Thompson, 2 nd Edition. Johnson, G & Scholes, K (1999) Exploring Corporate Strategy : Text and Cases, Prentice Hall, 5 th Edition. Other books to widen knowledge: Collis, D J & Montgomery, C A (1997) Corporate Strategy: A Resource-Based Approach, Irwin McGraw Hill. Doz Y (1986), Strategic Management in Multinational Companies, Pergamon, Grant, RM (1998) Contemporary Strategy Analysis: concepts, techniques, applications, Blackwell Business, 3 rd Edition. Mintzberg, H, Quinn, JB & Ghoshal, S (1998) The Strategy Process: Revised European Edition, Prentice-Hall. Porter, M (1980) Competitive Strategy, Free Press* Porter, M (1985) Competitive Advantage, Free Press* Porter M (Ed) (1986) Competition in Global Industries, Harvard Business School Press* Porter M (Ed) (1990) The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Macmillan* Segal-Horn, S & Faulkner, D (1999) The Dynamics of International Strategy, Business Press. Stacy, R.D (2000) Strategic Management & Organisational Dynamics, Prentice Hall, 3 rd Edition. Thompson, J.L (1997) Strategic Management: Awareness and Change, Chapman & Hall, 3 rd Edition. * Classic texts

7 Other sources Books: Articles: The Web, newspapers, and specialist magazines.