BUS International Business Fall 2015 Classes: T&R 8:30-9:45 in Ed558

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1 BUS International Business Fall 2015 Classes: T&R 8:30-9:45 in Ed558 Instructor: Asst. Prof. Aldene Meis Mason, PhD, FCMC, MBA, BSc. Office: ED Phone: office, home (please don t call after 9:00 PM) Office hours: Very accessible. Call, or drop in or set up a time to fit our schedules. Course web: UR Courses at through UR Courses or aldene.meismason@uregina.ca Asthma and Allergy Alert: Please use scents responsibly; do your best to select scent-free products, Do not apply perfume, cologne, or hand cream before class or while in our classroom. 1. COURSE DESCRIPTION & OJECTIVES: This introductory course surveys various issues in international business. Major topics to be covered include: 1) The general aspects of international business: the nature of international business; the economic, political and socio-cultural contexts of international business; and the global institutions for international business. 2) The functional aspects of international business: international finance, international marketing and R&D, international production, and international human resource management. 3) The management aspects of international business: the organizational challenge for multinationals, international market entry, the implementation of multinational strategy, and the managerial implications. Business ethics / corporate social responsibility in international business and the future of multinationals are also covered. Pre-requisites: There are no prerequisites for this course, although an understanding of basic microeconomics theories (e.g., industrial organization) will be helpful. 2. COURSE METHODOLOGY: This course is delivered face-to-face. It involves required readings, video and case analysis and discussion, and business simulation participation weekly. There will be individual assignments through the thirteen weeks of the course and a final exam. 3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Show how the process of rapid globalization is giving rise to opportunities and challenges that business managers must confront. Summarize the main changes that are currently reshaping the political, legal, economic and legal systems within countries and worldwide. Demonstrate an appreciation for the implications of societal culture on business and economics.

2 Describe how different approaches to business ethics can help managers to make international business decisions that do not violate ethical norms. Demonstrate the important implications that international trade theory holds for business practice Explain the differentiate theories of foreign direct investment Describe the scope and implications of the world s major regional economic integration agreements Compare and contrast the different foreign exchange market exposures and what managers can do to manage the risks Discuss the modern global monetary systems and the management of financial crises Describe the different strategies for competing globally and their pros and cons Compare and contrast the different modes of entering foreign markets and the factors that influence a firm s choice of entry mode Discuss how exporting, importing and countertrade can be used to improve firm performance Illustrate how a firm s marketing, R &D, manufacturing and materials management, and human resources management may vary among countries. 4. COURSE MATERIALS: Hill, C. W. L., & McKaig, T Global Business Today (Fourth Canadian Edition). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. ISBN-13: (ISBN-10: ). Readings and the 8 cases are posted on UR Courses. Student accounts will be charged through Financial Services for any copyright and the case fee. Class power point slides are posted on UR courses 5. EVALUATION: Group Case Analysis & Presentation 30 marks Contributions (individual) 10 marks Individual book reading assignment included in final exam Mid-term 25 marks Media Presentation 5 marks Final exam (individual) Dec marks Bonus for research or volunteer participation 2 marks 100 marks If you must miss the mid-term exam, the weight will be transferred to the final exam. Your professor is not allowed to reschedule final exams. Please see the Business Administration Office. Permission will only be given in exceptional circumstances. Procedures regarding final exams are in the University of Regina general calendar. Mid-term and Final The exams will combine multiple choice, discussion and case application questions. These will test your knowledge of international management concepts and your ability to Page 2 of 7

3 apply various tools and frameworks of strategic analysis. The midterm and final exams are not open book. You will not be given make-up work or rewrites of the exam to improve your grade. For the final exam, you will be allowed to bring a memory aid consisting of one 8 ½ x 11 inch page with both sides covered in notes of any font size. Individual book reading assignment Each student is required to read the book Redefining Global Strategy: Crossing Borders in a World Where Difference Still Matters by Pankaj Ghemawat. You can either buy your own copy or read it online. The content of the book will be covered in the final exam. Team Case Presentation and Report As part of a team, you will present and prepare an executive report on one case. This will involve analyzing an assigned case and making recommendations for the enterprise s sustainability and responding to questions. Teams will be formed by the instructor. Students will also be assigned to the teams to provide diversity and inclusiveness. Grading of the full case presentation and executive report will be based upon its conciseness and clarity, number of major issues and problems addressed, accuracy and depth of analysis, soundness of arguments used to support recommendations and the action/implementation plan and the ability to address questions. You must provide the instructor with a copy of your power point slides and any handouts at the time of your presentation. Team members will evaluate each member s contribution and this will be used to adjust the overall team mark assigned to individual students. The length of the report should be 10 pages (1.5 line spacing, 1 inch margins, 11 Font Verdana, Calibri or Times), excluding the title page, table of contents, executive summary, references, tables and exhibits. Please provide both electronic and hard copies of your PowerPoint and report. The case report and slides should be submitted to me on Nov. 17. Late submissions will be penalized 20% of the grade. If you have good reasons for missing this deadline, please let me know IN ADVANCE. Note: The team will allocate their final marks for the presentation and report based on individual contribution. Please complete the forms and submitted this to me on Nov. 17. Media Presentation Each student will choose an article or news story from within the last 6 months which focuses on an international business. You will make a 5 minute presentation using a PowerPoint. Your presentation will identify the article and summarize the story 2) put it in context within the enterprise/industry and 3) illustrate how this is relevant to the theory and concepts we are studying. Make sure you indicate your sources of information (these can be numbered and placed on the last slide). You do not need to dress professional. You will sign up for your presentation. Late presentations will be penalized 20%. If you have good reasons for missing this deadline, please let me know IN ADVANCE. The marking criteria are: Time Management* (0-5); Presenter Positioning (0-5); Opening & Closing (0-5); Audience Connection (0-5); PowerPoint Design (0-5); Theory/Concepts (0-10)*. *Severe penalties for exceeding the 5 minutes. Please provide an electronic copy of your media presentation on our UR courses site. Page 3 of 7

4 Participation Contribution This class uses a case approach thus your class contribution is very important. I mark this after each class but recognize that over the semester students may be more or less vocal in some discussions more than others. Please put up your name tags and sit according to the seating plan for every class. 4 makes consistently insightful contributions linking theory with the case 3- makes consistently useful contributions 2- makes useful contributions 1- present with little contribution, makes surface or repetitive contributions 0 not present Randomly students will also be asked to provide a 3-5 minute summary of the key readings and their reflections. If you are unprepared, you will lose 1 mark off your participation grade so make notes and bring them to class. If you would like to speak up in class but find this difficult, please send me an . I will then work with you for a few classes by sending you a question to prepare ahead of time. Learning to speak out in front of your peers now is important to prepare for your future classes but also for participation in meetings in your future work. For ideas on how to improve your participation/analysis in case classes, Ivey published a book Learning with Cases by Louise A. Mauffette-Leenders, James A. Erskine, Michiel R. Leenders (available through the library). See also the reading from Senge on Mental Models from the Fifth Discipline (on our website) which suggests ways of entering a conversation which elicits perspectives and thinking. Community Service or Research Participation Bonus Marks Students may receive up to 2% credited toward their final grade by volunteering as a participant in a faculty research project. For more information about the Faculty Participant Research Pool, how it works, classes that are eligible for research credits, current research participation opportunities, and how to register, please visit the faculty website. Students may also receive 2% credited toward their final grade by volunteering for 10 hours with a community organization. 6. KEYS TO LEARNING: Check our UR courses site frequently as I will use this to post class notes, to communicate with you, and to post grades. Prepare thoroughly for each class. Look at the learning objectives. Carefully do the textbook and additional readings before you complete the cases or assignments. Remember to frequently review your notes. By doing this, you will be well-prepared for the discussions, case analyses and the mid-term and final exam. Attend classes. Be on time so as not to disturb to your colleagues. Catch up missed material from other students. Exams may use all text, materials on UR course, videos and in-class content (including guest speakers). In accordance with University policy, regular attendance is required to write the final exam. Attendance is taken every class. If a student misses more than 3 classes, they will receive 0 for contribution (exceptions may occur if reasonable accommodation is required). Participate in class activities. Contribute to discussions in classes and groups and in the on line forums every week. You can do this by summarizing, asking key questions, making observations that integrate concepts and theories, presenting solutions to Page 4 of 7

5 assignments, describing your relevant personal experiences, bringing items of interest from the internet or media. Remember to listen with an open mind. You may respectfully disagree with the instructor or others when the different perspective assists in exploring a concept, theory, issue or practice. Contribution is based on quality, not just quantity (i.e., large quantity but poor quality will not result in a favourable mark), so make sure that you are making worthwhile contributions. By extension, participation is not continuously dominating class and group discussion. Contribution is marked at every class. Please let me know in advance by if you are going to miss the class or will need to leave early. This helps as I plan group exercises and discussion for the class. Work cooperatively in groups for case work and hand in assignments. The whole group will be held responsible for the team s success or failure. Students will provide peer feedback. Devote an appropriate amount of time to this course. Assuming a 40 hour full-time work week and 5 courses per term for a full-time student, an average of 8 hours of work per course per week is expected over a thirteen week term. Some students may be working outside of school; however you are still expected to be spending 8 hours a week per class. This is how I suggest you allocate your time: Recommended time allocation Hrs/wk Class time 2.5 Assigned readings and case preparation 4.5 Studying and review* 1 Total 8 * This time allotment is for the semester only and does not include extra time for projects and during the final exam period. These numbers are averages and some weeks will require more or less work on assigned tasks than others. Feel free to use laptops, i-pads, i-phones in class for course purposes such as checking UR Courses and using a digital textbook. It is less disturbing for other students if you sit in the back row. If I suspect misuse such as checking s, searching the web, etc., this privilege will stop. Please do not record class lectures or photograph boards without receiving permission - exception will be made for reasons of accommodation laid out by the Student Accessibility Office. 7. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY (PLAGIARISM OR CHEATING): Organizational members are expected to operate ethically. This ethical standard applies to all members of the Paul J. Hill School of Business faculty, staff and students. As a professional Certified Management Consultant, I am also bound by the Code of Ethical Principles and Rules of Conduct of my professional organization. Students enrolled in Business Administration courses at the University of Regina are expected to adhere rigorously to principles of intellectual integrity. Plagiarism or cheating on examinations and assignments is a serious offence that may result in a zero grade on an assignment, a failing grade in a course or expulsion from the University. For more information on this important matter, please consult the University of Regina Undergraduate Calendar and the handout provided by the Paul J. Hill School of Business on Academic Misconduct. Ask me in advance if you have any question about misconduct.. Page 5 of 7

6 The library s website also provides information on sourcing and quoting ideas, models, artwork, etc. Some examples of academic misconduct include: Having another person represent you in class and/or in an exam. Representing as your own work, work done in whole or in part by any other person, even if that person is not in the course or is not a student at the University of Regina. Allowing your computer account to be used by another person. Using textbooks, course notes, past exams, personal computing devices, cell phones or any aids not approved by the instructor during an examination. Failing to take reasonable measures to protect your answers from use by other students on an assignment or in an examination. Stealing or destroying the work of another student. 8. NEED FOR ACCOMODATION: I will be pleased to work with you regarding accommodations as outlined in your Accommodations letter provided by the Student Accessibility Office. Let me know early, if you require modified power points and handouts, separate exam space or use of adapted equipment. 9. RESPECTFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: The University of Regina promotes a learning, working and living environment which is respectful and free of harassment and discrimination. If you have concerns about any conduct occurring in Bus 308, please discuss this with Aldene Meis Mason. Also refer to and its accompanying websites for more information. For other assistance please contact Ian MacAusland-Berg at the Conflict Resolution, Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Office ; Riddel Center UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: The University of Regina Undergraduate Calendar contains important information about the policies and procedures for courses and examinations. The official version of the Calendar is available at The policy on course outlines can be found in Section of the Undergraduate Calendar. 11. TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE: Please refer to our UR Courses site for the detailed topics, cases, assignments and readings. The topic dates may change to accommodate guest speaker availability or current events or to incorporate interesting material deemed relevant by the instructor that might come up at a later date. Sept.10 Date Topic Chapter Introduction / Course outline / Expectations (15 min) Globalization Sept. 15 Country differences in political economy 2 Sept. 17 The cultural environment 3 Sept. 22 Ethics in international business 4 Sept. 24 International trade theories 5 1 Page 6 of 7

7 Sept. 29 The political economy of international trade 6 Oct. 1 Case Analysis Workshop n.a. Oct. 6 Foreign direct investment 7 Oct. 8 Regional economic integration 8 Oct. 13 Video & Discussion n.a Oct. 15 Mid-Term Exam Ch. 1-8 Oct. 20 Global Strategy 11 Oct. 22 Entering Foreign Markets 12 Oct. 27 Exporting, Importing, and Countertrade 13 Oct. 29 Guest Speaker Nov. 3 Global Marketing and R&D 14 Nov. 5 Global Production, Outsourcing & Logistics 15 Nov. 10 Global Human Resource Management 16 Nov. 12 Case Video & Discussion n.a. Nov. 17 Group Case Presentations & Class Cass Analysis n.a. Nov. 19 Group Case Presentations & Class Cass Analysis n.a. Nov. 24 Group Case Presentations & Class Cass Analysis n.a. Nov. 26 Group Case Presentations & Class Cass Analysis n.a. Dec. 1 Dec. 3 Dec. 15 TBA Wrap up Final exam 09:00 to 12:00 - Location TBA Page 7 of 7

8 Counseling Services Feeling Stressed? Some stress is normal when you re going to university but 1 in 4 students will suffer from mental illness during their time in University. What can I do? The U of R offers several counseling services free of charge for students at the U of R. These sessions are confidential and easy to access for students simply go to the second floor of Riddell, Room 251 to make an appointment. When should you go? Mental illness is tricky and it comes down to you. Some common symptoms of Mental Illness include feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed, experiencing significant mood swings, and feeling depressed. If these persist for more than a week or two, you will probably benefit from counseling. It can also be useful to go if you ve experienced a trauma like losing a family member or a close friend, or if you ve recently ended a relationship. What options are available to me for? Personal Counseling This is the perfect option if you d like one on one attention for challenges like anxiety and panic, relationship conflict, depression, grief and loss, academic issues, body image and substance abuse. Up to 5 appointments are free, per semester. Try it talking about your problems can be more helpful than you would think! Group Counseling Simply put, you re not alone. Many students are experiencing the same things as you. The U of R offers a wide variety of group counseling opportunities that can help teach many skills for managing your mental health, including: Meditation and relaxation, Healthy relationships, Stress Management and Self-Care. I can t afford mental health treatment Seeking treatment for mental health shouldn t be cost prohibitive. Most mental illness can be effectively treated in 5 sessions or less. Don t worry though, if you ever incur any costs, make sure you contact URSU and Many expenses that are related to mental illness are covered by your Student health and dental plan! [FACULTY RESOURCES CAN GO HERE] Stressed out but don t know how to fix it? URSU s Student Advocate can help you free of charge! Academic Appeals Emergency Bursaries Disciplinary Appeals Notary Public Student Loan Appeals Rentalsman Appeals advocate@ursu.ca to schedule an appointment today!