Undergraduate Course: International Strategic Management in Practice (BUST10104)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Business Studies |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The course provides an opportunity for participants to consolidate, broaden, integrate and put into practice an understanding of theory and practice in strategic management in an international context. The course complements others on the International Business and Business Studies programmes, particularly 'Critical perspectives on global strategic management', by being highly-applied, skill-developing, and with a focus on 'learning by doing'.
Learning Outcomes
The main objective of this course is to improve participants' prospects for gaining a good international management opening following their graduation It does this by (a) practicing participants' abilities to develop, present and defend coherent and practical recommendations for dealing with crucial management problems and (b) challenging them to do this through constructive teamwork. These skills are typically sought in assessment centres and interviews, and are essential for participants' future roles in international management. A secondary objective is to develop participants' abilities to bring together ideas from advanced academic articles, and to present them in a coherent, meaningful and practical way. This skill is essential for the writing of an effective literature review in a dissertation, as well as in a wide range of professional and management roles. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Business Studies Honours entry. |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | An equivalent to two years of study in Business courses at University level. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
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Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
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Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Class Delivery Information |
This course is based on weekly 2-hour sessions which comprise lectures, workshops, presentations and case studies. Students will gain from the experience of:
- Learning from each other in the teamwork activities in the preparation of presentations on different ideas of management and on practical case studies.
- Learning to find, read and appreciating the value of academically sound research articles, and how to use them in developing a presentation of or summary of ideas, and be able to cite and reference them accurately
- Practicing the skill of bringing together different and sometimes conflicting ideas in coherent arguments, and developing and representing ones views with colleagues,
- Engaging in the dynamic process of argumentation towards a senior-management type decision
- Presenting ideas on managing confidently, clearly and effectively at a senior level
- Presenting business solutions concerning a real management context confidently, clearly and effectively to a real management consultant
- In interactive plenary sessions, learning from each other and from the teachers input.
It should be noted that, in line with the course objectives, most of the teaching is delivered by the participants to each other. You will become practiced at delivering ¿ a core skill for your future career.
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| Course Start Date |
12/01/2015 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Additional Notes |
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of the course the students should have knowledge and understanding of the following particular issues that are currently the focus of widespread concern by senior managers:
- How senior management operating in an international context address different organizational stakeholders and their wants in their strategy formation, the differences between shareholder value and stakeholder approaches, and related corporate governance issues.
- The underlying resource base of organizations, and how these influence both strategy
and the way that it is developed, especially when working across borders.
- The perennial challenge of designing organizational structure, especially difficult when operations are separated by geography, language, culture and time.
- The contexts and options in strategy formation which can fundamentally change what firms do and how they do it; whether or not they are themselves international, and how firms can enter new markets. |
Assessment Information
Assessment is linked directly to the aims and objectives of the module, and is based on the application of the concepts and frameworks to real cases. The assessment for this course comprises:
Course Assignments: 40% of the total marks (group work seminar presentation 20%, and group case presentation 20%)
Open-Book Examination: 60% of the total marks (two compulsory questions; each carries 30%)
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Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
In two initial lectures, some particular issues that are currently the focus of widespread concern among senior managers, particularly in international firms, will be outlined. Then the 'doing' activities begin. First, you will present in a seminar on a topic of particular strategic interest based on reading of top-ranked academic articles on an assigned subject. You will be asked to not only present your ideas clearly and coherently, but answer the kinds of question that a manager might ask of you. Then, in a role-play, you will act as a consultant and present strategic recommendations to case firms, which will develop skills that will be used again in the exam, where you will be asked to advise a business leader as to what he/she should do. |
| Transferable skills |
On completion of the course report students will have exercised a number of skills that are sought of graduates entering business and management careers. Specifically, they should be able to:
- Digest, interpret and summarise some of the latest and possibly complex ideas of strategic management, and present them coherently, intelligibly and effectively to enable understanding by others, and management action.
- Work within teams to prepare a sophisticated presentation, integrating ideas learned by different members of the team.
- Give an advanced level presentation and be able to defend ideas and views confidently and effectively in front of others.
- Persuade colleagues and actual business managers of the value of your ideas, integrating conceptual ideas with practical problems, and defending them to questioning.
- Present and argue coherent recommendations in response to two evident strategic problems faced by the CEO of a case firm. |
| Reading list |
This course uses the following compulsory readings. Articles can be obtained in the library.
1. Johanson, J., & Vahlne, J.-E. 1977. The internationalization process of the firm: A model of knowledge development and increasing foreign market commitments. Journal of International Business Studies, 8(1): 23¿32.
2. Madsen, T. K., & Servais, P. 1997. The internationalization of born globals: An evolutionary perspective. International Business Review, 6(6): 561¿583.
3. Oviatt, B. M. & McDougall, P. P. (1994) Toward a theory of international new ventures. Journal of International Business Studies, 36, 29-41.Coviello, N. E. 2006. The network dynamics of international new ventures. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(5): 713¿731.
4. Zahra, S.A., 2005. A theory of international new ventures: a decade of research. Journal of International Business Studies 36 (1), 20¿28.
5. Zahra, S. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hitt, M. A. 2000. International expansion by new venture firms: International diversity, mode of market entry, technological learning, and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 43(5): 925¿960.
6. Sapienza, H. J., Autio, E., George, G., & Zahra, S. A. 2006. A capabilities perspective on the effects of early internationalization on firm survival and growth. Academy of Management Review, 31(4): 914¿933.
7. Bruton, G.D., Ahlstrom, D., Puky, T., 2009. Institutional differences and the development of entrepreneurial ventures: A comparison of the venture capital industries in Latin America and Asia. Journal of International Business Studies 40 (5), 762¿778.
8. Petersen, B. & Welch, L. S. (2003) International business development and the internet, post-hype. Management International Review, 43, 7-29.
9. Pezderka, N. & Sinkovics, R. (2011) A conceptualization of e-risk perceptions and implications for small firm active online internationalization." International Business Review 20, no. 4(2011): 409-422.
10. Singh, N., & Kundu, S. (2002). Explaining the growth of e-commerce corporations (ECCs): An extension and application of the eclectic paradigm. Journal of International Business Studies, 33, 679¿697.
11. Yamin, M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2006). Online internationalization, psychic distance reduction and the virtuality trap. International Business Review, 15(4), 339¿360.
12. Reuber, R., & E. Fischer (2011). International entrepreneurship in internet enabled markets. Journal of Business Venturing, 26, 660¿679.
13. Keupp, M.M., Gassmann, O., 2009. The past and the future of international entrepreneurship: a review and suggestions for developing the field. Journal of Management 35 (3), 600¿633
14. Johanson, J. and Vahlne, J-E. 2009, 'The Uppsala Internationalization process revisited: From liability of foreignness to liability of outsidership', Journal of International Business Studies, 40, 1411-1431.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | ISMP |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Volker Mahnke
Tel: (0131 6)51 5315
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Sara Dennison
Tel: (0131 6)50 3825
Email: |
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