INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

COURSE SYLLABUS

Contact details

Instructor: Dr. Ha Quang An

anhq@ueh.edu.vn

Office hours: by appointment

Class time and room numbers: TBA

Course delivery: This course is student-centered and use multiple approach which includes
videos, in-class discussion, and group projects to enhance student learning and application of
key concepts of the course.

Lectures and discussion: 30 hours

Quiz and Group project: 15 hours

Course learning objectives

Upon completion, students are expected to be able to:

1. Understand key factors shaping the international business environment

2. Know main trade theories and trade tools commonly affect the international business
environment
3. Realize different entry modes
4. Get familiar with criteria and measures commonly used to evaluate international
markets
5. Understand fundamental global strategic directions firms can adopt in their
international operations
6. Understand the impact of the international business environment on firm businesses
7. Analyze business environments across countries
8. Aware of information and information sources necessary to analyze international
markets
9. Develop a habit for updating news in international business
10. Develop and further refine skills related to research, analysis, critical-thinking,
teamwork, writing, and communication

Course description: This course focuses on the environmental factors which affect strategy
and practices of international businesses. Key content of the course is centered on
globalization, national differences, practices of international trade, foreign direct investment
and how multinational companies form their global strategy. The application of international
business management concepts and theories through in-class mini-cases, readings, discussion,
and projects develops the student’s analytical skills and understanding of managing
internationalization processes of business organizations.

Course materials:

Required readings:

Textbook: Hill, Charles W.L. Global Business Today (11e)

All Newsclip/Reading on LMS

Recommended resources:

Fortune list world’s 500 largest coroporations. This can be a good resource to start
investigating multinational companies.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2012/full_list

Students should find these following websites useful for their research project.

- http://www.doingbusiness.org
- http://www.transparency.org/country
- http://globaledge.msu.edu/Reference-Desk
o Research phrases: Country risk and economic research, Market Potential
Index, Intercultural Skills, Business etiquette around the world, Market access
database
- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook
- http://geert-hofstede.com/l
- http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/statis_e.htm
- http://www.trademap.org

Additional useful information includes the World Bank’s Cost of Doing Business and
Logistics Performance Index (LPI), the World Economic Forum’s Enabling Trade Index
(ETI) and the OECD’s Trade Facilitation Indicators (TFIs).

Evaluation

Assignment Type Deadline Weight

#1 Attendance, Participation Individual Each session 15%
#2 Mid-term Individual End of class #5 10%
#3 Group research and report Group 1 week after class #9 10%
#4 Group presentation Group Class #9 15%
#5 Final Group Project Individual Follow university schedule 50%

1. Attendance and in-class discussion: This is a discussion-based course and your

participation is important to the learning experience. Much of the learning in this
course will come from the chance to express your ideas and exchange them with your
peers. You are required to prepare all the assigned materials and participate in
 discussions. It is required that students attend at least 80% of class time. Absence for
more than three classes results in the elimination of all participation points earned.
2. Mid-term test: this 30-minute mid-term test will be posted on LMS. The test focuses
on globalization and national differences.
3. Instructions and Evaluation form for the Group report and presentation (#3 and #4)
can be found on LMS.

Class schedule

Dates Topic Objective

#1 Welcome
Course introduction
Group formation
Topic: Globalization
Read chapter 1 1, 6, 9, 10
- Concepts of globalization
- Drivers of globalization
- Key changes in the global economy
- Impact of globalization on business

#2 Topic 2: National differences in political economy

Read chapter 2
- National differences in political, economic, and legal 1, 6, 7, 9, 10
environment
- Why is understanding national differences vital to
international business?
#3 Topic 3: Economic development and political economy 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10
Read chapter 3
- Determinants of economic development
- How the political economy can affect economic
development
- Key information in understanding the business
environment of an international market.
#4 Topic 4: National differences in culture 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10
Read chapter 4
- Key concepts of culture
- Determinants of Culture
- Impact of Culture on business
Discussion:
1. Outline why the culture of a country might influence the
costs of doing business in that country. Illustrate your
answer with examples.
2. Why do you think cultural intelligence is important
(irrelevant) in international business?
#5 Topic 5: Trade theories 1, 2, 6, 9, 10
Read chapter 6
- Mercantilism
- Theory of Absolute Advantage
- Theory of Comparative Advantage
 - The New Trade Theory
- The National Competitive Advantage (Porter’s
Diamond)
#6 Topic 6: The political economy of trade and FDI 1, 2, 6, 9, 10
Read chapter 7 and 8
- Trade tools
- Impact on trade tools
- Key concepts of FDI
- FDI policies
Discussion
- What are trade barriers? Why do they exist?
- What impacts do trade barriers have on international
business?
#7 Topic 7: Global strategy 1, 5, 6, 10
Read: Chapter 12
- Factors influencing the pressures of cost reduction and
local responsiveness
- Four main global strategies
Discussion:
- In what kind of industries does a localization strategy
make sense?
- When does a global standardization strategy make most
sense?
- What were strategies adopted by the multinationals as
described in the minicases?

#8 Topic: Chapter 13: Entering Foreign Markets 1, 3, 6, 10

- Three key decisions in internationalization
- Entry modes and their pros and cons
#9 Group presentation 1 to 10
Rubris for the report

Criteria Fail Pass Credit Distinction High Distinction

<5 5-6.6 6.5-8 8-9 9-10
Describe the issues Very poor Description was at a A satisfactory A detailed and A detailed and very well
and relate it to application of surface level description was supported description supported description was
concepts/theory in relevant IB made of the issue; was made of the issue; made of the issue, Excellent
the course concepts/ theory correct application correct application of application of all relevant IB
of some relevant IB key relevant IB theory.
theory. theory.
Analysis: Discuss Little or no link of the There is some There is good There is strong There is strong evidence of
how the issues evidences to theory evidence of ability to evidence of ability to evidence of ability to ability to link theory to
would affect the link theory for a link theory to link theory to analyse analyse the evidence
firm investment basic analysis of the analyse the evidence. of the evidences
evidence. Uses a wide range of
Uses a range of appropriate theories.
appropriate theories.
Clarity of Meaning unclear and/or Meaning is apparent Language mainly Language is fluent. Professionally worded and
expression grammar and/or although some fluent although Grammar and spelling presented.
spelling, contains poorly structured occasional minor are correct.
frequent errors. sentences and errors.
paragraphs. Some
grammar and/or
spelling errors.
Referencing Fails to include APA Several errors in Occasional errors in Occasional errors in Complete and correct use of
(APA style) referencing style in-text APA citing and both APA citing either APA citing APA in-text and
citations and/or referencing. and/or referencing. and/or referencing referencing.
reference list correctly
or consistently.
Sources, minimum Does not meet the 4-5 news articles Include more than 5 More than 5 news More than 5 news articles
4 articles from required number of included news articles articles and include 1 peer-reviewed
reliable news sources articles related to industry
Rubris for the presentation
Criteria Contribution Good Fairly good Average (50%) Bad
(%) (100%) (75%) (0%)
More satisfied Lack of
Satisfied the Satisfied most
10 than important
requirement of requirement
requirement requirement
Content Accurate and Fairly accurate Not accurate
Accurate and logic but have and logic but and logic, have
20
logic some minor have some many major
errors major errors errors
Relatively
Logical Fairly logical Illogical
10 logical
Structure and structure structure structure
structure
visualisation
Fairly good Relatively
10 Good visual Bad visual
visual visual
Good at Difficult to
Presenting
defining the follow but still Presenting
clearly but not
Presentation problem and able to unclearly and
10 appealing,
skill argument is understand the difficult to
argument is
attractive and important understand
fairly convincing
convincing content
Good at eye
Good at eye Fairly good at Bad at eye
contact but
Gesture 10 contact and eye contact and contact and
not good at
gesture gesture gesture
gesture
Good at time
Good at time
management Finish on time,
management
and totally not good at
Time and farily good
10 control the time control Overtime
management at control the
time relied on relied on the
time relied on
the situation situtation
the situation
Fully and and
Fully and clearly clearly answer
answer most of most of the
Fully and Cannot answer
the questions question and
Answer clearly answer most of the
10 and have good don’t have
question all questions questions
direction for the good direction
unanswered for the
questions unanswered
questions
Good at
Sharing and Less sharing
cooperation, Not sharing and
supporting each and supporting
fully sharing supporting each
other during each other
and supporting other during
presentation during
Teamwork 10 each other presentation
and answering presentation
during and answering
questions but and answering
presentation questions
sometimes questions
and answering
inconsistently
questions

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