Course Form
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
Management and Marketing
Course Title
Prefix and
Course #
MGMT 493
International Experience in Business
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces)
Summarize the change(s) proposed
International Experience
Change the course from experimental to regular
status
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Requestor:
Nader Shooshtari
Phone/ email :
Ext.
6701/nader.shooshtari@business.umt.edu
Program
Klaus Uhlenbruck
Chair/Director:
Other affected
programs
Dean:
Date
Are other departments/programs affected by this modification
Please obtain signature(s) from the
because of
Chair/Director of any such department/
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
program (above) before submission
(b) perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
III: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into section
V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
Common Course Numbering Review (Department Chair Must Initial):
YES NO
Does an equivalent course exist elsewhere in the MUS? Check all relevant disciplines if
X
course is interdisciplinary. (http://mus.edu/transfer/CCN/ccn_default.asp)
If YES: Do the proposed abbreviation, number, title and credits align with existing course(s)? Please indicate
equivalent course/campus. 
If NO: Course may be unique, but is subject to common course review. Be sure to include learning outcomes
on syllabus or paste below. The course number may be changed at the system level.
Please see attached syllabus
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
UG 493 International Experience in Business, variable cr. (R-6) offered intermittently. Prereq., junior standing
in business. Field-based, experiential courses that focus on international business topics, incl. the
culture and business environment of important U.S. trading partners, such as China, Germany, or
Italy.
Justification: How does the course fit with the existing curriculum? Why is it needed?
These courses provide an opportunity for our students to combine academic learning in the classroom with in –
country travel and site visits to companies and governmental institutions; provide hands on, real life experience
lacking among our students about various aspects of international business and operating in a global business
environment. Address global, regional and national perspectives on how culture, institutions and the natural
environment affect business and managerial decision making. These courses are facilitated by UM faculty, but
some teaching is also done by local professors and UM students may be in classrooms with host-country
students.
Are there curricular adjustments to accommodate teaching this course?
We have been offering International experience courses in the past three years with class sessions in the spring
semester, followed by in-country travel and classroom and company site visits during summer. No curricular
adjustments are needed.
Complete for UG courses (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment - see procedure 301.30 Graduate students are required to complete an additional
research paper in addition to the written assignment required of all class members and make a presentation to
the class regarding this assignment.
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx
See syllabus
Complete for Co-convented courses
Companion course number, title, and description (include syllabus of companion course in section V)
See procedure 301.20 http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx.
New fees and changes to existing fees are only approved once each biennium by the
Board of Regents. The coordination of fee submission is administered by Administration
and Finance. Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific conditions
according to Policy 940.12.1 http://mus.edu/borpol/bor900/940-12-1.pdf . Please indicate
whether this course will be considered for a fee.
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
Justification:
YES
NO X
IV. To Delete or Change an Existing Course – check X all that apply
Deletion
Title
Course Number
From: UG 495
Level U, UG,
From:
Change
G
To: UG 493
To:
Co-convened
Description Change
Change the course from experimental
Repeatability
(495) to regular status as a study
abroad (493) course
Change in Credits
From:
Cross Listing
(primary
To:
program
initiates form)
Prerequisites
Is there a fee associated with the
course?
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course number
4. If co-convened course: companion course number, title, and description
(include syllabus of companion course in section V) See procedure 301.20
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/default.aspx.
5. Is this a course with MUS Common Course Numbering?
http://mus.edu/transfer/CCN/ccn_default.asp
If yes, please explain below whether this change will eliminate the course’s common course
status.
6. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to UG.
Reference procedure 301.30:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/
YES NO
X
Have you reviewed the graduate
increment guidelines? Please check
(X) space provided. X
grad_council/procedures/default.aspx
(syllabus required in section V)
7. Other programs affected by the change
8. Justification for proposed change
Need to change the status from
experimental to regular course offering.
V. Syllabus/Assessment Information
Required for new courses and course change from U to UG. Paste syllabus in field below or attach and send
digital copy with form.
Please note: This syllabus is an example for the type of offering. Deviations may be necessary depending on
the country.
MGMT 495-60 & MKTG 495-60
International Experience in Business - Italia
Summer Program, Part I: May 30th – June 7th, 2011
Università degli Studi di Brescia – University of Montana – Montana State University
Instructor:
e-mail:
blog:
Michael R. Braun, Ph.D.
Michael.braun@business.umt.edu
http://brescia2011.blogspot.com/
Please note that your stay in Brescia also includes lectures by various faculty members of Universita
degli Studi di Brescia and by UM’s Arnie Sherman. Also, we will be visiting several companies and
institutions in the area. This syllabus is limited to my section of the course. An overall schedule is
available at the very bottom.
Course Objective
WELCOME! The first part of your course in Italy, from May 30 – June 7, is about international
strategic management. The objective of this course is to provide you with an understanding of the
theoretical and the practical implications of international approaches to management. International
Strategic Management focuses on the job of the general manager or top management team in
formulating and implementing short- and long-run corporate strategy in an increasingly global
marketplace. In general, Strategic Management is concerned with assessing the external competitive
dynamics, evaluating a firm’s internal capabilities and weaknesses, formulating a firm-specific
strategy, and implementing the strategy for long-term competitive advantage.
However, competition and cooperation among businesses today is being conducted on a global scale.
To that end, competitive dynamics of any firm and its industry must be considered in a larger (i.e.,
international) context. This course is designed to provide students with current research to help
understand various strategic elements needed when attempting to successfully manage a business in
global markets. A secondary goal of this course is for students to develop rigorous decision-making
skills relating to various aspects of international strategies. In order to facilitate these goals, students
will be exposed to a variety of strategic considerations in a global context through readings in articles
and through case study analyses. We will rely predominantly on Pankaj Ghemawat’s book,
Redefining Global Strategy.
To that end, the course will include:
 Description of the economic and institutional environment in which multinational
corporations operate.
 How companies devise strategies to develop markets abroad in ways that leverage a
company’s core competence into long-term competitive advantage.
 Description and analysis of a number of fundamental characteristics of strategic management,
specifically the ideas of and relationships among industry, strategy and company
performance.
 Description and analysis of the source of pressures for global integration and local
responsiveness facing multinational companies.

Discussion on international strategic considerations of organizational forms and ownership
structures, as well as recessionary market environments.
Course Skills
Throughout the course, students will be asked to engage in the critical thinking process necessary to
evaluate corporate strategy in a global marketplace. To be precise, students will be asked to:






engage in a macro-perspective analysis to evaluate the opportunities and threats facing the
firm.
evaluate the global competitive dynamics and cross-border differences necessary to consider
in the strategy formulation.
uncover industry-specific competitive and cooperative relationships that can inform on a
firm’s strengths and vulnerabilities.
identify a firm’s core capabilities and resources and to what extent they are protectable and
transferable into the global market place.
assess market-specific considerations that can facilitate or hinder foreign market entry.
appraise different modes of foreign market entry and global competition.
Learning Objectives
In addition to developing an understanding of the course content and refining the situational case
analysis process, students are expected to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
actively participate in interactive dialogue on course topics.
demonstrate clear and logical writing skills during class assignments and cases.
identify the key issue in a business case.
use the analytic tools and techniques presented in class.
apply financial analysis to the argument development process.
recommend strategies that are implementable.
develop an implementation schedule.
demonstrate proficiency in communicating strategic analyses and recommendations.
Overall, the course has three broad objectives. First, the course should provide a better understanding
of how businesses formulate, develop, and implement strategy in the global marketplace. Second, it
will help develop your written and verbal communications in preparation for careers in international
business. Third, the course should make you more strategic thinkers; while the course focuses on
international business strategy; many of the ideas and concepts apply to a variety of organizations, i.e.
political, non-profit, government, etc. After this course you should be able to identify the risks and
rewards of an organization’s international strategy, dissect how to evaluate a particular strategy, and
determine its likelihood for success.
Course Expectations
The easy part of the course is to do all the assignments and master the readings. The difficult part is
to integrate and synthesize the different materials and exercises that the course covers. By the end of
the course, I expect your writings and thinking to reflect comprehensive, integrated analysis. The
best first step is to get familiar with ALL parts of the course syllabus; it will help set your
expectations of the work load for the class.
Teaching Method
This course relies on academic research, real world examples, and classroom discussion. Do not
expect a traditional lecture in which I speak and you take notes. Instead, each class will take full
advantage of the cultural mix of our students to require heavy class participation from each
individual. This teaching method requires you to read all the assigned readings in depth and to come
to class prepared to discuss assigned articles and cases.
Course Material
We will rely predominantly on the recently published book Redefining Global Strategy, by Harvard
Business School faculty Pankaj Ghemawat. In addition to providing a counterargument to Thomas
Friedman’s The World is Flat, Ghemawat also offers useful frameworks and guidelines for
practitioners to navigate the global marketplace. Case studies and additional readings: There are
several mini-case studies and additional readings that will be distributed in class. These will generally
be read during class sessions. In addition, one full-length case study will be distributed in class on
Friday evening. You will read and prepare this case over the weekend, to be discussed in Monday’s
session.
The other book is entitled The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner, a former NPR correspondent.
This best-seller is one man’s journey to find happiness in different countries: The Netherlands,
Switzerland, Moldova, Thailand, India, and America, among many others. Not only is it a wonderful
way to get into the global mindset through the “happiness” lens, but it’s also a fun read. Be aware:
the book has some strong language.
Grading and Assignments
General comment: Grading in this course is competitive. You will be evaluated relative to the work
that your classmates submit.
Student will be graded as follows:
Graduate Students
Class participation:
Reflection paper:
In-class presentation:
TOTAL
Undergraduate Students
40%
20%
40%
100%
Class participation:
Reflection paper:
50%
50%
TOTAL
100%
Both UM graduate and undergraduate students will be asked to complete a written assignment that
reflects on your experience working with students from your partner school. That is, UM students
will write about their experience working with Brescia students and about the Italian culture, while
Brescia students will write about their experience working with students from the United States and
their perceptions of United States culture. Papers should be 8 pages maximum, double spaced, and
incorporate relevant readings. To accomplish this, I highly recommend that that each individual in the
course keep a detailed journal of their experiences. Your journal should include specific examples
that will help you write your paper later. All papers are due July 10th; please e-mail them to
michael.braun@business.umt.edu.
FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY: I am asking the GRADUATE students to develop and
deliver presentations, to be presented during our orientation sessions in April. These presentations
should be in Powerpoint, and approximately 20 minutes in length, touching on the following
questions:
1. The American constitutional system includes a notion known as Separation of Powers,
allowing several branches of government to share power among them. Italy, on the
other hand, is suffering from conflicts of interest of its leader and prime minister, Silvio
Berlusconi. Please provide a brief overview of these conflicts, as well as background on
Berlusconi’s rise to power and his current political agenda for Italy and Europe in
general.
2. Italian business practices, protocols, and customs – doing business in Italy is different
from doing business in the U.S. Please provide insights into these differences from
secondary research. Also, offer a short overview of Italy’s key industries, its banking
system, and its key exports to the U.S. and rest of the world (see www.trade.gov for
trade statistics).
About Your Instructor
Prior to my arrival in academia, I was a director with a Los Angeles-based boutique merchant bank,
Stephens & Partners, where I initiated, raised capital for, and managed leveraged buyout strategies
and transactions for private equity firms. I was also responsible for managing acquisitions and
divestitures for private and publicly-traded firms (including WaterPik, ESCO Technologies, and
Esterline Technologies, among others). My early career was spent in business development in
publishing, direct marketing, and e-commerce in Los Angeles, New York and Europe (the
Netherlands and France), working with clients such as Staples, Auto-by-tel, Conde Nast,
101Communications, and Trois Suisses. I also spent a year as a marketing director for a consumer
magazine in Czech Republic.
I am Swiss by birth and retain my Swiss citizenship. Also, by way of background, my mother is
Italian (from Varazze, Liguria) and my older sister lives in Varazze with her family. My early
childhood was spent in Zurich, Brussels, and London, and I moved to the U.S. at age 14. I received
my B.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University, an M.A. with Fellowship in Publishing and Media
from New York University, an MBA from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of
Business, and a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. My academic
research interests involve the exploration of diverse organizational forms and their related structures
and strategies during periods of uncertainty and decline.
------------------------------------------------------------------Course Material
As stated above, the course relies predominantly on Pankaj Ghemawat’s text, Redefining Global
Strategy, by Harvard Business School Press. The book retails in the U.S. for $29.95, and can be
purchased through Amazon.com US and Amazon.com UK. Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss
is also available through Amazon – used copies are 13 cents.
I have included links to free articles that we will cover in class as well:
Serving the World’s Poor, Profitably, by C.K. Prahalad & Allen Hammond.
http://www.expert2business.com/itson/Serving%20the%20ppor%20prahalad.pdf
Family Firms versus Leveraged Buyouts, by Michael Braun, Larry Zacharias, and Scott Latham – I
will e-mail you this paper.
Strategy & Execution for Emerging Markets
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/pdf/item/6424.pdf
Course Content and Assignments: May 30th – June 7th, 2010
Pre-Course Preparation: Please have chapters read prior to the first class!
Readings:
May 30th:
Chapter 1, Redefining Global Strategy, “Semi-globalization and Strategy”
Discussion:
Course Introduction
What is International Strategy?
Review of Basic Strategy Frameworks.
Semi-globalization and Strategy
Readings for next session:
Chapters 2 & 3, Redefining Global Strategy
May 31st:
Discussion:
CAGE Framework + ADDING Value Scorecard
Readings for next session:
Chapters 4 & 5, Redefining Global Strategy
Ducati case
June 1:
Discussion:
Adaptation + Aggregation
Readings for next session:
Chapters 6 & 7
Serving the World’s Poor, Profitably, by C.K. Prahalad & Allen
Hammond.
June 6:
Discussion:
Arbitrage & Playing the Difference
Bottom of the Pyramid Strategies
Emerging Markets
Readings for next session:
Family Firms versus Leveraged Buyouts, by Braun, Zacharias and Latham.
June 7:
Discussion:
Family Firms: The Most Ubiquitous Organizational Form
Course Wrap-up & Close
Below find our complete schedule, including the classes taught by the other instructors and the site visits:
lun
mar
mer
gio
ven
5/30/2011
5/31/2011
6/1/2011
6/2/2011
6/3/2011
09:00-11:00
09:00-11:00
Cultural,
administrative,
geographic and
economic drivers
of international
strategy (M.
Braun)
11:00-13:00
Web 2.0 and
consumer
behavior advanced II (M.
Bonera)
14:30-18:00
09:00-11:00
09:00-11:00
Italian Holiday
09:00-11:00
Global strategy
and foreign
market entry (M.
Braun)
11:00-13:00
Web
2.0
and
consumer
behavior
advanced I
(M.
Bonera)
14:30-18:00
Musil
Adaptation vs
aggregation vs
arbitrage (M.
Braun)
11:00-13:00
Italian Holiday
11:00-13:00
11:00-13:00
14:30-18:00
14:30-18:00
The EU economy
and institutional
problems (A.
Santagostino)
14:30-18:00
Workshop with M.
Braun
6/6/2011
09:00-11:00
6/7/2011
09:00-11:00
6/8/2011
09:00-11:00
6/9/2011
09:00-11:00
6/10/2011
09:00-11:00
The EU economy
and institutional
problems
(A.
Santagostino)
Bottom of the
pyramid strategy
(M. Braun)
Risk management
and
financial
crises
I
(F.Menoncin)
Risk management
and
financial
crises
II
(F.
Menoncin)
Logistcs
and
operations
management II (L.
Bertazzi)
In
laboratorio inf
11:00-13:00
11:00-13:00
11:00-13:00
How to finance
you companies in
global expansion.
Show
me
the
money!
(A.
Sherman)
14:30-18:00
11:00-13:00
The
global
scenario
2011.
Where we have
been and where do
we go from here?
(A. Sherman)
14:30-18:00
11:00-13:00
Organizing your
Italian-American
business venture:
How not to make
the wrong mistake
(A. Sherman)
14:30-18:00
Family firm
governance and
strategy (M.
Braun)
15:00-17:00
Berlucchi
6/13/2011
09:00-11:00
Bribery,
corruption,
influence
peddling, sex,
drugs and rock &
roll. A case study
(A. Sherman)
Logistcs and
operations
management I
(L.Bertazzi)
14:30-18:00
Centrale del Latte
6/14/2011
09:00-11:00
Negotiating
an
international
agreement to a
win/win outcome,
the Art of Deal
(A. Sherman)
UbiBanca
6/15/2011
09:00-11:00
Beretta
Workshop
11:00-13:00
11:00-13:00
Logistcs and
operations
management III
(L.Bertazzi)In
Laboratorio 3
Workshop with
Arnold Sherman
11:00-13:00
Presentations
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.
Revised 5-4-11