University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Bryan School of Business and Economics
MGT 301-01D: Introduction to International Business
Summer 2009 (May 20-June 24)
This syllabus is subject to change as the semester progresses to accommodate
instructional and/or student needs.
Instructor: Nir Kshetri, Ph D
Fax: 334-4141
Email: nbkshetr@uncg.edu
Phone: 334-4530
Office hours: Online
Office location: 368 BRYAN
Required Text
Hill, C.W., International Business:
Competing in the Global Marketplace,
7th Edition
ISBN: 0073381349 / 9780073381343
http://www.mhprofessional.com/product
.php?cat=106&isbn=0073381349
Prerequisite
ECO 300
Course catalog description
Introduction to the environmental factors which increasingly cause businesses to become
international in the scope of their activities. Nature of global business and multinational
organizations analyzed.
Special note
Certain topics and course content appear in both the ECO 300 and MGT 301 syllabi. This
replication of topics is meant to build your knowledge, understanding, and analysis of global
issues facing economic policy makers in ECO 300 and business managers in MGT 301.
Course overview
MGT 301 is an introductory undergraduate course in international business. It is a first course in
international business. To that extent, it will provide an overview but not in-depth knowledge
enough to become an expert in international business.
Course Objectives
Specifically, this course seeks to:
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1. Understand the dimensions on which international business differs from a business that
deals with a single economy;
2. Provide basic understanding of how multinational corporations work;
3. Introduce various theories related to international business;
4. Provide tools to analyze environmental factors influencing international business;
5. Familiarize with the functional operations in international business;
6. Understand social and ethical issues and the future of international business.
Format
This online course requires you to participate in online discussion, take quizzes and exams online,
doing assignments and analysing cases. A tentative outline of activities is provided in this syllabus.
Evaluation Items
Online Attendance, Participation and Contribution (225 points)
Blackboard is an important component of this course. You are expected to login regularly and post
to the discussion topics (at least TEN posts are required). The purpose of online discussions is to
supplement the materials covered in the textbook and in the learning area of the blackboard. Your
posts enhance not only your own learning but also that of your fellow students. However, please
feel free to post anything that contributes to our learning of International Business.
At the end of the semester, please copy all your postings in ONE word document and email me.
Make sure that each of your posts has the date you posted on the blackboard.
Your posts are evaluated in terms of the following criteria:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Have you done additional research and included source(s) of your information?
Have you related your posts with the current international business related events?
Are your posts uniformly distributed throughout the semester?
Are they sufficient long (that is, about 2 paragraphs)?
Quizzes (75 points)
There will be THREE quizzes. Please inform the instructor immediately if you have a technical
problem in taking a quiz on the Blackboard.
Exam 1 (100 points)
More details about this exam will be available on the Blackboard.
Exam 2 (100 points)
More details will be available on the Blackboard.
2
Exam 3 (250 points)
Details will be announced on the blackboard.
Case Analyses (250 points)
You are required to submit a written analysis of the following three cases. You need to summarize
the case, answer the questions at the end and provide actionable and operational recommendation to
the company.
The first two cases carry 100 points each. The third case carries 50 points.
1) Lenovo case (4-6 pages, double-spaced)
2) TCL case (4-6 pages, double-spaced)
3) Teleradiology Solutions’ Offshore Radiology Services (2-3 pages, double-spaced)
Scoring System for the Final Grade
The following scoring system will be used for the final grade.
Score
960-1000
925 - 959
870 – 924
830 – 869
Grade
A+
A
AB+
Score
790 – 829
750 – 789
710 – 749
670 – 709
Grade
B
BC+
C
Score
630 – 669
590 – 629
550 – 589
0 – 549
Grade
CD+
D
F
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
Week Date
Detail
1
Globalization (Chapter 1 in Textbook, Unit 1
in Blackboard Learning Area)











The globalization of market
The globalization of production
The emergence of global institutions
Drivers of globalization
The roles of technological changes
The changing demographics of global economy
The changing foreign direct investment picture
The changing nature of multinational enterprises
The global economy of the 21st century
The globalization debate
Managing the global marketplace
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Remarks
2
National Differences in Political Economy
(Chapter 2 in Textbook, Unit 2 in Blackboard
Learning Area)





 Quiz 1 (Will be
available: 5 PM
on May 21-5 PM
on May 24).
Political system
Economic system
Legal system
The determinants of economic development
States in transition
Differences in Culture (Chapter 3 in Textbook,
Unit 3 in Blackboard Learning Area)







What is culture?
Social structure
Religious and ethical structure
Language
Education
Culture and the workplace
Cultural change
Ethics in International Business (Chapter 4 in
Textbook, Unit 4 in Blackboard Learning
Area)





3
Ethical issues in International Business
Ethical dilemmas
The roots of unethical behavior
Philosophical approaches to ethics
Ethical decision making
The Political Economy of International Trade
(Chapter 6 in Textbook, Unit 5 in Blackboard
Learning Area)




Instruments of trade policy
The case for government intervention
The revised case for free trade
Development of the world trading system
Foreign Direct Investment (Chapter 7 in
Textbook, Unit 6 in Blackboard Learning
4
 Exam 1 (Will be
available: 5 PM
on May 28-5 PM
on May 30).
 Quiz 2 (Will be
available: 5 PM on
June 3-5 PM on
June 4).
Lenovo case due
(June 5)
Area)



Foreign Direct Investment in the world
economy
Horizontal Foreign Direct Investment
Vertical Foreign Direct Investment
Regional Economic Integration (Chapter 8 in
Textbook, Unit 7 in Blackboard Learning
Area)






Levels of economic integration
The case for regional integration
The case against regional integration
Regional economic integration in Europe
Regional economic integration in Americas
Regional economic integration in elsewhere
The Foreign Exchange Market (Chapter 9 in
Textbook, Unit 8 in Blackboard Learning
Area)
 The functions of the Foreign Exchange Market
 The nature of the Foreign Exchange Market
 Economic theories of exchange rate determination
 Exam 2 (Will be
available: 5 PM
on June 10-5 PM
on June 12).
4
The Strategy of International Business
(Chapter 12 in Textbook, Unit 9 in Blackboard
Learning Area)




Strategy and the firm
Global expansion, profitability and profit
growth
Cost pressures and pressures for local
responsiveness
Choosing a strategy
The Organization of International Business
(Chapter 13 in Textbook, Unit 10 in
Blackboard Learning Area)

Organizational architecture
5
TCL case due
(June 12)



Organizational structure
Control system and incentives
Organizational change
Entry Strategy and Strategic Alliances
(Chapter 14 in Textbook, Unit 10 in
Blackboard Learning Area)





Basic entry decisions
Entry modes
Selecting an entry modes
Greenfield venture or acquisition?
Strategic alliances
Global Production, Outsourcing and
Logistics (Chapter 16 in Textbook, Unit 12 in
Blackboard Learning Area)
5
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 Strategy, production and logistics
 Where to produce?
 Strategic role of foreign factories
 Outsourcing production: make or buy decision
Global Marketing and R&D (Chapter 17 in
Textbook, Unit 13 in Blackboard Learning
Area)
 The globalization of markets and brands
 Market segmentation
 Product attributes
 Distribution strategy
 Communication strategy
 Pricing strategy
 Configuring the marketing mix
 New product development

Exam 3 review/preparation
Quiz 3 (Will be
available: 5 PM on
June 17-5 PM on
June 19).
Teleradiology
Solutions’
Offshore
Radiology
Services (June 21)
Exam 3 (Will be
available: 5 PM on
June 23-5 PM on
June 25).
Slides are available in the “Course Document” section of the Blackboard
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Instructor information
Nir Kshetri is an Assistant Professor (effective 1 August 2009: Associate Professor) at Bryan School of
Business and Economics, The University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Nir holds a Ph D in Business
Administration from University of Rhode Island; an M.B.A. from Banaras Hindu University (India); and an M.
Sc. (Mathematics) and an M. A. (Economics) from Tribhuvan University (Nepal). His undergraduate degrees
are in Civil Engineering and Mathematics/Physics from Tribhuvan University. Nir’s previously held positions
include faculty member at Management School, Kathmandu University (Nepal), visiting lecturer at
Management School, Lancaster University (U.K.) and visiting professor at European Business School in
Paris. During 1997-99, Nir was a consultant and a trainer for the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of
the United Nations, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Agricultural Development Bank of Nepal.
Nir’s book, The Rapidly Transforming Chinese High Technology Industry and Market: Institutions,
Ingredients, Mechanisms and Modus Operandi (Caas Business School, City of London and Chandos
Publishing: Oxford) was published in 2008 (http://www.amazon.com/Rapidly-Transforming-Chinese-HighTechnology-Industry/dp/1843344645/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218228152&sr=8-1 ). Nir’s works
have also been published in journals such as Foreign Policy, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of
International Marketing, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Journal of International Management,
Communications of the ACM, IEEE Security and Privacy, IEEE Software, Electronic Markets, Small Business
Economics, Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, IT
Professional, Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, Journal of Technology Management in China,
First Monday, Pacific Telecommunications Review, Journal of Interdisciplinary Mathematics, Journal of Asia
Pacific Business and International Journal of Cases on Electronic Commerce. He has also contributed
chapters to several books including Handbook of Technology Management (Wiley, 2009), In the wave of
M&A: Europe and Japan (Kobe University, RIEB Center, Kobe, Japan, 2007), M-commerce in North America,
Europe and Asia-Pacific: Country Perspectives (Idea Group Publishing, 2006), Encyclopedia of Information
Science and Technology (Idea Group Publishing, 2005), Indian Telecom Industry - Trends and Cases (The
ICFAI University Press, 2005), The Internet Encyclopedia (John Wiley & Sons, 2004); Wireless
Communications and Mobile Commerce (Idea Group Publishing, 2003); The Digital Challenges: Information
Technology in the Development Context (Ashgate Publishing, 2003); Architectural Issues of Web-enabled
Electronic Business (Idea Group Publishing, 2003), Internet Marketing (2nd edition, Stuttgart, Germany:
Schaeffer-Poeschel, 2001). Nir has presented over 75 research papers at various national and international
conferences in Canada, China, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Nepal,
New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, the Philippines and the U.S. He has also given
invited talks at Harvard University, Cornell University, Duke University, Kobe University, University of
Maryland (College Park) and Temple University. In 2008, the Kauffman Foundation awarded Nir a grant to
study Entrepreneurial Firms in OECD Economies.
Nir was the winner of the 2008 Bryan School Teaching Excellence Award. He was also a finalist in
the 2009 UNCG Alumni Teaching Excellence Award. His recent research related awards include Pacific
Telecommunication Council’s 2008 Meheroo Jussawalla Research Paper Prize for his work on the Chinese
IPTV market and a finalist in the Management and Organization Review (MOR) Best Paper Award in the
China Goes Global Conference organized by the Harvard University (October 10-11, 2008). Nir was also the
runner up in the 2004 dissertation competition of the American Marketing Association's Technology and
Innovations Special Interest Group and the winner of the 2001 Association of Consumer Research/Sheth
Foundation dissertation award. He also won the first place in the Pacific Telecommunication Council’s Essay
competition in 2001 and second place in the same competition in 2000. In May, 2006, the Information
Resources Management Association (IRMA) presented Nir with the Organization Service Award for the Best
Track Chair in the IRMA 2006 International Conference. Nir ranks 13th among the most popular authors of
the NetAcademy Universe.
Nir’s works have been featured in Foreign Policy’s Global Newsstand section (a publication of the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) and in Providence Journal. He was pictured in the front page
of Global Perspective, a publication of the Fox School’s Temple CIBER and Institute of Global Management
Studies (Fall 2004). Nir has been quoted in magazines and newspapers such as Telecommunications,
Greensboro News and Record and High Point Enterprise.
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Bryan School of Business and Economics
MGT 301-01D: Introduction to International Business
Summer 2009 (May 20-June 24)
Course Participant Information and Course Commitment Form
Please submit this form within by May 28, 2009.
Your full name
The name you preferred to be called
Your hometown
Your telephone number
Your class standing (Soph., Jr., Sr.) and major
Your educational and career goal
Other information you would like me to know about you
**********************************************************************
I have read the syllabus, and understand that this class requires a significant amount of work. I meet
the prerequisites for this class. I understand that if I have any questions, that I can contact Nir by
email as listed on the first page of the syllabus.
Name
Date
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