MGNT 4625: International Management
Instructor:
Office Hrs:
Textbook:
John Upson, Ph.D.
Room 112, Richards College of Business
Phone: 678-839-4835
jupson@westga.edu (preferred communication)
Tu, Th 7:30am–11:00am, 12:30pm–2:00pm
(not required) International Management: Strategic Opportunities and Cultural Challenges;
McFarlin & Sweeney, 3rd Ed., Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 0-618-51983-1
COURSE SCHEDULE
Topic
Assignment due
(individual effort)
Day
Date
The following schedule is subject to revisions. Lecture slides will be posted on CourseDen.
1/7 Th
Introduction to class
1/12 Tu
Introduction to globalization
1/14 Th
Global Trends
1/19 Tu
Legal & Political
1/21 Th
Legal & Political
1/26 Tu
Quiz 1
1/28 Th
International Strategy
2/2 Tu
International Strategy
2/4 Th
Foreign Market Entry
2/9 Tu
Intl Operations
Pictures on CourseDen 8am
HW1 - Your firm and international
expansion
2/11 Th
Quiz 2
2/16 Tu
Cultural Dimensions
2/18 Th
2/23 Tu
Perceptions, Interpretations and HW2 - Passport and business meeting
Attitudes
Communicating
2/25 Th
Comunication (cont.)
3/2 Tu
Quiz 3
3/4 Th
Negotiations
3/9 Tu
Motivating and Leading
3/11 Th
Ethics
3/16 Tu
Ethics
3/18 Th
Quiz 4
3/30 Tu
Building a Workforce
4/1 Th
Building a Workforce
4/6 Tu
Building a Workforce
4/8 Th
Prahalad
Team Work
HW3 - Market entry, org chart
HW4 - Dealing with the local culture,
trade, tariffs, and legalities
HW5 - Build workforce, motivate
employees
HW6 - Relocation, expat support
groups, reverse culture shock
4/13 Tu
TBD
4/15 Th
Quiz 5
4/20 Tu
Presentations
Teams 1-3
4/22 Th
Presentations
Teams 4-6
4/27 Tu
Presentations
Teams 7-9
5/4 Tu
Final Exam
*Other assignments also apply. See page 3.
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OVERVIEW
Course Description and Objectives
The course is intended to help students gain a better understanding of successful international management practices. In doing so, we
will discuss some important issues that should be accounted for in international management, such as the nature of international
competition, cultural differences across countries, and other core differences among countries. The course’s primary objective is to
explore issues surrounding international management and global competitiveness. In short, we will discuss the influences of financial,
environmental, socio-cultural, political, and economic forces on management theory and the practices of multinational enterprises.
Learning Objective
Demonstrate a basic knowledge of international business and trade concepts
Prerequisites
MGNT 3600 or equivalent
Classroom Environment
Much of the class time will be devoted to the discussion of concepts and cases. On normal lecture days, attendance is not required,
however, it is strongly recommended as all material discussed in class is fair game on quizzes and tests. Attendance is required for
exams, team or individual presentations, and guest speakers. Assuming that you do attend class, please be on time, be prepared, turn
cell phones off, be considerate of others, and expect to participate.
It is your responsibility to obtain handouts, class notes, and additional assignments. If you are absent, make arrangements with a
classmate or me to obtain these materials. Unforeseen changes in the syllabus and assignments will be announced in class and in
email. It is the student’s responsibility to regularly check their University email on CourseDen.
Other Course Policies
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Please turn off your cell phone before class and be on time. The first incoming call will be considered an accident on your
part. The second will result in a 10 point reduction of your final grade. If you are expecting an emergency call, please notify
me before class.
Please indicate your section time and full name on all written assignments and presentations
Email has become a popular communication mode, yet many emails are far too informal for business communication (i.e.,
unpunctuated and sloppily written). Because of this, all email correspondence must be properly punctuated and include your
full name and section.
GRADES
Grade Composition
Picture on CourseDen
Homework 5 of 6 @ 4% each
Quizzes 5 of 6 @ 9% each
Topic Presentation
Team Presentation
In-Class Contribution
Grade Scale
5%
20%
45%
5%
15%
10%
A
B
C
D
F
2
90.0 – 100%
80.0 – 89.9%
70.0 – 79.9%
60.0 – 69.9%
0 – 59.9%
Assignment
Picture on
CourseDen
Homework
Quizzes
Detail
Students are to upload a picture (clear face shot) of themselves to their personal profile on CourseDen and
make it publically available to other users.
There will be six homework assignments. Grades will be calculated using the best five of the six assignments.
Detail will be provided for each assignment as necessary. Assignments turned in late will not be accepted.
Grades will be calculated on the best 5 grades of the 6 quizzes. Quizzes will generally contain multiple choice
questions but may also include short essays and true/false questions. Quizzes draw on everything we cover in
the course, including presentations, slides, class discussions, videos cases, and guest speaker presentations.
Exam Make-Up Policy: There will be no make-up for exams except for the reasons listed below. Unexcused
absences from an exam will result in a zero score. An excused exam absence is defined by one of the
following criteria:
1. University-sanctioned activity. Written, verifiable notification of the activity must be provided and
validated by the instructor at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled exam.
2. Verified medical absence. A written and verifiable note must be presented to me no more than 72 hours
after the exam. The note must say that you were physically unable to take the exam at the scheduled time
due to the nature of your illness.
3. Other hardship cases provided that you have obtained the required approval of the university.
Topic
Presentation
Team
Presentation
Students will choose a topic for individual presentation (4-5 min in length preferably in PowerPoint).
Presentation dates will be assigned and will take place normally at the beginning of class. However, due to the
specific topic, presentations may take place at strategic points of the lecture. Students will submit an electronic
copy of the presentation and a one page written summary (single-spaced, 11 point Times New Roman font) by
5:00pm the evening before their scheduled presentation.
I will separate the class into teams of about 4-5 persons. Teams will stay intact throughout the semester.
Because many of you will work on teams throughout your careers, this is a low risk way to gain exposure.
Teams will present an international expansion strategy for a US firm entering a foreign country to
commercialize a new product or service (the firm must not currently have operations in the chosen country).
Students must identify the industry their firm competes in and argue persuasively why the country factors are
favorable for the firm’s entry. Include data from the last 3-5 years. The goal is to apply the various class
concepts to “real world” examples while acknowledging the numerous complexities involved in conducting
business across borders. Content for the presentation will draw heavily from the individual homework
assignments.
A handout detailing the specific information to cover will be provided in class.
Presentations are expected to be approximately 15 minutes in length, with questions to follow. Dress in casual
business attire. Method of presentation is up to students but must contain substantive material. Style and
substance will be graded. Visual aids, handouts, etc., to make the presentation interesting are encouraged. All
team members must take part in the presentations. The analysis will be evaluated on:
1. The appropriate application of course concepts
2. The clarity of your analysis
3. The adequacy of your supporting arguments
In-Class
Contribution
A note about Teams:
Each team member will perform a short evaluation of the other team members. These peer evaluations should
reflect the contributions of each team member. Based on peer evaluations, appropriate adjustments to
individual grades will be made where necessary. In some cases, these adjustments can be severe. I recommend
you try to keep your team members happy by contributing your share to the group project.
Students are expected to read the assigned material prior to class and be ready to offer insightful comments
during class discussion. Students are expected to make, on average, one comment per class session.
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HONOR CODE and DISABILITIES
The Honor Code
At the University of West Georgia we believe that academic and personal integrity are based upon honesty, trust, fairness,
respect and responsibility.
Students at West Georgia assume responsibility for upholding the honor code. West Georgia students pledge to refrain
from engaging in acts that do not maintain academic and personal integrity. These include, but are not limited to,
plagiarism*, cheating*, fabrication*, aid of academic dishonesty, lying, bribery or threats, and stealing.
Definitions:
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Cheating - “using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids”
Fabrication - “falsification or unauthorized invention of any information or citation”
Plagiarism - “representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Direct quotations must be
indicated and ideas of another must be appropriately acknowledged”
Further details regarding Student Conduct can be found in Appendix A of the UWG Connection and Student Handbook.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:
1. Register with and provide documentation to the Coordinators of Disability Services in the Student Development
Center
2. Bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during
the first week of class.
This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. Further details regarding student
disabilities can be found in the Student Handbook.
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