School Of Business Administration
Syllabus
Course Title
Course Number
Semester
Instructor
Office Phone
Email
Office
Office Hours
appointment.
Web Site
: International Business Trip
: iMBA-792
: Spring 2015
: Dr. D.K. Malhotra
: (215) 951-2813
: MalhotraD@philau.edu
: 104 Tuttleman
: 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Monday and Wednesday or by
Credits
Course Type
: 3.0
: 3-0-3
: http://faculty.philau.edu/MalhotraD
Prerequisites: All iMBF Courses
It is the students' responsibility to make certain that they have successfully completed
these courses. If at any time during the semester it is learned that a student has not
successfully completed these prerequisites, he/she will be dropped from the course
receiving, neither credit nor tuition refund.
Course Description:
International Business trip is a three-credit graduate course that focuses on all aspects of
conducting business in a global environment. This course will acquaint students with the
theories, concepts, practices, and techniques in conducting business abroad. A strong
emphasis is placed on the impact of cultural, ethical, political, and other environmental
factors on global operations.
An overseas trip is a required component of this course and will expose students to
foreign cultures, a variety of industries and representatives of U.S. and non-U.S.
businesses with different functional responsibilities (accountants, personnel managers,
marketers, etc.). The international aspect is evident in social settings as well as the
professional meetings with the firms and organizations visited during the trip. The trip is
designed to provide students with an understanding of the economics of global trade.
Students will meet with business executives, government officials, labor leaders, and
academicians in two Asian countries.
Course Objective:
1. The objectives of this graduate course include developing a familiarity with the
fundamental concepts and theoretical bases of global business. The primary objective
is for students to cultivate the capabilities necessary to apply these theories and
concepts to actual situations and events.
2. Class discussions and readings will provide an understanding of the many factors that
affect production, accounting, marketing, and financial responsibilities. It is expected
that students will be able to adapt functional strategies to account for these constraints
and opportunities.
3. Another major goal is that, upon completion of the course, students should understand
the differences between domestic and global business, and why those differences
exist. Many are under the impression that there are innumerable differences between
foreign and domestic business practices. Expanding internationally does require
adaptation, but it is important to understand that the same basic business practices
apply globally. The tasks are broader, but not necessarily different.
4. Finally, to be a successful global manager, it is necessary to be adaptable and
culturally sensitive. A goal is to expand cultural experience.
Course Outcomes:
Upon course completion, students will be able to:
1. Analyze the role of culture in International Business and explain the difference
between domestic business and global business
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the functioning of foreign exchange markets and
determination of exchange rates
3. Explain the opportunities and challenges in global manufacturing
4. Outline the process of identifying global opportunities
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the issues in International Marketing
6. Demonstrate an understanding of principles of international human resource
management
Overview of expectations for the course, including major assignments or projects:
Assignments
Weight
Evaluates which Course
Outcomes?
Cases will count towards 30% of
30%
your total grade and each case will
be weighted equally towards your
final grade
(In class case discussion weightage
30%, case report 70%)
Case 1
Outcome 1
Case 2
Outcome 2
Case 3
Outcome 3
Case 4
Outcome 4
Corporate Briefing Reports
15%
Outcome 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Corporate Debriefing Reports
15%
Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
International Business Trip
20%
Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Participation
{Participation: Within the
International Business Trip
by asking questions at
corporate visits 70% and
Professional Behavior 30%
weights)
International Business Plan
(Report 70%, Presentation 30%)
25%
Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Grade Distribution:
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
Grade
Points
4.00
3.67
3.33
3.00
2.67
2.33
2.00
1.67
0.00
Percent Allocated
93% or higher
90% to < 93%
87% to < 90%
83% to < 87%
80% to <83%
77% to <80%
73% to <77%
70% to <73%
<70%
Required Text(s) and/or Supplies:
Harvard Business Cases
Additional Recommended Readings:
The Wall Street Journal; Barron’s Paper; Corporate Finance
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory. You are responsible for what is covered in the class and any
absence on your part leaves you responsible for finding out what was presented in class.
You will benefit a lot from the course by doing problems and reviewing concepts which
are covered in the class. For every class that you miss without a valid excuse, there will
be a penalty of two points from your final grade.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a policy about ethical behavior at Philadelphia University regarding
one’s intentions, decisions, and actions while conducting academic work. It includes
values such as avoidance of the following: cheating; plagiarism; copying; the fabrication
of information; and facilitating, or denying others access to information. It expects
honesty and rigor in research, course work, writing and publishing. Academic Integrity is
taken seriously in this course. Any student violating the University’s academic integrity
policy will be subject to appropriate sanctions. The University’s complete academic
integrity policy is available in the Academic Catalog and University’s Student Handbook.
Academic resources, including information on citation and documentation for all written
work, projects, and presentations, are also available on the Learning and Advising
Center’s website: http://www.philau.edu/learning/writingguidelines.html.
Policy on Lateness, Absences, Makeup Work
In accordance with University policy, students are expected to attend class every day with
all relevant required course materials and work. If you are absent from class, contact your
faculty as soon as possible, preferably before the next class meeting. Students remain
responsible for any missed work, for work completed in class and for work due and must
arrange for that work to be delivered to the faculty on time.
Serious illness, family emergencies, or other crises mean that students should contact the
Dean of Students Office as soon as possible (215-951-2740) and follow up with a direct
explanation to the faculty. Students are responsible for all work related to this class;
however, faculty may (but are not required to) make some accommodation in terms of
time of delivery and/or make-up exams for major tests. Please consult with your faculty
and your academic advisor to determine whether you should withdraw from the course or
request an incomplete grade in the case of serious illness or crises.
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory. You are responsible for what is covered in the class and any
absence on your part leaves you responsible for finding out what was presented in class.
You will benefit a lot from the course by doing problems and reviewing concepts, which
are covered in the class.
Collection of Student Work for Assessment
Philadelphia University is committed to providing excellent and innovative educational
opportunities to its students. To help us maintain quality academic offerings and to
conform to professional accreditation requirements where relevant, the University and its
programs regularly examine the effectiveness of the curricula, teaching, services, and
programs the University provides. As Philadelphia University sees appropriate, it may
retain representative examples or copies of student work from all courses. This might
include papers, exams, creative works, or portfolios developed and submitted in courses
or to satisfy the requirements for degree programs as well as surveys, focus group
information, and reflective exercises.
Digital Resources
This course is available on blackboard at http://bb.philau.edu
Gutman Library (www.philau.edu/library)
Gutman Library is a gateway to a variety of information resources. The homepage of the
library provides 24/7 access to online databases of articles, e-journal collections, e-books,
and specialized information to support your coursework. The library building is wireless,
has 80 available workstations (PCs and Macs), printers, scanners, and copiers; as well as
individual and group study spaces.
The following databases available in the library will be useful in this course:
ABI/Inform and Business Source Premier
Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal – Asia, Financial Times
New York Times
Students can also contact the Reference Desk directly Reference@philau.edu for more
specialized help in identifying sources, or stop by the Reference Desk when the library is
open.
The Learning and Advising Center (www.philau.edu/learning)
The Learning and Advising Center provides one-on-one tutoring assistance for writing,
study strategies, test taking, and specific Philadelphia University courses*. To make a
tutoring appointment, students should stop by the Learning and Advising Center in
Haggar Hall or call (215) 951-2799. Academic resources, including information on
citation and documentation, note taking, and study strategies are available on the Center’s
website.
Technology Resources (http://www.philau.edu/OIT/)
The campus is wireless. If you need a computer, Gutman Library and Search Hall have
open access computers. For assistance with technology issues, students should contact the
Technology Help Desk at (215) 951-4648 or send an email to helpdesk@philau.edu.
Case Reports: The cases should be presented in a manner acceptable in a large
corporation. The decision as well as the qualitative and quantitative reasons for the
decision should be communicated in a typed memo. The relevant information should
follow the memo in table form with supporting notes showing calculations. Cases will be
evaluated according to content, analysis, presentations, and continuity. If any two cases
are identical, plagiarism will be assumed and no credit will be given to either case.
CASE ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENT:
Case reports must be submitted as per the following format:
1. Title Page:
Name of the Case
Prepared by
Course Number
Date
2. Executive Summary
One half to one page summary of the issues involved and the strategy and
recommendations must be included.
3. An analysis of the case on the basis of the questions given at the end of the case.
Your analysis of each question must include the following:
4.
Issues Involved
Strategies to deal with those issues
Recommendations with rationale
Length of Case Preparation: 4-5 pages
5. Papers are to be word-processed with correct grammar and punctuation. Information in
the papers must be properly documented.
Guideline: Consult other business communication books on business reports
Tentative Course Outline:
01/20 Initial Briefing for the International Business Trip
(From 06:30 pm – 09:30 pm)
01/27 Introduction to the course, course expectations, course
Requirements
Issues in International Business
Globalization: Cross-Cultural Business Issues
Cultural aspects of doing business
Discussion of McDonald’s in India
Readings:
Power Point Notes
The Case of McDonald’s in India
02/03 Globalization, International Business, and Europe
Creation of EU
Introduction to European Union (EU)
Harvard Business Case: European Union: The Road to Lisbon
02/10 International Financial Markets
Single Currency EURO
Readings;
Instructor’s reading material
Power Point Notes
Readings: Harvard Business Case: The Euro in Crisis: Decision Time at the
European Central Bank
02/17 Global Operations Management and Sourcing Strategies including
Supply Chain Management
Readings;
Instructor’s reading material
Power Point Notes
Readings: Harvard Business Case: Polo Ralph Lauren and Luen Thai: Using
Collaborative Supply Chain Integration in the Apparel Value
Chain
02/24 Analyzing International Opportunities: Issues in Foreign Direct Investment
Harvard Business Case
Corporate Briefing Reports Due through email. Please send a
Word copy
Harvard Business Case: SABMiller
Readings;
Instructor’s reading material
Power Point Notes
03/03 Marketing Globally
Readings;
Instructor’s reading material
Power Point Notes
Readings: Harvard Business Case: Hyundai and Kia in China
03/10 Presentation of Corporate Briefing Reports
03/14 Leave for Madrid from Philadelphia International Airport
03/28 Corporate Debriefing Reports
04/28 Final Presentation of Business Plan