York University
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies
School of Administrative Studies
Winter 2015
AK/ADMS3960 3.0 M
International Business
Term: Winter
Day: Tuesdays
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Location: HNE B15
Course Director: Prof. Jung-Chin Shen
Email (preferred): jungchin@gmail.com
Phone: 736-2100 ext: 22494
Office Hours: 6-7 p.m. Thursdays, RM 256 or by appointments
Start Date: Tuesday, January 6, 2015
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the world of international business and management by
studying cultural influences, government, and business structures in our global economy.
Students also learn about international trade theory, multinational enterprise theory,
collaborative strategies and legal and labor agreements. Also covered, are topics on
information needs, global manufacturing and supply chain management, marketing,
multinational finance function, and human resource management.
COURSE OVERVIEW
At the dawn of the 21st Century, nations are more economically integrated than at any other
point in human history. This presents business leaders with unprecedented opportunities and
challenges. On the one hand, the opportunity to sell to global markets rather than a single
national market increases the potential profitability of nearly every kind of business activity.
Furthermore, the sharp differences among nations in wage rates and national resource
endowments allow multinational firms to create value by locating different aspects of the
value chain in those countries where they can be undertaken most efficiently. On the other
hand, globalization increases the number and range of potential competitors in nearly every
industry, and the challenges of effectively managing a multinational enterprise can be
substantially greater than those confronting a firm largely based in a single country.
This course seeks to equip future business leaders to exploit these opportunities and cope
with these challenges. The course will accomplish that goal by providing students with a
systematic understanding of the fundamental aspects of the global business environment
that influence business decisions and behavior. Managers must understand the structural
economic factors that determine location advantages, the way government policies both
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promote and restrain the integration of national economies with the global economy, and
the impact of volatility in the global macroeconomic environment on international business
strategy. These issues will be studied using the analytical tools and concepts of international
economics, and case studies will be used to relate these concepts to actual business
problems.
In addition to learning about strategic concepts, you can expect to further develop your
abilities in sizing up complex business situations and identifying the core problems or issues.
You will have the opportunity to analyze qualitative and quantitative data, both internal and
external to the firm, and assessing what implications it may hold for a firm's success.
REQUIRED TEXT(S)
Charles Hill and Thomas McKaig, Global Business Today, 4th Canadian Edition, McGraw-Hill
Ryerson, 2015.
Recommended readings:
The Economist; Fortune; Harvard Business Review; Sloan Management Review; California
Management Review; Globe and Mail; Toronto Star.
COURSE EVALUATION
Midterm Exam: 30%
Group Work: 50%
 Group report: 25%
 Group presentation: 25%
Final Exam: 20%
FORMAT OF THE COURSE
Each session is of a three-hour duration. In the early stage of the course, the role of the
instructor is as a lecturer to help students make sense of the material. As the time goes by,
the role of the instructor will shift to facilitate class discussions. This is a highly interactive
course in which students are required to participate in all class activities and exercises.
Finally, there is a particular format required for each assignment. Any violation of the format
will potentially lead you to fail the assignment. You can buy the cases for individual
assignment and group assignment from the York bookstore.
MIDTERM EXAM
The midterm exam is weighted 30% of your final grade. The exam consists of multiple
choices and short answer questions. The date for the midterm exam can be found in the
course outline below, and will be announced in the course website. The boundary of the
exam includes both the textbook and my lectures. More details will be announced in the
course website.
GROUP WORK
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This course puts great emphasis on group work (50%) since group work is a contemporary
work design in the real business world. Accordingly, students will form 8 groups with each
group of 6 to 8 members (names of group members are to be submitted no later than July
2). Please be advised that each group member is responsible for the group process and
dynamics. Instructor will not become involved in group issues unless it is necessary. In
addition, students are not allowed to switch groups after group formation.
The purpose of this group presentation is to help students to develop case analysis and
presentation skills. Each group will be assigned one case from the instructor on Week 8.
Each group, acting as a consulting team, will do the case analysis over two weeks. On Week
10 and 11, each group will do a 30-minute presentation (20-minute presentation and 10minute Q&As) to other groups who are assigned the other case. There is no required format
for the presentations. Clarity and creativity are keys. As you are assigned to a case, your
analysis should be limited to the case materials. No additional research is necessary nor
recommended. The group written report is limited to 11 pages (including cover page and
appendix), double-spaced, in a 12-point font, Times New Roman. On the cover page, you
have to include the following information: the case title, course section, group number, and
each group member’s name and student number. Name and student number omission is not
allowed. All group written reports are due on March 17.
Words for the Presenting Groups
Your presentation can be as creative as you want. In the presentation, you basically need to
cover the following topics.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Issue identification (what are the issues)
Issue analysis (why those are issues)
Recommendations/Solutions
Implementation/Action
There is no limit on the number of presenters. Please let me know in advance if you need
any equipment assistance. It is recommended that the presenting groups email the instructor
the presentation outlines a day before the presentations.
Words for Audience
To be a good audience, you need to listen to the presentation closely and read the case
material in advance. By doing so, you will find that you can learn a great deal from the
presenting groups. You will be invited to ask any questions you may have. Keep in mind that
your questions need to be constructive and relevant to the presentation and course materials.
FINAL EXAM
The final exam is weighted 20% of your final grade. The final exam is accumulative. The
exam consists of multiple choices and short answer questions. The date for the midterm
exam can be found in the course outline below, and will be announced in the course website.
The boundary of the exam includes both the textbook and my lectures. More details will be
announced in the course website.
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COURSE OUTLINE
Introduction
Week 1
Jan. 6
 The changing world
 Introduction of the course
Course Expectation
Administrative issues
Week 2
Jan. 13
Chapter 1: Globalization
 What is globalization?
 The changing demographics of the global economy
 The globalization debate
Week 3
Jan. 20
Chapter 5: International Trade Theory
 Comparative advantage and specialization
 Hecksher-Ohlin Theory
 The product life cycle theory of trade
 The new trade theory
 The Porter’s diamond model
Week 4
Jan. 27
Chapter 2: Country Differences in Political Economy
 Political system
 Economic system
 Legal system
 Economic development
 Economic transformation
Week 5
Feb. 3
Chapter 6: The Political Economy of International Trade
 Instruments of trade policy
 Government intervention
 Against free trade
Chapter 8: Regional Economic Integration
 Regional integration: pros and cons
 Regional integration in Americas
Week 6
Feb. 10
Chapter 7: Foreign Direct Investment
 Theories of foreign direct investment
 Political ideology and foreign direct investment
Wrap-up for the midterm exam
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Week 7
Feb 24
Week 8
Mar. 3
Midterm Exam
It will be a close-book, 2-hour exam.
Chapter 9: The Foreign Exchange Market
 The functions of foreign exchange market
 Theories of foreign exchange determinants
Chapter 10: The Global Monetary System
 The gold standard and Bretton Woods system
 Foreign exchange rate regimes
Group case assignment
Week 9
Mar. 10
Chapter 11: Global Strategy
 Strategy and the firm
 Global strategy
 Strategic alliances
Time for group work
Week 10
Mar. 17
Week 11
Mar. 24
Week 12
Mar. 31
Submission of Group Written Reports
Group Presentation I
Group presentation II
Case analysis
Chapter 14: Global Production, Outsourcing, and Logistics
 Strategy, production, and logistics
 Outsourcing decisions
Wrap-up for the final exam
Week 13
Apr. 5
Final Exam
It will be a close-book, 3-hour exam.
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