BUS 446: INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
Printable version
INSTRUCTOR:
Lisa R. Simon, lsimon@calpoly.edu, 756-5380, 03-330
TECHNICAL TEACHING ASSISTANT:
Teresa Cameron, tacamero@calpoly.edu
MEETING TIMES AND LOCATION:
BUS 446: Online course.
OFFICE HOURS:
In-person: Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, room 03-330
Virtual:
Office hours: Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00 p.m. is set for virtual office hours. Students may come and go as
needed. If students are in the room at 2:00 p.m., office hours will be extended to 3:00 p.m. Additional
office hours will be held as needed.
Note: “Virtual Office Hours” are optional and will be held using “Elluminate” webconferencing/chat.
Elluminate Live! is a synchronous voice over IP webconferencing system and will be used for optional
online office hours. A headset/microphone or microphone/speaker connected to your computer is
recommended. Visit Elluminate Support to ensure your computer is ready for first use and visit
Elluminate Training for Moderators, Version 9, to familiarize yourself with the virtual classroom
environment.
Elluminate link: The Link provided here will available all quarter for all virtual office hour sessions.
Copy/paste or right click and open the link in a new tab/window:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=701&password=M.71B7244DCE920B102146E2D97D7590
REQUIRED TEXT:
Print: International Marketing, Czinkota & Ronkainen, 8th Edition. New York: Thomson-Southwestern,
2007.
Electronic: Same book—required chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13; recommended chapter
18.
ENCOURAGED TO READ:
The Economist and The Wall Street Journal
Note: A subscription is not needed as these sources are available in the library and via library databases.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
 On Blackboard:
o Syllabus
o Projects and Rubrics
o Weekly Assignments
o Discussion Boards
o Articles
o Videos
o Research Resources
o Team Pages
o Wikis
o Communication
o My Grades
 Marketing Top Ten: http://libguides.calpoly.edu/content.php?pid=28280&sid=272893
 Library International Resources: http://libguides.calpoly.edu/business_international
SPECIAL OR UNIQUE UNIVERSITY FACILITIES:
Computer skills: This course does not attempt to teach basic use of a computer. All students must be
able to search the internet, send e-mail, and perform other basic computer tasks. Students without
these computer skills should not enroll in this course and/or section.
Online participation and independence: All students must have an e-mail account and adequate access
to a computer connected to the Internet. Students must also acquire their own textbook (also available
as an eBook). This course allows students who may be unable to attend class on a regular basis an
opportunity to earn credit at a somewhat self-paced mode with asynchronous delivery. However,
students must still meet assignment deadlines and are warned to keep pace with the course and not to
fall too far behind.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Basic skills and tools needed to evaluate the cultural factors that impact the acceptance of products and
services in markets around the world. Building of an understanding of global marketing strategy.
PREREQUISITE:
A grade of C- or better in BUS 346.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
 LO1: Understand the macro-environmental forces that firms and managers must be aware of when
marketing products and services internationally
 LO2: Use credible international information resources to identify information on macro-environmental
forces in a specific international market
 LO3: Evaluate the information referred to in LO2 and identify key country-specific factors that facilitate
or inhibit international market entry
 LO4: Develop a well-researched, comprehensive market entry or market expansion plan for a product or
service that accounts for the macro-environmental forces identified (LO2) and evaluated (LO3)
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:
My role, I feel, is not to “teach” you but rather to help you learn. With this course, my goal is to provide you
with ample opportunity to discover how businesses market to final consumers and organizations. Lectures,
readings, activities, assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams are all meant to guide you toward active
exploration and analysis of international marketing. I am here to focus your learning, clarify concepts, and
augment material. View me as a resource—I encourage you to meet with me during in-person or virtual
office hours with comments, questions, or concerns.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Cal Poly will not tolerate academic cheating or plagiarism in any form. Learning to think and work
independently is part of the educational process. Allowing another individual to complete assignments
constitutes fraud and academic dishonesty. Finding material from internet or other sources and presenting it
as original is also dishonest. All forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, and
falsification of academic records are subject to disciplinary action. All work submitted for this class must be
originally prepared for this class; work submitted for a previous course is unacceptable. Per university
policy, any student found violating this policy will be dropped from the course or receive a grade of
"F."
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to
contact both me and the Disability Resource Center (DRC), Building 124, Room 119, (805) 756-1395 or
email drc@calpoly.edu as early as possible in the quarter.
STUDENT PRIVACY (FERPA):
If you have chosen to protect your Directory Information (which includes name and email), it is important you
communicate this to your instructor prior to or on the first day of class. This course uses Blackboard tools
that will display students' full names and email addresses.
PARTICIPATION:
 As a 100% online International Marketing course, this course is designed as an asynchronous learning
experience, meaning your learning is not dependent on any time and place. The flexibility is
enormous. However, with that flexibility comes responsibility and the expectation that you will follow the
structure and guidance set forth in the syllabus.
 Get familiar with the syllabus from day one and know what is expected of you and your team.
 Do your part well for the team project; your team members have a great influence on your final grade via
the Team Member Evaluation Form.
 Do all assignments on time and carefully follow all instructions.
 “25-35”—College students are expected to study two hours per unit per week outside of class. As an



online class, you should commit approximately 12 hours each week to this course (equal to four hours in
class and eight hours outside of class).
Course content questions should be posted on the Discussion Board rather than e-mailed to me. I will
then post responses so everyone can have access to the same information.
Technical questions should be directed to our Technical Teaching Assistant, Teresa Cameron at
tacamero@calpoly.edu.
The Discussion Board and e-mail are forms of professional business communication, so please edit
your correspondence.
APA STYLE:
All written work should follow APA style conventions. Style consistency and accuracy is included in all
grading rubrics. Make sure that you know how to do citations for online resources if you use them and that
you know how to position and level graphics if you include them in your reports. For help with citations, from
the Marketing Top Ten page, select the resources and the click on “TIPS.” From the TIPS page, select “How
to Cite.”
Example:
Global Market Information Database. Fast Food in the USA. Major Market Profiles Report, ( 2005,
September). Retrieved January 06, 2007, from Global Market Information Database (Euromonitor).
TEAMS:
Each student will be assigned to a team with five members by Friday, September 25. In order to place you in
a team, complete the Student Information Sheet on Blackboard, letting me know what courses you have
taken and what you feel are your strengths and weaknesses as both a team member and a student.
Although drops and adds may require some teams to be adjusted, the teams will remain together for the
remainder of the quarter. Working in a team can be both difficult and rewarding. It is oftentimes difficult to
manage the various personalities and equitably distribute the work. Developing the necessary skills to work
productively with a team, however, can be quite rewarding. If there are team problems, consult with me as
soon as you realize your team is at an impasse. I can only assist you if I know you are having difficulty.
Note: Only Elluminate is supported for this course, so it is highly recommended that you use only
Elluminate for your virtual team meetings.
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEETS:
As an online course, I cannot "take roll" like I would in a traditional course. The Student Information Sheet, in
addition to helping me put you into teams, acknowledges your continued interest in remaining in this course.
It is imperative you submit your Student Information Sheet by Wednesday, September 23, 9:00 p.m.
Students who do not submit this document will be DROPPED from the course. The form and the link
are found on Blackboard under Weekly Assignments, Week 1.
TEAM MEMBER EVALUATIONS:
Using the Blackboard Wiki, the class will develop a list of criteria to use when evaluating both yourself and
your teammates. When you turn in your course projects, you must also complete and submit a team
member evaluation form.
TEAM WIKIS:
To assist you in writing your projects, Wikis have been set up for each team. I reserve the right to adjust
grades based upon Wiki participation.
TEXT:
You are expected to read each chapter prior to our discussing it on Blackboard or during office hours.
Quizzes and the final exam will be based upon material from the text, lectures, readings, and exercises.
DISCUSSION BOARD:
Several topics, consisting primarily of end-of-chapter discussion questions, internet exercises, and case
questions, will be posted. You are responsible for posting both your original response to the question(s) and
responding to your classmates’ postings. The idea is for us to have an invigorating, enlightening, and
stimulating discussion about the topics raised on the Discussion Board. Topics will be posted at the
beginning of each week and closed by Sunday, 9:00 p.m., at the end of each week.
PROJECTS:
You are assigned to a marketing global expansion team as an employee of a company of your choice. In
this role, your teammates and you are asked to analyze five countries in a global region (for example,
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela in South America). Your analysis will included a thorough
exploration and assessment of the market and competitive factors at play in each country of your region
(Project #1). Using that information, you will evaluate the various market entry/expansion options, selecting
one country for entry or expansion (Project #2). As a component of Project #2, your team will play the role of
VP of International Marketing, reviewing and commenting on another team’s Project #2. Next, you will
develop a detailed plan explaining how to enter or expand into your selected country, thoroughly and fully
addressing all elements of the marketing mix (Project #3). Throughout this process, your team will discuss
on Blackboard and create documents via your team’s Wiki. Although only the final three projects are
submitted, I will be closely following your online discussion and document development. Detailed
guidelines and rubrics are found under the Projects link on Blackboard.
QUIZZES:
To encourage you to read and comprehend each assigned chapter, a quiz will be posted on Blackboard with
a due date posted on this syllabus’ schedule. Quizzes are available during the week each chapter is
assigned with a due date of that week’s Sunday night at 9:00 (see syllabus for specific dates and chapters).
Blackboard recommends using Firefox web browser and neither guarantees nor supports other web
browsers. Although no make-ups will be allowed, the lowest quiz score will be dropped.
FINAL EXAM:
On a date yet to be determined, you will take a proctored comprehensive exam consisting of true/false,
multiple choice, and/or short essay questions in TBA. If you have another final exam conflicting with this
time, please notify me by the end of the second week of class.
GRADING:
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
Discussion Board (Rubric)
Project #1: Assessing Macro-environmental Forces
Project #2: Identifying and Evaluating Alternatives
Project #3: Creating a Market Entry/Expansion Plan
Quizzes (10 @ 5 pts. each)
Final Exam
Total
50 pts.
100 pts.
75 pts.
125 pts.
50 pts.
100 pts.
500 pts.
Each item will be graded on a four-point rubric with: A=superior; B=good; C=acceptable; D=poor; and F=failing.
A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = 0-59%
Pluses will be given for “7s, 8s, and 9s”; minuses will be given for “0s, 1s, and 2s.”
Grades will adjusted based upon team member feedback and course participation.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE*
DATE
Week 1:
9/22-9/27
Week 2:
9/28-10/4
Week 3:
10/5-10/11
Week 4:
10/1210/18
TOPICS
Chapter 1:
The Global
Marketing
Imperative
Appendix B:
Geographical
Perspectives
on
International
Marketing
Chapter 3:
The Cultural
Environment
Chapter 4:
The
Economic
Environment
PROJECT
FOCUS
Course
understandin
g and team
building
READ AND
REVIEW
Chapter 1
and
Appendix B
Review
instructor
introductory
videos
QUIZ
Project #1:
Assessing
Macroenvironmenta
l Forces
Chapters 3
and 4
Chapter 3
Quiz due
by
Sunday,
October 4,
9:00 p.m.
Chapter 5:
The Political
and Legal
Environment
Project #1:
Assessing
Macroenvironmenta
l Forces
Chapter 5
Chapter 8:
Research
Project #1:
Assessing
Macroenvironmenta
l Forces
Chapter 8
Chapter 1
and
Appendix B
Quiz due
by
Sunday,
September
27, 9:00
p.m.
Chapter 4
Quiz due
by
Sunday,
October 4,
9:00 p.m.
Chapter 5
Quiz due
by
Sunday,
October
11, 9:00
p.m.
Chapter 8
Quiz due
by
Sunday,
October
18, 9:00
p.m.
DISCUSSION
BOARD
Internet Exercise #1
(page 15) due by
Sunday, September
27, 9:00 p.m.
PROJECT
Questions for
Discussion #4 (page
122) due by Sunday,
October 4, 9:00 p.m.
Team
organization
contract due by
Sunday,
October 4, 9:00
p.m.
Student
Information
Sheet due by
Wednesday,
September 23,
9:00 p.m.
Gather
secondary data
related to market
and competitive
factors
Read Marketing
Cigarettes and
Tobacco case (pages
164-169). Case
Questions for
Discussion (page 169)
due by Sunday,
October 18, 9:00
p.m.
Questions for
Discussion #5 (page
270) due by Sunday,
October 18, 9:00
p.m.
Continue
gathering
secondary data
related to market
and competitive
factors
Begin to
interpret,
evaluate, and
analyze your
data so you can
create your
MACS Analysis
Continue
gathering
secondary data
related to market
and competitive
factors
Continue to
interpret,
evaluate, and
analyze your
data so you can
create your
MACS Analysis
DATE
TOPICS
Week 5:
10/1910/25
Week 6:
10/2611/1
Chapter 6:
Strategic
Planning
Week 9:
11/1611/22
READ AND
REVIEW
Project #2:
Identifying and
Evaluating
Alternatives
Chapter 6
QUIZ
Chapter 6
Quiz due by
Sunday,
November 1,
9:00 p.m.
DISCUSSION
BOARD
Questions for
Discussion #6
(page 210) due
by Sunday,
November 1,
9:00 p.m.
Project #2:
Identifying and
Evaluating
Alternatives
Week 7:
11/211/8
Week 8:
11/911/15
PROJECT
FOCUS
Project #1:
Assessing
Macroenvironmental
Forces
Chapter 9:
Market Entry
and
Expansion
Project #3:
Creating a
Market Entry/
Expansion Plan
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Quiz due by
Sunday,
November
15, 9:00 p.m.
Read Exporting
Chopsticks to
Japan case
(pages 316-317).
Case Questions
for Discussion
(page 317) due
by Sunday,
November 15,
9:00 p.m.
Chapter 10:
Product
Adaptation
Chapter 11:
Export
Pricing
Project #3:
Creating a
Market Entry/
Expansion Plan
Chapters 10
and 11
Chapter 10
Quiz due by
Sunday,
November
22, 9:00 p.m.
Questions for
Discussion #6
(page 349) due
by Sunday,
November 22,
9:00 p.m.
Chapter 11
Quiz due by
Sunday,
November
22, 9:00 p.m.
PROJECT
Project #1 due
by Sunday,
October 25,
9:00 p.m.
Team Member
Evaluation
Forms due by
Sunday,
October 25,
9:00 p.m.
Begin working
on Project #2
Project #2 due
Sunday,
November 8,
9:00 p.m.
Team Member
Evaluation
Forms due by
Sunday,
November 8,
9:00 p.m.
Submit Project
#2: VP
Feedback by
November 15,
9:00 p.m.
Team Member
Evaluation
Forms due by
Sunday,
November 15,
9:00 p.m.
Consider the
feedback from
your VP of
International
Marketing while
beginning to
create your
Market Entry/
Expansion Plan
DATE
TOPICS
Week 10:
11/2311/29
Chapter 12:
Marketing
Communication
PROJECT
FOCUS
Project #3:
Creating a
Market Entry/
Expansion
Plan
READ AND
REVIEW
Chapters 12
and 13
Chapter 13:
Distribution
Management
Week 11:
11/3012/4
QUIZ
Chapter 12
Quiz due by
Sunday,
November
29, 9:00 p.m.
Chapter 13
Quiz due by
Sunday,
November
29, 9:00 p.m.
Project #3:
Creating a
Market Entry/
Expansion
Plan
DISCUSSION
BOARD
Read The Gray
Ferrari Case
(pages 464-466).
PROJECT
Continue working
on Project #3
Case Questions
for Discussion
(page 466) due
by Sunday,
November 29,
9:00 p.m.
Project #3 due
by Friday,
December 4,
9:00 p.m.
Team Member
Evaluation Forms
due by Friday,
December 4,
9:00 p.m.
Final exam: Date, time, and location to be announced.
*If there are any schedule changes, they will be announced on Blackboard.