COURSE SYLLABUS
Academic year
2011-2012
Course Title:
International Business Environment
Course Duration:
13 * 90mn
Course Instructor:
Dr Jean-Guillaume DITTER, ESC Dijon
Learning Goals
This political economy class aims to:

Expose students to contemporary international business trends, issues and debates

Analyse forces affecting international business

Connect economic theories to actual business topics and challenges

Train students to develop their critical thinking skills, prepare executive presentations
(slideshows), make oral presentations and carry-out debates
Course Outline
Session 1.
Introduction to international business
Session 2.
International trade theories (1): mercantilism
Session 3.
International trade theories (2): absolute vs. comparative advantage
Session 4.
International trade theories (3): modern firm-based theories
Session 5.
Political economy of international trade (1): trade restriction instruments
Session 6.
Political economy of international trade (2): the case for protection
Session 7.
International trade vs. foreign direct investment
Session 8.
Global exchange regulation: focus on the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Session 9.
Regional trade blocs (1): economic analysis
Session 10.
Regional trade blocs (2): examples
Session 11.
The International Monetary System (IMS): business issues
Session 12.
Monitoring the IMS: the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Session 13.
Course conclusions
1 sur 2
Evaluation

Team presentations: 20% of the final mark (see details below)

Final exam: 80% of the final mark
Team presentations
Each student will register in a team according to the topic list attached to this document. Each team
will draw from relevant support documents (see below "references" section) to prepare a
PowerPoint presentation of their topic and orally present it during the class. Each student will
participate in his/her team’s presentation.
Presentations will be assessed according to the following criteria:

Contents: the topic is covered adequately

Structure: the presentation is logical and understandable, information overlaps are avoided

Layout: the slideshow is professionally designed and well-presented

Speech: the oral performance is attractive
References
Main textbook
Charles W. HILL (2011), International Business: Competing in the Global marketplace, 8th edition,
McGraw-Hill.
Chapters 5-6-7-8 and 10 of the above-mentioned textbook will be used during the class and should
therefore be read through before the class begins (Previous editions can also be used after
checking the chapter numbering)
Additional reference
James GERBER (2011), International Economics, 5th edition, Pearson (previous editions can also
be used).
Online resources
http://etraining.wto.org/default.asp
http://www.swisslearn.org/wto/module4/e/start.htm
http://www.swisslearn.org/wto/module3/e/start.htm
Support documents
Two sets of texts (“Case Studies” and “Managerial Implications”) are provided with this syllabus (see
“team presentations” section above)
2 sur 2