Spring 2009 MANAGEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS (MGT 310)
Section 01: Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Professor: Nanette Scarpellini Metz, Ph.D.
Office Hours: Immediately following class or by appointment; Office Location: Sage Hall 2016
E-mail: ns-metz@hotmail.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Understanding management within the context of international business is critical for today’s
individual contributors and managers who must succeed in an increasingly flatter, faster, diverse,
and explicitly interdependent world. We will address the global environment, the role of culture,
international strategic management, and international ramifications of organizational behavior
and human resource management: the global business environment.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course seeks to provide you with experiences and knowledge to help you identify,
understand, diagnose, improve, communicate, and act regarding various individual, group, and
organizational situations in the workplace by improving your:
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Explain the differences in economic social, political, and cultural variables among countries
 Evaluate various trade theories and determine the gains from trade and investment
 Develop competencies in global strategy formulation, including strategic alliances and the
integration of all functional areas in a global context
 Gain an appreciation of multiple dimensions of diversity and their impact upon management
 Develop communication and teamwork skills through case analysis and group projects
COURSE METHODS
Class Structure. This course will use various learning activities in the classroom to create an active
learning environment. The first part of each class session typically will consist of lecture providing an
understanding of the important concepts, theories, research and application of the subject to
international business and management. It is expected that you will have read the assigned textbook
material prior to class. The second part of each class session will complete any remaining lecture
material, but will focus on a class discussions, exercises, and group case presentations. Please review
the syllabus below for assignments.
My primary tasks are 1) to develop a generative climate for learning by modeling respect and a
non-judgmental attitude toward you and other members of our learning community, 2) organize
course materials and activities, 3) give you actionable feedback, and 4) evaluate your work
products fairly and promptly.
You will do much of your in-class experiential learning activities in management teams, which I
will assign.
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COURSE MATERIALS
 Daniels, Radebaugh & Sullivan: International Business Environments and
Operations, 12th Edition. ISBN: 978-0-13-602965-6; Prentice Hall.
 Selected articles and handouts that will be distributed in class, posted for you on
Blackboard, or e-mailed to you.
ASSIGNMENTS
You are expected to complete readings and activities for each session, which will inform your
class experience and increase the conceptual strength of your work. Lack of preparation will
impact the quality of your participation and your performance on quizzes, papers, and
presentations.
Quizzes: 4 quizzes on the text material worth 40% of total grade.
Research Team Project—Paper and Presentation: Students will be organized into 5 research
teams at the beginning of the semester. Each team is a group of entrepreneurs with a brilliant
idea to expand their business internationally. The board of directors has asked each team to
investigate the opportunities in one foreign country. The team will prepare a written report that
evaluates the opportunities and risks associated with a decision to undertake Foreign Direct
Investment in a country of their choice.
Guidelines and specifics on the content of this report will be provided in class. The paper is due
on May 6th. You will be graded on the quality of the research paper and your individual
contribution as evaluated by your teammates. This paper contributes 20% toward your final
grade. Your team will present to the class your analysis, findings, and recommendations of your
research paper using presentation software such as PowerPoint. All team members must present.
The presentation contributes 5% toward your final grade. Student complete of presentation
rubrics accounts for 5% of your final grade.
Team Chapter and Case Presentation: Each team will provide an integration of a specific
chapter case study as indicated in the syllabus and the relevant material from the chapter. This
means explaining all terms, concepts or other relevant material from the chapter as it applies to
the specific case study. This integration should also address the case questions to show an overall
understanding of the issues applicable to the case. The case questions will help add structure to
the presentation. Class handouts (1 to 2 pages) are required. The handouts should highlight the
key points, but should not be a mere copy of the presentation. All the other students will evaluate
the team’s presentation using an assessment rubric. This project accounts for 10% of your final
grade.
Team Guest Speaker Preparation:
Throughout the course of the semester, five guest speakers will address the class. For each
speaker, one of the teams will review the speaker’s background and/or company and prepare
questions for the speaker to address during the question and answer period. Student from other
groups are also welcome to ask questions. This preparation accounts for 5% of your final grade.
International Current Event Presentation: An oral presentation to be given by each student.
Professor will select the date. Student selects the current event and brings relevant articles or
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other materials to explain issue to class. Be sure to discuss the key elements of who, what, when,
where, why and how. Explain how it is relevant to the class. The presentation contributes 5%
toward your final grade.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT STANDARDS
 Typed on white paper using black ink
 Single-sided
 Double-spaced (unless specifically told otherwise)
 12-point font
 Times New Roman or Arial
 1” margins all four sides
 Page numbers at the bottom center of each page
 Headings to delineate topic changes or sections
 Stapled hard copy (Unless I have approved electronic submission)
 At or under the page maximum
 On time (late assignments are not accepted. The exceptions are pre-arranged
excused absences or documented medical/family emergency).
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Your participation in our learning community assignments, discussions, and activities is critical
to your learning and that of your classmates. Therefore, barring extenuating circumstances (e.g.,
floods, fires, acute medical emergencies, death or grave illness of close family members, etc.)
attendance is mandatory**. Missing more than 2 classes without an approved excuse, chronic
tardiness, or frequent disengagement (e.g., talking, sleeping, chatting, etc.) in class will
negatively impact your grade. Though important, work and work-related absences are not
excused absences. Similarly, non-emergency doctor’s appointments are not excused.
Required and non-reschedulable CSUCI-related activities are excused.
ABSENCE POLICY
1-2 sessions
unexcused absences:
3 sessions
unexcused absences:
4 sessions
unexcused absences:
5+ sessions
unexcused absences:
no penalty (Personal Time)
1 grade penalty from course grade
2 grade penalty from course grade
3 grade penalty from course grade
**If you are an athlete or if you have a documented disability, notify me during the first week
of class. Notification means showing me official documentation, discussing specific challenges
and constraints we need to manage, and mutually agreeing upon ways to ensure your success.
Athletes, please give me one list of the dates you will miss so that we can plan accordingly.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Breaches of academic integrity are unacceptable. Please refer to the University’s statement on
Academic Integrity at the following link:
http://www.csuci.edu/academics/catalog/20062007/12_policiesandregulations/50_academicdishonesty.htm
Unless specified otherwise, assume that all assignments are to represent your individual (or your
team’s as appropriate) intellectual contributions. While you are free to discuss assignments with
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each other, all experiences analyzed and conceptual explanations provided must be
unequivocally yours. Similarly, cite authors in your papers and presentations (use American
Psychological Association style). For example, it is not ethical to write about the “Hierarchy of
Needs” without citing Maslow (even though “everyone knows” it’s his work). If I discover that
you have cheated on any assignment, your grade on the assignment will be “F.” Additionally,
you will be reported to the appropriate University Committee.
STATEMENT ON DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
We will be respectful and act in a civil manner in this class. Any acts of disruption that go
beyond the normal rights of students (and instructors) to question and discuss the educational
process relative to subject content will not be tolerated.
WEIGHTING OF ASSIGNMENTS
Individual or Team Grade
Graded Activity
Individual
Class Participation & Attendance (per person)
International Current Event Presentation-oral
presentation
(Professor picks the date; student picks current
event)
Individual
Individual
4 Quizzes
% of
Grade
10
5
40
Individual Total
55%
Team
Team Speaker Preparation (1 per team)
5
Chapter Summary and In depth Case Reports
(1 per team)
Research Team Paper (1 per team)
Paper and Feedback
Team
Team
Team
10
25
Research Team Presentation
5
Team Total
45%
Grand Total
100%
GRADING
With the exception of quizzes, I grade in “Letters” not “Numbers.” Below is the key that I use to
enter your grades into a Spreadsheet or Blackboard for calculation purposes. After entering and
weighting your grades, I round them to the appropriate integer. That integer, barring
extenuating circumstances, corresponds to a grade category below…period.
If your letter
grade is:
F
D
GPA
0
1
D+
1.25
C-
C
C+
B-
B
B+
A-
A
1.75
2
2.25
2.5
3
3.25
3.5
3.75
4
A+
4
Management of International Business (MGT 310 Syllabus)
Class
Meetings
1/21
1/28
Chapter/Topic
Introductions, Syllabus, Chapter 1:
Globalization & International Business;
Presentation Tips, Executive Summary Tips
Form Research Teams
Chapter 12: Country Evaluation & Selection
2/4
Chapter 2: The Cultural Environment Facing
Business
2/11
Chapter 3: The Political & Legal
Environments Facing Business
Chapter 4: The Economic Environments
Facing Businesses; Chapter 5: Globalization
and Society
Chapter 6: International Trade and FactorMobility Theory
Chapter 7: Governmental Influence on Trade;
Chapter 8: Cross-National Cooperation and
Agreements
Chapter 9: Global Foreign-Exchange
Markets; Chapter 10: The Determination of
Exchange Rates
Chapter 11: The Strategy of International
Business
2/18
2/25
3/4
3/11
3/18
3/25
4/1
4/8
4/15
4/22
Chapter 13:Export & Import Strategies
Chapter 14: Direct Investment and
Collaborative Strategies; Chapter 15: The
Organization of International Business
Chapter 16: Marketing Globally; Chapter 17:
Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain
Management
Chapter 18: International Accounting Issues
4/29
Chapter 19: The Multinational Finance
Function
Chapter 20: Human Resource Management
5/6
Research Team Presentations
5/13
Research Team Presentations + Course Wrapup
Enjoy the summer!
5
Due TODAY (addition to reading the
Chapter)
Research Team Formation
Research project overview.
Quiz #1; Research Team meeting with
professor. Final industry and host
country determination is due.
Group 1: Chapter 5 Summary and In
Depth Case Presentation
Quiz #2; Group 5: Outside Speaker
Preparation
Group 2: Chapter 8 Summary and In
Depth Case Presentation
Group 3: Chapter 10 Summary and In
Depth Case Presentation
Research status reports and project
completion plans are due.
Group 4: Outside Speaker Preparation
Quiz #3
Group 4: Chapter 15 Summary and In
Depth Case Presentation
Group 5: Chapter 17 Summary and In
Depth Case Presentation
Group 3: Outside Speaker Preparation
Group 2: Outside Speaker Preparation
Quiz #4; Group 1: Outside Speaker
Preparation
Turn in Team Paper and Peer
Evaluations
Research Team presentations
Peer Evaluations
Research Team presentations