INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGY
SPRING 2011
Office
Phone
Email
Chiung-Hui Tseng
61411A (Institute of International Business)
(06) 275-7575 ext.53512
ctseng@mail.ncku.edu.tw
Texts
Ireland, R.D., Hoskisson, R.E., and Hitt, M.A. (2010) The Management of Strategy:
Concepts and Cases, 9th Edition, South-Western Press.
Course Objectives
In the past a few decades, the trend of globalization has rendered the world economies
more interdependent. All businesses today (both international and domestic ones) are
exposed to international competitive forces that can have serious consequences for
their performance and survival. Such international competition especially brings new
challenges and problems to corporations and managers directly involved in foreign
markets. Among various issues arising from international operations, this course
particularly focuses on the managerial challenges associated with strategy
development and corporate management.
Specifically, objectives of this course are twofold:
1. to expose students to issues related to business strategy within the context of
global markets and competition
2. to provide students with significant opportunities to develop oral communication
and presentation skills
Requirements and Grading
Participation
Current Event Presentation
Case Analysis and Presentation
Mid-Term Exam (close-book)
Final Exam (open-book)
30%
10%
30%
10%
20%
1
Participation:
All students are expected to PREPARE for and PARTICIPATE in every class meeting.
Through in-class discussion, we can all learn from each other’s viewpoints and, more
importantly, we can learn more by debating issues than by listening passively.
Current Event Presentation:
Each student will be responsible for presenting a current event during five to ten
minutes at the start of each class. The current event chosen can take place in Taiwan
or any other countries, and must appear within one year of your presentation. Also, it
should be closely related with the topic of the week. The following information must
be disclosed in the beginning of the presentation:
1. Source where reports about the event were found
2. Time that the event occurred
3. Most important, the association of the event with the chapter of the week
Case Analysis and Presentation:
This is a group activity. Each group will be assigned a long case that describes
problems facing one particular company or industry. Each group will then need to
identify the problems, make a comprehensive analysis, and provide recommendations
to that company or industry based on the knowledge learned from class and the
information given in the case.
Key grading criteria for this project are as below:
1. Evidence of relevant and useful information
2. Logic, reasoning, and justification
3. Creativity, uniqueness, and being interesting
4. Professional, persuasive, and effective oral presentation (45 minutes)
Check list for preparing presentations:
• Positive and enthusiastic attitude; never read along notes
• Good voice, eye contact, and gesture
• Be clear on the objective and key points
• Be organized and stay in time limit
• Good use of visual aids
• Meaningful wording, correct spelling and grammar
2
Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Cheating on exams or any other form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and
will result in an automatic fail for the exam/paper/report, if not for the course.
Course Schedule
Week
Topics and Reading Assignments
1 (02/22/11)
2 (03/01/11)
Course Overview
 Ch.1 Strategic Management and Competitiveness
5 (03/22/11)
 Ch.2 The External Environment: Opportunities, Threats,
Competition, and Competitor Analysis
 Case 25 United Airlines
 Ch.3 The Internal Environment: Resources, Capabilities,
Competencies, and Competitive Advantages
 Case 2 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
 Ch.4 Business-Level Strategy
 Case 9 Apple Computer, Inc.
 Ch.5 Competitive Rivalry and Dynamics
 Case 14 Dell Pursues Growth in a Challenging Environment
6 (03/29/11)
8 (04/12/11)
9 (04/19/11)
10 (04/26/11)
10 (04/30/11)
11 (05/03/11)
12 (05/10/11)
13 (05/17/11)
14 (05/24/11)
15 (05/31/11)
16 (06/07/11)
17 (06/14/11)
18 (06/21/11)
 Ch.6 Corporate-Level Strategy
 Case 5 eBay Inc.: Bidding for the Future
Mid-Term Exam
 Ch.7 Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring
 Case 10 Blockbuster Acquires Movielink: A Growth Strategy?
 Ch.8 Global Strategy
 Case 4 Alibaba.com
 Ch.9 Cooperative Implications for Strategy
 Case 20 TNK-BP (Russia) 2008
 Ch.10 Corporate Governance and Ethics
 Case 1 Accounting at Biovail
 Ch.11 Structure and Controls with Organizations
 Case 18 Nucor in 2009
 Ch.12 Leadership Implications for Strategy
 Case 3 Room & Board
 Ch.13 Entrepreneurial Implications for Strategy
 Case 11 South Beauty Group
Final Exam
3
4