FIN4185: Problems in International Business
Summer 2011
Instructor : Professor Stephen P. Ferris
Course Text: International Business, 8th edition, Charles W. Hill. McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2009. The
power points from this book will be made available to students enrolled in the course.
Grading: There are four quizzes. Each quiz is worth 100 points. All quizzes are mandatory. The
quizzes will be limited to the material covered in class during that week. Make-up exams will not
be offered.
Class attendance and participation in the in-class case studies is required. Consequently, daily
attendance in class is expected. Unexcused class absences will cost the student 10% of his/her
grade per incident. This was discussed extensively in the pre-departure classes. Also, tardiness
for class may also result in loss of points at the discretion of the instructor.
Quiz Points…400
Attendance and Participation…100
Total Points…500
Excursions: Various company/cultural visits are included in the course schedule. All of these
excursions are mandatory.
Course Mechanics: Classes will begin with a short video that will highlight the current day’s
topic or relate to material covered earlier in the week. A short discussion of the video will follow.
I will then present the new material for the day. The power point slides used in each class will be
made available to the students. Most days will involve a short case study which will be
distributed to the students in class. Students will form into small groups (3 or 4 students) during
the class and work on the case. I will then lead a class discussion of the case to conclude each
day’s class. At the end of each week of instruction there will be a quiz. The quiz will review the
course material for that week.
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Course Schedule:
Week One: 16-20 May 2011
Day
Activity
Powerpoint
Chapter
1
Video
Case
Did You Know?
Globalization at
General Electric
Day 1
17 May
0900-1145
Course
Introduction;
Globalization
Day 2
19 May
0900-1145
Political Economy
and Cultural
Differences
2,3
Yukos, Sale or
Seizure?
Wal-Mart’s
Foreign
Expansion
Day 3
20 May
0800-1000
International Trade
Theory
Quiz One
5
Air War
Ecuadoran Rose
Industry
Powerpoint
Chapter
6, 7
Video
Case
Clearing the Air
Why Did Global
Food Prices
Rise?
9
U.S. Farmers
Respond to
CAFTA
Lakshmi Mittal
and the Growth
of Mittal Steel
Week Two: 23-27 May 2011
Day
Activity
Day 1
24 May
0830-1200
Political Economy
of International
Trade; Foreign
Direct Investment
Day 2
25 May
0830-1200
Foreign Exchange
Market
Quiz Two
Three Billion
New Capitalists
2
Week Three: 30 May – 3 June 2011
Day
Activity
Powerpoint
Chapter
10
Video
Case
China; Changing
the Yuan /Dollar
China’s Managed
Float
Day 1
31 May
0900-1145
International
Monetary System
Day 2
2 June
0900-1145
Global Capital
Markets
11
Tough Job: A
Look at the IMF
Industrial and
Commercial
Bank of China
Day 3
3 June
1000-1200
Strategy of
International
Business
Quiz Three
12
GM’s Global
Research
Network
Coca-Cola
Powerpoint
Chapter
13
Video
Case
Dominos Pizza
A decade of
organizational
Change at
Unilever
Week Four: 6-10 June 2011
Day
Activity
Day 1
7 June
0900-1145
Organization of
International
Business
Day 2
9 June
0900-1145
Entry Strategy and
Strategic Alliances
14
DHL Global
Delivery Service
JCB in India
Day 3
10 June
0900-1145
Global Production,
Outsourcing and
Logistics
Quiz 4
16
Starbucks:
Building
Relationships
with Coffee
Growers
Building the
Boeing 787
Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the
academic community must be confident that each person’s work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and
presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The
academic community regards academic dishonesty as an extremely serious matter. The consequence of a breach of academic
integrity in this class will be a penalty that may range from denial of credit for the particular assignment or exam to a failing
grade for the course at the discretion of the instructor. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or
collaboration, consult the course instructor.
ADA: If you need accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if
you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform me immediately. Please see me privately
after class or at my office. To request academic accommodations (for example, a note taker or extended time on exams),
students must also register with the Office of Disability Services (http://disabilityservices.missouri.edu), S5 Memorial Union,
882-4696. It is the campus office responsible for reviewing documentation provided by students requesting academic
accommodations, and for accommodations planning in cooperation with students and instructors, as needed and consistent
with course requirements. For other MU resources for students with disabilities, click on "Disability Resources" on the MU
homepage.
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