DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
06N: 235 EXA – Seminar in International Business – Europe (Updated 6 April 2014)
INSTRUCTOR:
OFFICE HOURS:
CLASS MEETS:
CLASSROOM:
Frank Rydzewski
Adjunct Lecturer for U of I
Full Time Clinical Professor at University of South Carolina
1(319) 631 – 2899 (cell)
frank-rydzewski@uiowa.edu
By appointment and before or after class — just ask
Initial class on Saturday 28 June 2014 from 10AM until 4 PM, and various
days and times during our time in Germany – class begins on 2 August in
Frankfurt, so you need to leave US on 8/1 at the latest
Iowa City – Room _____________________, and
Also designated locations in Germany.
INTRODUCTION
The goal of this course is to help you better understand the dynamics of international business
management opportunities and risks around the world by:
 Recognizing some of the contemporary macro business issues of globalization
 Gaining insight into the complexities of real world international business issues, focusing on
Europe and Germany in particular.
 Providing opportunities for networking with international business professionals in Germany.
COURSE FORMAT
Through lectures, team and individual tasks, company visits, guest speakers, student experience
sharing, country assessment reviews, and outside readings students will learn several fundamentals
of global business management. This course is focused on Global but with a special focus on
Germany.
READINGS
Required:
Frank Rydzewski
No text is required.I will have slides from another book on ICON that you
should use for your review, in addition to reading materials on ICON
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Website
Check the course website ahead of the class. There are requirements of pre-work that are due prior
to our first class meeting in Iowa City, which must be completed by 21 June 2014. Take advantage
of the opportunity up front to complete these tasks. There are no requirements in country besides
presentations of your pre-work and company visits during our class sessions while in country.
There are no requirements after the classes/visits in country.
Attendance
Due to the nature of this course, it is critical for students to attend each class meeting and actively
participate in the discussions. You need to be on time and attend the entire class period. Take
personal responsibility for your attendance. Any absences will seriously affect your grade, and
potentially expel you from the course, per the Program Academic and Disciplinary Regulations that
you have signed. Your grade will be impacted for class, academic and corporate activities.
Even if Frankfurt and Munich are unfamiliar to you, it is your responsibility to make it to class, be
attentive, and participate during the sessions in class and in the field trips that we take, including
appropriate dress as you are representing the University of Iowa.
Class Participation
Class discussion, group work, and your contributions are important.
Each student is expected to contribute actively in class discussion and in-group work utilizing
personal knowledge, as well as information gleaned from the readings, and the pre-work
assignments. This way each student will learn from one another as well as from the instructor. It is
the responsibility of each student to come to class fully prepared.
Your grade will reflect your attendance and quality of participation in the classes. You need to
take your share of responsibility for team involvement, work requirements, and presentations.
Class on 28 June
You are strongly encouraged to attend in-person the class in Iowa City on 28 June. Besides the
lecture material, we will have outside speakers and some German instruction, in addition to meeting
your class members, forming the working groups, and immersing in the other requirements of the
trip. In the event that you are unable to attend for a viable reason, please contact Jill Tomkins before
the class date with your specifics. If we have any students that cannot attend the following
requirements are necessary for your participation:
1. Completely review the video material from our live class, and summarize what you have learned
from watching the video in a note to Jill and myself.
2. Prepare a brief presentation about yourself, your country research, and your executive interview.
You will present this to the class during our class time in Germany.
Assignments and Examinations
Assignment 1: Interview with an executive/senior manager who has international business
responsibilities, preferably business in Europe, although this is not a requirement. This is an
individual assignment. This is due by 21 June in drop box.
Assignment 2: Country Research and Analysis Paper – due 21 June in drop box.
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Each student needs to write a research paper about the country that is assigned to him/her.
Assignment 3: Team Paper & Presentation on a specific industry Globally, in Europe, and then
Germany and then specific company if that is part of our itinerary. This is a team project.
*Assignments 1 & 2 are pre-work assignments and are to be turned in on ICON drop box no later
than 21 June. Assignment #3 is due by 2 August 2014. Provide hard copy to Frank on 2 August,
2014 in country.
Group Activities – dependent on time availability
During the class days there may be team breakout sessions and summary presentations on
selected topics.
All written assignments will be reviewed and graded based on content, grammar and legibility.
Choose your words carefully. Use of Chicago Manual footnoting is required on the country analysis.
Students are expected to turn in all assignments on time. Late work is unacceptable. Any
assignment that is not handed on the date in which it is due will be considered late and will receive
an automatic 10% grade reduction per day. Make sure your name and course numbers are on all
your assignments.
ASSESSMENTS AND GRADING
The grading for this course is based on a 500-point system.
Total Points – for grading purposes:
Interview with an Executive/Manager
Summary and analysis
Country Research and Analysis
Summary and analysis
500points
100 points
100 points
Team Activity – Industry Assessment
100 points
Participation/Attendance
200 points
TIPPIE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS POLICIES AS THEY RELATE TO 06N: 235
This course falls under the policies and guidelines adopted by The Tippie College of Business.
1. Accommodating Disabilities: If you have a disability that may require some modification of
seating, testing, or any other class requirement, please let us know as soon as possible so that we
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can make appropriate arrangements. Similarly, if you have any emergency medical information
about which we should know, or if you need special arrangements in the event the building must
be evacuated, please let us know. Please see us after class hours or during our scheduled office
hours or schedule an appointment. We would also remind you that the Office of Student
Disability Services is available to assist you.
2. Sexual Harassment: The Tippie College of Business and the University of Iowa are
committed to providing students with an environment free from sexual harassment. If you feel
that you are being or have been harassed or you are not sure what constitute sexual harassment,
we encourage you to visit http://www.sexualharassment.uiowa.edu/index.php , or seek
assistance from department chairs, the Dean’s Office, the University Ombudsman Office, or the
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
3. Student Privacy: Under the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), enrollment in
this course is private information. In order to participate in this class, it will be necessary to
reveal to other students the names of students who are enrolled in this course (ICON groups,
and class nameplates). If you do not want your name revealed to other students enrolled in this
course, please contact either instructor in person or in writing by the end of the first week of
classes.
4. Academic Misconduct: It is our sincere hope that no student in this class submits work that is
not his or her own. However, it seems prudent to clarify in advance the policy on
cheating. Academic misconduct as it applies to this class include: joint writing of individual
papers, making unauthorized copies of copy-written case packets, using unauthorized additional
materials on a closed book exam, and most commonly, borrowing, paraphrasing or quoting
material from another source (such as a company website) without providing proper citations. If
we determine that any academic misconduct has occurred, the student will receive a zero (0) for
the project and may receive an “F” for the class. In the event the academic misconduct applies
to a group project, the entire group will bear the responsibility for misconduct.
Faculty members are required to report all incidents of cheating to the Senior Associate Dean of
the Tippie College of Business and the all incidents are referred to the MBA Judicial Board for
peer review. Further details regarding the Honor Code for the Tippie MBA Program, examples
of acts considered in violation of the honor code, and the appeal process may be found at
http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/mba/honorcode/.
5. Honor Pledge: All students enrolled in classes under the control of the Tippie College of
Business must signify agreement with an Honor Pledge on all graded examinations,
assignments and papers. The pledge will read as follows: “I have neither given nor received
assistance on this exam.” You may write out and sign the pledge on hand written material, you
may sign your name below a pre-printed pledge, or (in the case of exams sent by electronic
means) by typing out the pledge followed by your typed name.
6. Attendance Policy: The faculty has adopted a policy on course attendance. Absences resulting
from illness, mandatory religious obligations, or other unavoidable circumstances including
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certain University activities will be considered to be excused if we have prior knowledge (or soon
thereafter in the event of illness). Examples of authorized activities include participation in
University-scheduled events for athletic teams, the marching band and pep band, debate teams,
and other recognized University groups, as well as participation in University field trips, service
with the military or National Guard, and jury duty.
Although an absence may be excused, I will not provide extra assignments to make-up the lost
opportunity to participate. In addition, you are responsible for learning the material covered in
class. Leaving campus before the beginning of scheduled vacation times or at the end of a
semester, an assignment due in another class, or a family or employment activity is generally not
considered excused.
What you can do? Whenever possible (e.g., religious obligation, authorized University activity),
notify us via email of a conflict requiring an excused absence well in advance of a scheduled
examination or other in-class activity. If you will be absent for more than five days you may ask
the Registration Center to send notification of the absence to all your instructors.
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