International Business

1. Appreciate that many businesses are no longer operating in the domestic local environment.

2. Develop a sense of urgency that tremendous opportunities exist to develop business if companies can change their mind-sets from domestic to international dimensions.

3. Acquire the expertise to develop strategies for international expansion and, in so doing, to understand how to deal successfully with a range of business issues at an international level.

1. Understand the key questions posed by international business and global operations, and be aware of the main reasons why businesses develop internationally.

2. Define globalisation and, in understanding what it means, appreciate how it impacts on all functions of the business.

3. Understand the changing nature of the international business environment with specific regard to:

• the macro factors that underpin world trade. These are the powerhouses that drive changes in patterns of behaviour;

• the major international bodies, MF, WTO, World Bank etc, and their influences on shaping the liberalisation of world trade.

4. Understand the factors that give rise to different behaviour patterns (both buying behaviour and other organisational behaviour) in different countries including culture, stages of economic growth and local environmental conditions. Appreciate a range of cultural factors which impinge on firms doing business in overseas settings.

5. Recognise the strategic role of information gathering in directing international business decisions and be aware of the issues surrounding information gathering in an international environment.

6. Recognise the changing planning frameworks as companies deepen their international and global commitments, and their impact on production, finance, operations, marketing and human resource management.

7. Understand the implications of international operations for distribution and logistics within the firm.

8. Understand the human resource management implications of operating on an international scale.

9. Appreciate the range of alternative means by which international market entry may be achieved and the organisational and financial implications of each.

10. Have a clear grasp of the range of tools of the marketing mix in differing economic, political and cultural situations.

11 . De fine implementation strategies including their integration, timing and funding; the roles of communication, leadership, teamwork and motivation in strategy execution.

12. Define strategy evaluation and control; contingency planning and strategic adjustment; the management of change; measures of performance.

13. Define social responsibility and business strategy.

A case study will be provided to candidates which they will be expected to analyse prior to the examination. Candidates will be required to demonstrate their analytical ability with reference to the strategic concerns and issues raised by the case study and to make strategic recommendations based on the outcomes of their analysis.

This is an open book examination and you may bring in any material in the form of books or notes to help you answer the set questions. However, you must not hand in any prepared material as this will not be marked by the examiner.

By written examination. The pass mark is 50%. Time allowed 3 hours.

Three compulsory questions. All questions may carry different marks