MGMT 305 / INTS 305 Global Business Strategy
Spring 2009
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
Instructor: Marshall Langer
Office hours: By appointment
Telephone: +39 3471763096
Email: MLanger@Earthlink.net
Experience: Wall Street; corporate management, strategic planning. Wharton MBA.
II. COURSE INFORMATION
1. Course Description. In this course students learn to assess corporate strategy and to develop corporate strategy for transnationals, multinationals and other global corporate entities. Through lecture, reading, and case study, students analyze corporate functions such as marketing, operations, human resource management and finance to learn to successfully manage these functions in a foreign setting. Geopolitical, macroeconomic, and market trends are probed for their effect on firm strategy. Thus students learn to effectively analyze that strategy and to forecast the immediate effect and global impact of large scale forces.
B. Craft realistic strategic goals.
- Think more critically and more strategically.
- Hone sensitivity skills required to succeed in multinational environments.
III. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Lecture. Classes are highly interactive. Instructor prompts students for response to questions posed and solicits his/her thoughts on issues discussed. Format is probing and direct. Additionally, instructor provides concrete, real-world examples to illustrate concepts. Lecture format reinforces by example appropriate methods for asking questions, gaining relevant insights, and making appropriate recommendation. (Achieves Learning Objectives A, C, D)
2. Readings. Textbook and other assigned readings (assigned according to the schedule in section IX of this syllabus) present relevant topics, which are covered more depthfully in class lecture. In class discussion of readings, instructor highlights most relevant reading topics and shows by example how to present data in a stimulating way, consistent with achieving course objectives. (Achieves Learning Objectives A, B, C)
3. Case Study and/or Article Presentation. Case studies and articles are used to further illustrate real-world examples of subject topics. For all assigned cases/articles, students should be prepared to answer questions about the case/article and be able to illustrate its subtler aspects. For select cases/articles an individual written submission is due. For select cases/articles students will be selected to make a presentation. In class discussion of case studies/articles serves to highlight analytical methods, indicating specifically, ways to discern the most relevant focal points. (Achieves Learning Objectives A, B, C, D)
4. Term Project. Develop global business strategy for home country based product or service. (Achieves Learning Objectives A, B)
IV. ASSESSMENT
35% Final exam
10% Case study and/or article assignment/presentation
15% Quizzes and class participation
10% Term project
1. Exams. Exams will be composed of essay questions that test your ability to apply concepts discussed through the exam date.
2. Case/Article Analyses. All cases/articles should be prepared for class. For select cases/articles, where indicated, an individual written submission is due and is assigned based on the schedule in section IX of this syllabus. Additionally, for select cases/articles students will be selected to make a presentation. Your grade for the presentation will reflect much new insight you teach the class (rather than repeat the facts). Use section VII of this syllabus as a further guide for all written submissions.
3. Quizzes. Short, in-class quizzes will test your comprehension of course materials to date.
4. Class Participation. You will be graded on the quality of, and demonstrated insight of, your in-class comments, including comments related to answers to assigned problems.
5. Term project. Each student will be required to make a short presentation on his/her term project.
6. Attendance. Attendance is mandatory, however a student may miss up to 3 classes without penalty or explanation. Absences of more than 3 must be approved by the instructor. More than 3 unapproved absences will result in a reduction of your course grade.
7. Grading Scale.
A 93-100 A- 90-92 B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82 C+ 77-79 | C 73-76 C- 70-72 D+ 67-69 D 60-66 F below 60 |
V. REQUIRED COURSE READING MATERIAL
Andrew Inkpen, Kannan Ramaswamy, Global Strategy: Creating and Sustaining Advantage
Across Borders, Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN# 0195167201. (Hereinafter referred to as ”GS.”)
VI. SUGGESTED (OPTIONAL) ADDITIONAL READINGS
1. Books.
George Stonehouse, David Campbell, Jim Hamill, Tony Purdie, Global Transnational Business: Strategy and Management, Wiley, 2004
Faculty, Thunderbird on Global Business Strategy, Wiley, 2000
Philippe Lasserre, Global Strategic Management, Macmillan, 2002
Debraj Ray, Development Economics, Princeton University Press, 1998
Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, St. Martin’s Press, 2001
2. Internet Sites.
http://www.brint.com for business research in information and technology.
http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/global for summary terminology and notions
http://www.csis.org/gsi for globalization think tank
http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/crosscutting/climate.html for the Earth Institute
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2005 for data on corruption.
http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Competitiveness%20Report/index.htm for global competitiveness report and business competitiveness report
http://www.doingbusiness.org/ for Doing Business Survey which provides cost estimates
3. Periodicals. Business Week, Harvard Business Review, The Economist.
VII. PRESENTATION OF WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS
1. Layout. 1 inch margins on all sides; single spacing between lines, double spacing between paragraphs; font size 12; no name on paper; no cover page; page # in footer, on lower right on all pages except page 1.
2. Last 4 #’s of Social Security #. In footer, on lower left on all pages (for any group project, separate participant’s SS#’s with a semicolon).
