BUS-D503 International Business Environments

• 7 weeks
• 1.5 credits
• Prerequisite(s): MBA Core, For those not in the MBA program, graduate student status (permission required)

The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the basic principles of how the world economy functions and on how it may impact international business managers. The focus will be on the global environment in which multinational companies operate. Thus, participants should acquire awareness of, and an appreciation for, the diversity and complexity of the international environment. More specifically, the successful completion of this course should enable them to understand and analyze environmental problems which challenge management. While the emphasis of the course is on analysis, students will acquaint themselves with the special terms, concepts, and institutions encountered in international business management. A stimulating aspect of this course is the incorporation of various current topics from the popular business press (Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Business Week, Fortune, New York Times, etc.). In addition to comprehensive coverage of traditional international business theories and concepts, students will gain a better understanding of “how the world economy works” and of “what in the world is going on right now.”

This course should be of interest to nearly all students of business administration. No matter how small (or large) the business enterprise, the successful manager must take account of international and national environmental dimensions when making decisions. These dimensions are economic, political, and social in nature. Hence, this course is about markets (the economic dimension), power, (the political dimension), and culture (the social dimension) under conditions of global interdependence. The nature of and interrelationships among all these dimensions—international, national, economic, political, and social—are crucial for management decision-making.

• Globalization: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
• The Cultural Environment
• The Economic and Political Environments
• International Trade Theory
• Government Influence on Trade
• Regional Economic Integration
• Country Analysis Framework
• CAGE Analysis Framework