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INTB 6200 Managing the Global Enterprise

MS/MBA Program, DAmore-McKim School of Business


Northeastern University
Summer I, 2016
Professor Robert Goldberg
004 Hayden Hall
617-373-5366
email: r.goldberg@neu.edu

Tu/Th 7:30-9:30
330 Dodge Hall
Office hours: By appointment

Companies increasingly find that their business is international. Because their customers
may be from all over the world, they need to design products and services with global
customers in mind. They often obtain critical raw materials, components, technology,
personnel, and capital from foreign countries and markets. Their revenues, costs, and
profits are influenced by exchange rate fluctuations and governmental actions. Clearly, to
do well in business, more and more companies need to understand international business,
and appreciating cultural differences also becomes critical to global success.
Course Description
The emphasis of this course is on the cultural, economic, political, and strategic aspects
of national business environments and their impact on international business operations.
In a very short period of recent human history, scores of nations and billions of people
have become more closely linked together, enjoying the benefits of rising wealth and
opportunity as a truly global economy has begun to emerge. This global economy exists
through the increasingly rapid, open and interdependent movements of goods, services,
capital, technology, people, ideas and images. It is fundamentally transforming every
aspect of the human and natural environment. This course provides an opportunity to
explore the implications of these trends for companies and for your career. The overall
goal is to help you develop an understanding of how the environment of international
business affects a companys ability to achieve competitive advantage in a global
economy. Your perspective will be that of a manager in a multinational enterprise dealing
with international and ethical complexities.
In order to develop a comprehensive worldview we will be using four primary, activelearning, instructional methods: lectures, cases and news items, videos, and group
projects. Classes will generally be run as open forums and engaged participation is
expected.
Course Objectives
1. To provide an overview of the environment of international business.
2. To become familiar with planning, organizing, and controlling international
operations.
3. To understand how organizational behavior varies across cultures and within a
multicultural environment.
4. To develop analytical strategic decision making, as well as written and verbal
communication skills.

5. To become more culturally sensitive and aware of the mindsets of people from
foreign nations.
6. To assess the ethical and moral implications related to operating a business in
an international setting.
7. To emphasize critical thinking skills and the importance of history in the
development of a comprehensive worldview.
Course Materials
1. Textbook: Global Business Today, 8th ed., 2014, by Charles Hill, McGraw-Hill.
2. Case Book: This is available at the Northeastern bookstore .
Information about additional materials will be provided as the course progresses. 3. A
valuable, free online source of information on international business is:
http://globalEDGE.msu.edu.ResourceDesk
Syllabus. This document operates as our document of mutual understanding. Changes
may be made to it should circumstances change or new opportunities for learning arise.
Attendance and In-Class Participation. Attendance is expected in every class, except
for scheduled corporate training sessions noted on the syllabus. Participation is very
important in this course because we learn from each other, and learning is a community
activity. Your opinions on the assigned material and on required reading of current press
that focuses on international business events are important.
Constructive contribution may include observations and questions about the
course material and current events and answers to questions raised by classmates.
Examples from your personal experience and/or your companys experience are
very appropriate forms of contribution.
Expect to be called on to give your input to discussions of assigned readings and
cases.
Read materials and complete assignments in advance in preparation for class
discussion.
Post after every class your Comments and Takeaways on the designated thread on
the Discussion Board in Blackboard.
NOTE: Please contact me in advance and let me know if you are unable to attend a class
meeting. Because of the compressed time of the course, I am unable to accept late
assignments or makeups.
Computer Use Policy. Bring an internet-capable device to class for use when instructed.
Since the course has primarily a discussion format, unless instructed otherwise, please
keep laptops and tablets closed and turn off other electronic devices that could interfere
with the classroom experience. Do not use cellphones in class
Expectations. You are expected to attend every class. For each session, you are expected

to have read the assigned material in advance and to be prepared to discuss the ideas in
class. The Northeastern University Honor System as described in the Student handbook
will be strictly enforced.
Assignments and Grading
Class participation and exams,
IB in the News
International market entry team project

35%
30%
35%

International Business in the News (IBN) Presentation and Paper


With a partner or two of your choice, you will provide reading(s) and lead the class in a
discussion of a current issue in the news that relates to a topic of the class in which you
are presenting. You will submit a paper by the last class meeting.
1. Select the reading(s) related to a topic of your assigned day and post on BB on the
designated thread on the Discussion Board by 10 pm the night of the previous class
in order to give the class enough time to prepare. Sources might include: Internet news
services, e.g., msnbc.com; company and institutional Web sites (e.g., World Bank at
www.web.worldbank.org); The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Financial Times, The
Economist, Boston Globe, New York Times, Washington Post, Fortune,
marketwatch.com, BBC World News (www.bbc.co.uk), and publications from other
countries.
2. You will lead the class in a 25-minute presentation and discussion of the topic.
Prepare a Powerpoint presentation on the topic as well as discussion questions and
possibly other interactive activities, videos, podcasts, etc., to engage the class on the
topic. The time limit will be enforced to ensure fairness to all presenters. Creativity in
presentation style and content are encouraged. Both partners will speak.
Some potential areas to cover:
Why did you choose this article?
What are the main ideas of the article?
How does the information or ideas discussed in the news item relate to the material we
have discussed in class? This should be the main focus.
What are the controversies related to this issue? What is the impact on various
stakeholders and what are their reactions?
Does the article have any bias, faulty reasoning, or important missing information, in
your view? To evaluate this, determine whether the article presents both sides of the
issue, does it use emotionally charged words to appeal to readers emotions, does it rely
on reliable sources, etc.? If you do find a bias, propose what the author could have
included in the article to make it more objective.
What are the potential implications for your life and work?
3. Prepare a 5-7 page double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, analysis of the
topic, with references, by the beginning of our last class meeting. Submitting earlier is
encouraged. Please note that this assignment is to be an analysis from the perspective of

implications for companies doing business internationally and other stakeholders, and not
merely descriptive. Potential topics for discussion include complexities of the issue, pros
and cons, and implications for and (potential) reactions of multiple stakeholders.
Highlights and conclusions of the class discussion are required in the paper, including the
questions/exercises you created for class interaction. Feel free to draw upon other topics
and chapters where applicable. Post on Turnitin and submit a hard copy of the paper
and your powerpoint presentation (4 slides per page) and the original news item(s).
Market Entry Team Project
This project gives you the opportunity to apply the rich variety of international
management concepts that we cover during the course. The purpose of this project is to
learn about the many complexities involved with going international. As a team of 4-5
students, you will serve as consultants and develop an IB proposal for an existing US
firm or you can create a hypothetical firm. Assume that the CEO and board of directors of
the company have decided that operations should be set up outside the US. Prepare your
analysis for a country that the company has not yet entered.
Post a one-sentence description of your teams proposal in the Discussion Board of
Blackboard by 10 pm, Thursday, June 8. The paper and powerpoints are due for
ALL teams at the beginning of class on Thursday June 30. (Note: This is the date of
the first set of presentations.) Late papers will not be accepted. Submit one hard copy per
team of the paper and PPTs. Also post your paper on Turnitin, and the slides in the
Discussion Board on Blackboard. Each team member will submit a confidential peer
evaluation form of all team members contributions, and this assessment will be taken
into consideration when determining grades.
Team Presentations: In additon to the team paper, each team will prepare a 20-minute
in-class presentation, using Powe rpoint slides, and each team member will speak during
the presentation. Presentations over 20 minutes will lose points. You may bring notes on a
4X6 note card, but make sure that you do not read your presentation to the class. You
should actively seek to make these presentations entertaining as well as substantive. Load
your presentation before the start of the class and do a tech check.
Content of the Market Entry Report
The report should be directed toward the companys board of directors. Your task as
consultants is to distill the available information and present it in an easily digestible
format. Your report should be as complete, yet concise as possible in the presentation of
your analysis and recommendations. It should be neatly organized and easy to
follow. Use of visual aids, where appropriate, is encouraged. You may choose a company
that already exists and take it into a country into which it is not yet doing business, or a
company that does not yet have an overseas presence.
Guidelines
1. The proposal must be feasible.
2. Select a mode of entry (export, licensing, franchise, etc.).
3. Base your proposal on an existing firm or you may create a firm (note that it is much
easier to find financial information on publicly quoted companies than on private ones).

4. Select a foreign (non-US) market as the target market.


5. The report should have clearly marked sections: Executive Summary (1 page),
Introduction, Host Country Analysis (biggest portion of your report), Firm Strategy, and
your Recommendations (3-5 in number) to the board of directors as to what action the
MNE should take based on your analysis.
Structure
The paper should be 15-18 double-spaced pages (12-point font, Times New Roman;
papers exceeding 18 pages will lose points), in addition to an executive summary,
exhibits, and references. The cover page should include: the name of the MNE you are
analyzing; the name of your consulting company; the names and emails of you, the
consultants; the name of the host country you are analyzing; the date; the course name
and meeting time; and the name of the instructor. All pages, except the cover page, should
be numbered. All maps, graphs, figures, and tables should be at the back of the paper
neatly organized and labeled in an Appendix.
You must tell the CEO and Board where you accessed all the information. To avoid
plagiarism, information from course materials, databases, etc., must be cited with in the
body of the report (with author and year in parentheses). Endnotes are in addition to the
15-18 pages of text.)
The following areas are to be covered in the report:
Executive Summary A brief synthesis of the content and conclusions of your report. No
more than 2 short paragraphs maximum.
Introduction A brief profile of the firm and product or service.
Host Country Analysis An analysis of the macro-environment of the selected country,
with an emphasis on how various factors are relevant to the firm. Include analysis of the
following dimensions:
a. Cultural/Social: How would cultural differences, societal structures affect your
business operations and marketing campaign efforts?;
b. Economic: How will you attain a competitive advantage by going international in the
particular host country that you have chosen? Profile your customer base in terms of
demographics, market size and potential, etc. in the country of your choice;
c. Ethical: How does your host country rank internationally in terms of corruption,
environmental pollution, etc.
d. Political/Legal: What is the structure of the government/legal system in your host
country and how would they affect your business operations there?
The Host Country Analysis should be the longest portion of your report.
Firm Strategy Analysis:
a. Financial Analysis For your company and three top competitors, gather and analyze
the following information for the past three years from company documents such as
annual reports: total revenues, net income, total assets, ROA, ROS, ROE. If no financial
data is available for your company, sometimes companies will provide data in a disguised
way, such as multiplying or dividing key financial indicators by a number that they dont
disclose. If you are unable to obtain such information, you may use data for a
comparable-sized company in the same business, or scale down data from larger firms.

Additional useful analyses are projections of three years of future earnings or other
financial analyses in the target country for your company. Such analyses can add depth
and credibility to your proposal.
b. Major Competitors Analysis Who are your firms major competitors (names and
brands)? How do they perform financially in comparison with your company (refer to
previous section)? Are they a threat to your companys operations in the host country you
have chosen? Why? How will you differentiate from them? Compare your company with
competitors, discuss trends, and if your companys performance lags the competition,
explain how your company might improve. Use data bases such as Mergent.
c. Firm Mode of Entry A mode of entry into the foreign market must be selected.
Pertinent factors surrounding this mode (for example import regulations, customs,
payment methods, etc. for Exporting as a mode) should then be covered. What strategy of
internationalization will you use?
d. Firm Social Responsibility What is the company doing (or can the company do) to be
socially responsible both in its home country and in its host market? If your company is
currently not engaged in any such activities, recommend some alternatives and why they
should be implemented.
The Firm Strategy Analysis should be the second longest portion of your report, but
shorter than the Host Country Analysis portion.
Recommendations What do you suggest to the Board of Directors to do, based on your
above discussion? The number of recommendations should be between 3-5, and should
be the shortest part of your IB proposal. This segment acts the conclusion to your report.
This paper is not merely a report of facts. It should demonstrate creativity, judgment, and
analysis.
Course Schedule
NOTE: Read opening cases and the text material of each chapter. Material in boxes in the
textbook is optional unless instructed otherwise.
1. Tu. May 10 The Exciting Environment of International Business
Course introduction, discussion of syllabus and assignments
Text: Chapter 1
Read the opening case: Who makes the Apple phone?
2. Th. May 12 National Differences in Political Economy
Text: Chapter 2 CASE: Global Wine War 2009
Read the opening case: Ghana an African Dynamo.
3. Tu. May 17 - Cultural Variations and Their Impact on Business
Text: Chapter 4 CASE:Mattels China Experience
International Business in the News (IBN) student-led discussions
Presenters will post reading(s) on Discussion Board of BB by 10 pm of previous class. To
be read in advance by all students.
4. Th. May 19 Business Ethics and Application to the Mining Industry
Text: Chapter 5 CASE:Trout Farming in Peru

Team Assignment Due: Post the following information about your teams market entry
project on Blackboard by 10:00 tonight: the name of the company, country to enter, and
names of team members.
5.Tu. May 24 Political Economy of International Trade
Text: Chapter 7
6.Th. May 26 Global Strategy
Text: Chapter 12CASE: UPS in India
7. Tu .May 31: Exam Chapters 1,2,4,5,7
8.Th. June 2 . Thurs- Entering Foreign Markets
Text: Chapter 13
9.Tu. June 7 Regional Economic Integration
10.Th. June 9 Market Entry Presentations I, Teams 1-4
Papers and PPTs for all 7 teams are due at the beginning of class. Post papers on Turnitin,
PPTs on Discussion Board. Hard copies of both to be handed in today.
Team 1:
Team 2:
Team 3:
Team 4:
11.Tu. June 14 Market Entry Presentations II, Teams 5-8
Team 5:
Team 6
12. Th. June 16 International Human Resources Management
Text: Chapter 17 Marketing Chateau Margaux
13. Th. June 21

Exam 12, 13, 9, 17, 15

12.Th. June 23 Setting Up Production Operations Around the World


Case:. Porsche: The Cayenne Launch
13 Tu June 28 Market Entry Projects:
14 Th June 30 Market Entry projects

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