GLOBAL BUSINESS CONTEXTS - 2024/5

Module Overview

Global Business Contexts is designed to empower students with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the global marketplace. The module places students at the centre of their learning, fostering an understanding of international business environments, strategies, and challenges. Students will explore the dynamics of international trade, cross-cultural communication, global market entry strategies, and the impact of globalisation and de-globalisation on businesses. By actively engaging with the material and applying it to real-world scenarios, students will be better prepared to navigate the complexities of international business.

The characteristics of different economies will be explored and compared, along with the operations of multinational businesses. The strategic issues which face organisations in a global context will also be examined. The module will build awareness of political, cultural and socio-economic dynamics in and between market economies. There will be an opportunity to develop some of the ethical considerations which have been explored previously in the Introduction to Decision Making (MAN0002) module.

The module will build on the knowledge and skills gained in Semester 1. Data analysis will be a significant factor in order to support students to develop their numerical skills in anticipation of their degree-level study.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

WHITE Erivan (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Analysis of the process of globalisation and its different impacts on nations and social groups. Students are encouraged to bring their own experiences to bear during this process, enabling clear and explicit links between local and global

• Development of students’ awareness of socio-cultural issues and their impact upon the conduct and profitability of business. Theories developed by Hofstede (dimensions of culture) and Perlmutter (attitudes of international executives) are scrutinised in this context

• Students are encouraged to develop their awareness of historical, cultural, political and socio-economic influences on the development and classification of nations; Rostow’s theory of economic development is examined here

• Ethical considerations are brought to the fore by consideration of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Stakeholder Theory, Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line and five ethical standards used to examine business dilemmas, from rights-based approaches to utilitarianism

• Data analysis and interpretation and numerical skills development are both encouraged through analysis of tools such as the time value of money, Return on Investment (ROI) and Net Present Value (NPV)

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the international business environment and the theoretical and conceptual frameworks which underpin it. Students will be able to enrich their numerical skills development whilst experiencing the pressures of examination conditions.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• One-hour mid-term online test

• Two-hour closed book written examination

Formative assessment and Feedback

Students will attempt an exam question from a past paper under timed conditions. This piece of work will be marked and commented upon by a peer, enabling constructive debate and discussion regarding the contents of the response, and suggestions from the ‘assessor’ as to the efficacy of it. Alongside this, verbal formative feedback will be provided in seminars where students will apply taught theoretical and conceptual frameworks, present data, and engage with class debates and roleplays.

Module aims

• Students will be encouraged to develop an up-to-date knowledge and understanding of current trends in the international business environment through analysis of Orbis data, discussion of socio-cultural issues and scrutiny of trends in globalisation
• Students will be supported to build their knowledge of how different economies function and how business outcomes are influenced by historical, cultural, political and socio-economic influences
• Students will develop the capacity to compare and contrast economic data in order to draw conclusions about the economic performance of nations and organisations
• Students will build and develop the ability to critically analyse the global strategies of multinational organisations

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to introduce students to the international business environment and the theoretical and conceptual frameworks which underpin it. Using the taught theory, students will then be able to compare and contrast varying economic data in order to draw conclusions about the economic performance of nations and organisations. This is designed to cultivate an analytical and critical mind set for students on the module. In addition to this, students will be empowered to engage in discussions and debates on the international business environment and current economic trends.

Emphasis will be placed on data interpretation and analysis in order to prepare students for the demands of FHEQ level 4.

The learning and teaching methods will include lectures and seminars. Lectures will introduce students to the international business environment and the theoretical and conceptual frameworks which underpin it. An emphasis will be placed on how business outcomes are influenced by historical, cultural, political and socio-economic influences. Seminars will seek to apply the theoretical knowledge taught in seminars through real world case application, flipped learning, class debates and roleplay.

Students are encouraged to use tutorial time to clarify and develop their understanding of concepts and theories examined in the module.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN0004

Other information

The Foundation Year programme is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: 

Employability: there is a strong focus on employability in this module as students develop understanding of the international business environment and become increasingly aware of strategic issues facing organisations in a globalised world.  The importance for future employment of students being able effectively to identify and understand contemporary political, cultural and economic trends is stressed through the module.  Students also have opportunities to develop numerical skills for data analysis relevant to the workplace.

Digital Capabilities: depending on their future study pathways, students can choose in this module the extent to which they develop the digital skills necessary for data analysis and interpretation through qualitative or quantitative methods.

Success in the ‘open book’ exam relies heavily on students’ abilities to store, index and retrieve relevant information from their own notes and public sources of information, expected to be largely (though not exclusively) stored in digital form, and to make quick and informed decisions as to how to apply this information appropriately to complete a task. Relevant strategies to support this assessment are embedded in the module.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: As the module progresses, there is increasing reliance on students preparing material in advance of seminars, thus enabling class time to maximise interactive activities: this provides students with structured opportunities to develop an independent approach to learning and sound time management skills, which will be increasingly important at higher levels of study and in future employment.

Building on skills developed in MAN0002, confidence and resilience as public speakers is further enhanced through giving informal seminar presentation, with feedback from peers and seminar leader.

Students are encouraged to be resourceful through the formative task of peer-driven feedback to a past exam question. They can act as assessor and offer advice to the student who has written the response. This also encourages resilience in a safe, non-threatening environment.

Sustainability:

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Elkington’s Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Stakeholder theory are scrutinised at length in order to provoke a clear understanding of the significance of sustainability and ethics in the contemporary business world. The origins of ethics are also briefly discussed, which brings a philosophical element to the proceedings.

Global and Cultural Capabilities:

As suggested by the title, this module emphasises exploration of theoretical and conceptual frameworks which underpin understanding of the international business environment, both at the corporate and at the national economic level.  In so doing, it builds on some of the global and cultural themes introduced in Semester 1 in MAN0002 (Introduction to Decision Making). Globalisation is a key theme, along with exploration of cultural issues and their (significant) impact in the context of global business. Case studies are used to examine such themes, along with the utilisation and scrutiny of the concept of acculturation.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2024/5 academic year.