INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (ONLINE) - 2024/5

Module Overview

The worldwide political and economic liberalization and continuous technological improvement in the last three decades have brought unprecedented flows of goods, services, labour and capital across national boundaries. International business today comprises a larger and ever-growing portion of the world’s business and global events and competition affects almost all companies. A company operating internationally will engage in modes of business that are different from those it is accustomed to domestically. International business management is the process of applying management concepts, theories, and techniques in a multinational environment so that firms can become and remain international in scope. Moreover, a comparative view of management and organization in internationally operating firms is provided to understand these processes in detail.

Module provider

SOL - Surrey Business School

Module Leader

BOUGUERRA Abderaouf (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The main module content includes:

• Drivers and implications of globalization; the theories of FDI.


• Country market evaluation regarding the opportunities and risks brought to MNEs.


• Institutional home and host country effects on international management.


• Host country effects of FDI.


• Managing international operations and activities across national borders.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the ability of understanding, applying, analyzing and evaluating key concepts and theories that are discussed in the module, and their ability in understanding and solving practical problems that relate to different stakeholders, such as multinational corporations, international institutions, and national government bodies in the process of globalization.
An emphasis is given to evaluate students’ independent and critical thinking. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Assignment, 100%, which addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Formative Feedback
A detailed marking scheme is provided for students at the beginning of semester together with the assessment details. This allows students to identify what is expected of them. The marking scheme outlines the percentage figures for each assessment component. This is also essential as it allows for consistency in the marking process.

• During the live sessions, the requirements of each assessment component and the feedback process will be explained.


• As the live sessions are built around topic-specific group exercises, students do not only benefit from the module leader but also receive peer evaluations.


• A Q&A and feedback session is provided for each assessment component.

Summative Feedback
Detailed feedback will be provided for each summative assessment by the marker.

Module aims

• Identify and understand the drivers of globalization and its implications to different agents.
• Describe major theories of international business and evaluate their theoretical weaknesses and strengths.
• Develop the ability to evaluate the antecedents, mechanisms and outcomes of international business activities.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to provide structured formal learning through the online environment.  By actively engaging in the full range of guided learning activities students will explore the fundamental concepts, tools, and theories of the module to create new knowledge and build on existing experience.  The live learning sessions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn through the application of skills, discussion, and peer learning.  Students are invited to contribute to discussions from their own background and experiences and are encouraged to be actively involved in problem solving, thus developing their own judgments, opinions, and critical thinking.  Students are expected to utilise independent learning to deepen their knowledge and skills in core areas of interest.
Students will compare and discuss concepts and theories, the issues which integrate different topics and apply models and theories to case studies and scenarios.  The teaching and learning methods include: 

• Seminar.


• Guided Learning.


• Independent Study.

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: MANM580

Other information

In this module, the following four pillars are covered:
Global and cultural capabilities: As the name of this module indicates, we prepare our students to work in a multicultural global working environment. Students and staff on this module come from diverse and culturally rich backgrounds. As such students broaden their own world view, perspectives, and interpretations by interacting in a culturally varied environment. 
Digital capabilities: Fortunately, our students are the generation of information and communication technology enthusiasts. During the module, students acquire and develop a range of digital capabilities. In addition to the person-computer interface embedded in the module, some assessment components require students to engage with several digital platforms. 
Employability: One of the main intentions of this module is preparing the students to be work-ready. The students learn all necessary concepts, decision-making steps, and techniques for assessing, planning and implementing required strategies and actions in the context of international business.
Sustainability: The notion of sustainability is taught directly and indirectly in almost all modules. One of the intentions of the module is to advance students’ understanding and awareness of aspects of sustainability and ethical people management. Sustainable and ethical people management principles inform this module. The module is informed by the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social, and environment.

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.