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Course Syllabus
BUEC 342 A1/A2/A3: Introduction to International Business Fall 2020
Time and Location: A1 M W 11:00AM - 12:20PM (Mountain Time) Remote A2 M W 12:30PM - 1:50PM (Mountain Time) Remote A3 M W 2:00PM - 3:20PM (Mountain Time) Remote
Instructor: Professor Runjuan Liu Office: 4-30M Business Building
Email: [email protected] (please indicate in the subject line “BUEC 342”) Office Hours: by appointment
Course Description
This is an introductory level course on International Business. It services as a basis for other more advanced courses in International Business. In this course, we will examine international trade and investment in the context of the global political economy and from the perspective of the business enterprises. Course topics include the political, legal, economic and cultural environment for international business, international trade and foreign direct investment in theory and practice, regional economic integration, foreign exchange market and risk, and international business strategies.
Prerequisites
Students may receive credit for only one of BUEC 342 or ADMI 444.
Course Materials
The required textbook is Charles Hill, International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace (with Connect online access), 13th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education. Lectures and other complementary readings will be posted on eClass. Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Course Website
This course will use the eClass system (https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca). All registered students should have access to the course page. Class announcements, schedules, and related materials will be posted on eClass.
It is very important to check the eClass regularly for updated class information.
Course Grading
Grades will be determined as follows:
• Class Participation 10%
• News Presentation 10%
• Case Presentation and Assignment 10% and 10%
• Quizzes 20%
• Exam I 20% October 14 (during class time)
• Exam II 20% December 7 (during class time)
2 Class Participation
Regular attendance and class participation are critical to successfully completing this course. Each class will involve extensive discussion and debate about the course material and assigned readings as well as current events related to the class. As such, students are expected to read the assigned readings prior to class and to actively contribute to class discussions.
News Presentation
Some classes will start with news presentation, where several students will report on current news of international business and lead the class discussion on the news. Schedules and detailed requirements will be posted on eClass.
Case Presentation and Assignment
Students need to form groups and, during some classes, one group is responsible for presenting an assigned case and leading the class discussion on the case. After presenting the case, the group also need to submit a written assignment on the case. Schedules and detailed requirements will be posted on eClass.
Quizzes
There will be weekly quizzes posted and evaluated through Connect.
Exams
There will be two exams for this course. Exam I will be based primarily on the material covered in the first half of the course and Exam II will be based primarily on the material covered in the second half of the course. If one exam is missed for a valid reason, with instructor’s approval there will be one chance of writing a make-up exam. If a student should request re-grading of part of an exam, I reserve the right to re-grade the entire exam. All such requests are to be submitted within one week of when the exams are returned.
Grading Criterion
Your final percentage grade is calculated as a weighted average of the individual components. Letter grades are assigned following the recommendations of the University Calendar. From Section 23.4 (4) of the University Calendar, “Grades reflect judgements of student achievement made by instructors. These judgements are based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in a class.”
Final letter grades will be calculated using the above statement, and as an approximate guide, the recommended undergraduate grading distribution from the Provost and Vice President (Academic), provided at the following link (http://www.registrarsoffice.ualberta.ca/Assessment-and- Grading/Students/Grading-System-Explained.aspx).
The Code of Student Behavior
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.
Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the
provisions of the Code of Student Behavior (http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStude
ntBehaviour.aspx).
University Policies
Policy about course outlines can be found in Course Requirements, Evaluation Procedures and Grading of the University Calendar.
3 Outline
The course outline is tentative and may be adjusted as the semester progresses. Any change will be announced on eClass.
1. Globalization
Globalization (Chapter 1)
2. National Differences
National Differences in Political, Economic, and Legal Systems (Chapter 2) National Differences in Economic Development (Chapter 3)
Differences in Culture (Chapter 4)
3. Ethics in International Business
Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sustainability (Chapter 5)
4. Global Trade and Investment Environment International Trade Theory (Chapter 6)
Government Policy and International Trade (Chapter 7) Foreign Direct Investment (Chapter 8)
Regional Economic Integration (Chapter 9)
5. Global Monetary System
The Foreign Exchange Market (Chapter 10) The International Monetary System (Chapter 11)
6. International Business Strategies
Entering Developed and Emerging Markets (Chapter 15) Exporting, Importing and Countertrade (Chapter 16) Offshoring and Global Production (Chapter 17)