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Course Syllabus
BUEC 342 B1/B2/B3: Introduction to International Business Winter 2017
Time and Location: B1 MWF 9:00 - 9:50 AM at BUS 3-10 B2 MWF 10:00 - 10:50 AM at BUS 3-6 B3 MWF 11:00 - 11:50 AM at Tory 1-119 Instructor: Runjuan Liu
Office: 3-21C Business Building Phone: (780) 492-0334
Email: [email protected] (please indicate in the subject line “BUEC 342”) Office Hours: Fridays 1:00-2:00 PM or 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 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 strategy and operations.
Prerequisites
Students may receive credit for only one of BUEC 342 or ADMI 444.
Required Textbook
Charles W. L. Hill, Thomas McKaig, Global Business Today, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 4nd Canadian edition, 2015. The text provides an excellent overview of international business.
Course Website
This course will use the Ulearn system (https://ulearn.ualberta.ca). All registered students should have access to the course page. All class announcements, schedules, and materials will be posted on Ulearn.
Course Grading
Grades will be determined as follows:
Class Participation 10%
News Presentation 10% Due on the day of your presentation (in class) Case Presentation (Group) 10% Due on the day of your group presentation (in class) Case Assignment (Group) 20% Due on the day of your group presentation (in class) Midterm 20% March 1st (in class)
Final Exam 30% See Bear Track for the time and location
2 Class Participation
Classroom participation is crucial to the success of this class. Each class will involve extensive discussion and debate, particularly classes using case study.
News Presentation
Most classes will start with news presentation, where several students will report on current news of international business published in the newspapers or magazines (e.g. Globe and Mail, National Post, Edmonton Journal, New York Times, and the Economist) in 2017. On the day of news presentation, assigned students are expected to hand in one copy of news presentation slides.
Case Presentation and Assignment
Students are asked to form groups and, during some classes, one group is responsible for leading the discussion of a presentation case. On the day of case presentation, the group is expected to hand in one copy of case presentation slides and one homework assignment based on the presentation case for which the group was leading the discussion.
Exams
There will be one midterm and a final exam. The midterm will be based primarily on the material covered before the midterm. The final Exam will be comprehensive. If a midterm is missed and the student has an accompanying medical note, the midterm weight will automatically be added to the final 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. Please verify date and time of the final exam with the registrar’s office.
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/Cod eofStudentBehaviour.aspx) and avoid any behavior which could potentially result in suspicious of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
3 Course Outline
The course outline is tentative. The course outline may be adjusted due to certain circumstances.
Any change will be announced in class and on Ulearn.
1. Globalization
Globalization (Chapter 1)
2. Country Differences
Country Differences in Political Economy (Chapter 2) The Cultural Environment (Chapter 3)
Ethics in International Business (Chapter 4)
3. Cross-Border Trade and Investment
International Trade Theories (Chapter 5)
The Political Economy of International Trade (Chapter 6) Foreign Direct Investment (Chapter 7)
Regional Economic Integration (Chapter 8)
4. Global Money System
The Foreign Exchange Market (Chapter 9) The Global Monetary System (Chapter 10)
5. Competing in a Global Marketplace Global Strategy (Chapter 11)
Entering Foreign Markets (Chapter 12)
Exporting, Importing, and Countertrade (Chapter 13)