Broome Community College

BROOME COMMUNITY COLLEGE/Windsor High School

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS

COURSE:BUS 116 - International Business Environments

PREREQUISITE:11th or 12th grade

TEXT:International Business by Charles Hill, 8th ed., 2011. (McGraw-Hill)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

An overview and discussion of international business concepts. General topics include country differences, cross-border trade, and strategic & managerial issues facing international companies. Trade theory, economic integration, global sourcing, export-import basics, cultural awareness, foreign exchange, competitive strategy, current global business issues, and other subjects relating to international business will be covered.

DEPARTMENTAL POLICY:

The minimum passing grade is 65%.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Pen/Pencil, colored pencils, 2” binder with lined paper and dividers

COURSE OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES:

Students will understand the international business environment at three levels:

National Level – Students will:
describe and critique political & economic systems encountered by international business
analyze data on the global nature of economic & business activity
discuss cultural difference among nations and within nations along with the challenges these difference create for international business
analyze and discuss current issues relating to globalization of markets and production and the consequences for businesses, workers, communities, and national policy
Cross-Border Level – Students will:
be able to convert currencies and calculate the impact of foreign exchange movements on international business contracts
apply international trade theory to cases involving international business
work with and interpret examples of protectionism as to their rationale and consequences for business, workers, communities, and national policy
will research various international organizations and regional trade groups including the WTO (World Trade Organization) and European Union using each organizations website
Firm Level – Students will:
utilize the basic strategies for entering foreign markets to assess decision-making by international business enterprises
be able to select appropriate strategy for managing all aspects of an international business including export/import financing
be able to analyze the benefits and costs of different international strategies by using Case Method

COURSE OUTLINE:

Unit 1:
Part 1: Portfolio
Introduction and Overview (Ch 1)
National Differencesin Political Economy and Culture (Ch 2-3)
Ethical Issues (Ch 4)
Part 2: Case Study – “Google in China”, p. 160-161
Part 3: Exam
Unit 2:
Part 1: Portfolio
Political Economy of International Trade & Investment (Ch 5-8)
The Global Monetary System (Ch 9-11)
Part 2: Case Study
Part 3: Exam
Unit 3:
Part 1: Portfolio
Strategies & Structures of Firms (Ch 12-14)
Part 2: Case Study
Part 3: Exam
Unit 4:
Part 1:
Business Operations (Ch 15-20)
Part 2: Case Study
Part 3: Exam

GRADING:

Individual Assignments:

Unit 1: 15%
Unit 2:25%
Unit 3:10%
Unit 4: 5%
Quizzes:10%
Participation:10%

Group Assignments:

Country Project Report (including peer evaluations)15%
Country Project Presentation:10%

UNITS:

Each unit consists of three parts: 1. Portfolio, 2. Case Study, 3. Exam. Each part will be weighted as follows: Portfolio = 35%, Case Study = 35%, Exam = 30%.

Unit Portfolios

Each unit portfolio will include 10+ possible lists of assignment choices. You will choose only 5 to include in your unit portfolio. This list of assignments can include applications, research exercises, and reflections on classwork/discussions. Class attendance is important for building your portfolio. All portfolios must be typed, single-sided, double-spaced, and error free in 11-12 point font.

Unit Cases

Cases will be taken from the textbook. The cases will incorporate key objectives from the unit. Case discussions in class will help give you strategies for completing the unit cases.

Exams

Exams are non-comprehensive and include reading assignments and lessons covered in class. Exams can be multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. If you need to reschedule an exam, you need to inform me BEFORE the exam on your time NOT during class time, and provide appropriate documentation, such as a note from a parent/guardian or a doctor’s excuse. It is YOUR responsibility to inform me in advance and to reschedule make-up of the exam. Approval for rescheduling is at my discretion.

QUIZZES:

Unannounced pop quizzes will be given randomly at the beginning of class. These quizzes will cover assigned readings from the day before and/or material covered in the previous class. These pop quizzes will tell me that you have read the assigned material and paid attention in class. Students who arrive after the quiz has been returned or are absent that day may not make up the quiz and will receive a zero (0) for that quiz. However, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped.

PARTICIPATION and OTHER ASSIGNMENTS:

Participation: Attendance is critical to passing this class, as well as arriving on time and remaining up-to-date on the assigned readings. You are expected to read the assigned readings BEFORE each class so we can have meaningful discussions about the material. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions and make comments on the material.

Current Events Friday Presentation: With a randomly assigned group, you will be expected to research the past week’s current events that include the regions of the world (Africa, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, Mexico/Latin America, Middle East, North America, and South America). Because each group will be covering the entire world, each group member will decide which member will be researching which region(s). The following information will be required for each class presentation:

map of region(s) or country/countries (You can use an Internet map or Google Earth)
state how this event affects international business
answer any questions from the class related to this event
hand in a copy of the page or printout where you found the news (your name & date at top)

Students who do not present/complete this assignment will receive a zero. Presentation dates will be assigned during the first or second week of class.

Country Project Report: (Group Project)

Form your group of 2-3 no later than the third week of class. A region of the world will be randomly assigned to your group. Within this region your group will select one country to research.

A written statement of your group’s selected country and a second choice country must be given to me by the beginning of the class on September 20 so I can approve your country choice.

Your group will:

research the political, economic, legal, cultural, trade, and monetary environment
outline the challenges and opportunities of conducting business in the country
provide relevant guidelines for successful international business ventures in the country based on research of that country

**IMPORTANT** --Your group should approach this paper as a consulting firm or government agency providing information about this country to businesspeople around the world. This report should be able to be used by a firm located anywhere in the world that may be interested in doing business with your selected country. So, you should take a business perspective with regard to these topics and not take a US-centric perspective.

A possible outline that includes major topics for your report is:

Introduction
Political Environment (political system, structure, political parties, political risk)
Legal environment (legal system, legal issues in international business, legal risk)
Economic environment (economic system, main products and services, economic risk)
Monetary environment (currency system, currency risk)
Trade environment (major exports/imports, main trading partners, regional economic integration, tariff and trade barriers, government incentives for conducting business there)
Cultural analysis (cultural determinants, cultural dimensions, norms)
Outline of challenges and opportunities of doing business in the country (i.e. analysis and integration of information from other parts of the paper and other country data)
Guidelines for success when doing business in the selected country (i.e. not in general – use details)

Report format:

15-20 pages in lengthexcluding the cover page, table of contents, list of references, and appendices.
All pages should be single-sided, typed, double-spaced, and error free in 11-12 point font
You must include a cover page, a table of contents, page numbers, a list of current references (minimum of 10), and an appendix of key figures, charts, and the like.
References should be written in American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA) format. If you are not familiar with these formats, consult manuals in the library.
Current references should come from a variety of sources such as journals, websites, and books. Do not use the Internet and textbook as your sole resources.
Use headers and sub-headers to label different sections of the paper.
Since points will be deducted for spelling and grammar mistakes, I strongly recommend that each group have its report proofread by a writing tutor prior to submission.

Report Outline:

A detailed outline of the country project report is due on October 21.
The outline should list the main points that will be made for different sections of the report. [NOTE: I will provide written feedback on your detailed outline. This is your opportunity to determine if you are on the right track in terms of content and format. You should have already thoroughly researched the different portions of the paper and have decided on a general organizational structure for the paper. Groups are encouraged to meet with me during free class time to discuss my comments. ]

A hard copy of the final report is due at the beginning of class on December 1. Each group is also required to turn in a soft copy of the final report on a CD or Flash drive (check one out of the library)prior to class on December 1 for a plagiarism check. Please name this file “[Country Name]-Final Version” An e-copy does not replace a hard copy. Both a hard and e-copy are required to receive a grade for the project.

Group Project Report Grading:

1) Content – 80%

This is the most important part of the report. This part will show your group’s ability to find, select, and compile information for this assignment. It also shows your analytical ability in exposing the challenges and opportunities of doing business in a country, and providing guidelines for successful operationsinto this country. Thoroughness, accuracy, and sharpanalysis should come through in this part of the paper.

2) Process – 20%

This part will follow the Windsor Writing Rubric. You will be graded onthe readability, flow, logic, organization, professional look, and writing mechanics of the report. Reports should be clear, concise, structured in a logical fashion and easily readable, with a logical flow of thoughts and ideas as well as transitions between paragraphs. The report should not have any spelling and grammatical errors. It should also look neat and professional.

Note that I will not re-assign individuals to a different group after the initial assignment has been made. It is the group’s responsibility to work together. Ask me for advice.if needed, on working with group members. If group members are unable to work together, they have the right to resign from their group. In this case, thisstudent(s) must complete a different country project report individually, with the same specifications described above. Student(s) should email me about resigning so that I can provide them with a different country to research.

Country Project Presentation

Each group will present a brief summary of its country project with all group members participating. Group presentations should be 15-17 minutes long and should cover key points. You do not need to include everything that is in your papers: you should focus on most interesting and relevant pointsofeach section of the paper and include:

major challenges and opportunities
recommendations for successful business ventures in the country

Be aware that I will stop you once your maximum time of 17 minutes has passed. Creativity is encouraged in all presentations and your group can consider one of the following:

role plays/skits
mock business meetings
interview formats
game show
other formats to maintain interest

You should inform me two weeks prior to your presentation if you need any equipment in addition to a podium, access to a computer, DVD player, document camera (Elmo), or whiteboard. This will reduce set-up time in class. If your file is too large, please use a Flash drive. Thus, I should have a copy of your materials on my computer. If you are using non-computer based materials, please give me a copy of these materials during the day of your presentation.

The country project presentation will be graded as follows:

1) Content – 60%

This is what was written above about the group country project report. Evidence of thoroughness, accuracy, and a quality analysis should come through in the presentation.

2) Presentation – 40%

This refers to general presentation skills. Students should be audible, have good eye contact, come across as confident and knowledgeable, clearly state their points, and finish within the time limit. Practicing in advance is important and helpful.

Be creative and have fun when giving presentations. Let your creative juices flow. Do not simply read the paper aloud, but engage yourselves and the class in an active, interesting, fun presentation.

Peer Evaluations

Teamwork is a character that is important in the workplace as well as in this class. Since the quality of group output is dependent upon each individual’s quality contribution, it is vital that each group member work as part of the team.

Because I cannot assess the degree to which group members are performing their fair share of work, group members will anonymously evaluate the performance of each member. Each group members will assess each other (as well as themselves) on their:

contribution to the country project report and presentation
attendance at meetings
timely contribution to individually assigned tasks
overall performance

Group members will multiply the number of people in their group by 100 points and assign their total points among the members. All members must receive between 80 and 120 points from each evaluator (i.e. you can not give someone a zero score). Each individual’s average score will be the basis for his/her peer evaluation score, which is multiplied by the overall group’s country project report score to obtain the final country project report score for that individual.

For example, an individual who was a member of a six-person group that earned 80 points out of 100 on the country project report and who was given the peer evaluations shown in the table below would receive the overall group case analysis project grade as listed in the “individual project grade” column below. Thus, student E whose group received a country project report score of 80 and whose average peer evaluation score was 510/600, or 0.85, would obtain an individual country project report grade of 68. Note that I maintain the right to disregard self-ratings that are substantially higher than peer ratings.

Student / Ratings From A / Ratings From B / Ratings From C / Ratings From D / Ratings from E / Ratings from F / Total Score / Individual Project Grade
A / 100 / 100 / 100 / 100 / 110 / 100 / 610 / 80*1.02=81.3
B / 80 / 85 / 95 / 85 / 80 / 100 / 525 / 80*0.875=70
C / 108 / 100 / 110 / 100 / 120 / 100 / 638 / 80*1.063=85.06
D / 120 / 120 / 115 / 120 / 100 / 100 / 675 / 80*1.125=90
E / 80 / 80 / 80 / 80 / 90 / 100 / 510 / 80*0.85=68
F / 112 / 115 / 100 / 115 / 100 / 100 / 642 / 80*1.07=85.6

Your participation grade will be assessed as follows:

Excellent: consistently attending class, arriving on time, contributing to class discussions, being well-prepared for the current event assignment, and showing exceptionalunderstanding and insight of the material.

Good: consistently attending class, arriving on time, contributing to class discussions, being reasonably prepared for the current event assignment, and occasionally showing exceptionalunderstanding and insight of the material.

Average: consistently attending class, arriving on time, contributing to class discussions occasionally, and showing exceptional understanding and insights of the material.

Poor: inconsistently attending class, arriving late to class, contributing to class discussions inconsistently, showing a lack of preparation for the assignments, and rarely showing exceptional understanding and insight of the material.

My Webpage:

Student Expectations (Policy & Procedues)

Scholastic Dishonesty: (found on my Website)

TentativeCourse Outline

Date / Topic / Chapter / Assignments Due
Sept. 5 / Classroom Policies & Procedures
Course Overview / Textbook: Read pp. 9-15 plus Opening Case(p.8) AND Management Focus (p.14)
Sept. 5 / Course Overview
Globalization / Ch. 1 / Textbook: Read pp. 16-22
Sept. 6 / Globalization / Ch. 1
Sept. 9 / Globalization – GDP chart / Ch 1 / GDP Chart
Sept. 10 / Globalization – GDP chart / Ch. 1 / GDP chart due
Sept. 11 / Case Study: Cocoa – Fair Trade / Read case (Color World Map, Bar Graph of GDP)
Sept. 12 / Cocao – Fair Trade Questions (worksheets) / Worksheets: Discussion & Analyzing Images
Sept. 13 / Current Events Friday!!!! / Graphic Organizers 1 & 2
Sept. 16 / National Differences in Political Economy / Ch. 2 / Textbk: p. 48-65
Sept. 17 / Textbk: p. 57-87
Sept. 18 / Case Study: India’s Transformation
Sept. 19
Sept. 20 / Current Events Friday!!! / Country Selection for Country Project Reportduebeginning of class
Sept. 23 / Differences in Culture / Ch. 3
Sept. 24
Sept. 25
Sept. 26
Sept. 27
Sept. 30
Oct 1
Oct 2 / Simulation of Cross-Cultural Differences (Brief Encounters) / Ch. 3 / Attendance Required unless excused in advance (doctor’s note)
Oct 3 / Ch. 3
Oct 4 / Ch. 3
Oct 7 / Ch. 3
Oct 8 / Ch. 3
Oct 9 / Ch. 3
Oct 10 / Ch. 3
Oct 11 / NO SCHOOL – Superintendent’s Conf. Day
Oct 14 / NO SCHOOL – Columbus Day
Oct 15 / Ethics in International Business / Ch. 4
Oct 16 / Ch. 4
Oct 17 / Ch. 4
Oct 18 / Ch. 4
Oct 21 / Exam 1 / Detailed Outline of Country Presentation Due
Oct 22 / International Trade Theory / Ch. 5
Oct 23 / Ch. 5
Oct 24 / Ch. 5
Oct 25 / Ch. 5
Oct 28 / Political Economy of International Trade / Ch. 6
Oct 29 / Ch. 6
Oct 30 / Ch. 6
Oct 31 / Ch. 6
Nov 1 / Foreign Direct Investment / Ch. 7
Nov 4 / Ch. 7
Nov 5 / Ch. 7
Nov 6 / Ch. 7
Nov 7 / Regional Economic Integration / Ch. 8
Nov 8 / Ch. 8
Nov 11 / NO SCHOOL – Veteran’s Day
Nov 12 / Ch. 8
Nov 13 / Ch. 8
Nov 14 / Foreign Exchange Market / Ch. 9
Nov 15 / Ch. 9
Nov 18 / Ch. 9
Nov 19 / Ch. 9
Nov 20 / International Monetary System / Ch. 10
Nov 21 / Ch. 10
Nov 22 / Ch. 10
Nov 25 / Ch. 10
Nov 26 / Global Capital Market / Ch. 11
Nov 27-29 / Thanksgiving Break
Dec 2 / Ch. 11
Dec 3 / Exam 2
Dec 4 / Strategy of Int’l Business / Ch. 12
Dec 5 / Ch. 12
Dec 6 / Organization of International Business / Ch. 13
Dec 9 / Ch. 13
Dec 10 / Entry Strategy & Strategic Alliance / Ch. 14
Dec 11 / Ch. 14
Dec 12 / Ch. 14
Dec 13 / Ch. 14
Dec 16 / Exam 3
Dec 17 / Exporting, Importing, & Countertrade / Ch. 15
Dec 18 / Ch. 15
Dec 19 / Global Production, Outsourcing, & Logistics / Ch. 16
Dec 20 / Ch. 16
Dec 23-Jan3 / Christmas/Winter Break
Jan 6 / Int’l Marketing / Ch. 17
Jan 7 / Ch. 17
Jan 8 / Ch. 17
Jan 9 / Ch. 17
Jan 10 / Global Human Resources / Ch. 18
Jan 13 / Ch. 18
Jan 14 / Int’l Accounting / Ch. 19
Jan 15 / Ch. 19
Jan 16 / International Finance / Ch. 20
Jan 17 / Ch. 20
Jan 20 / NO SCHOOL – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan 21 / Exam 4
Jan 22 / Presentations
Jan 23 / Presentations
Jan 24 / Presentations/Teacher Eval
Jan 27 / Presentations (Regents)
Jan 28 / Presentations (Regents)
Jan 29 / Presentations (Regents)
Jan 30 / Make-Up Day(Regents)
Jan 31 / Make-Up Day (half day)

Website sources: