MM303: Strategy and International Business

Module code: MM303

Module provider: International Business and Strategy; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Quyen Nguyen, email: t.k.q.nguyen@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE MM1F27 AND TAKE MM1F20 OR TAKE MM230 OR TAKE MM296 OR TAKE MM218 (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 18 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module provides an introduction to the variety of strategic issues confronting managers of multinational enterprises (MNEs), both within the firm and in the global marketplace.

Strategy and International Business helps students understand the strategy and international business of multinational enterprises (MNEs). It examines factors that influence the development and the competitive positioning of multinational enterprises (MNEs). This requires an understanding of both the external international business environment and the internal nature of the firm and its strategy. A company’s strategy provides the context within which managers decide what to do, and what not to do, with respect to resource allocation, market selection and organizational development.

In this module we shall introduce students to:

• the core concepts and models underlying contemporary international business strategy
• their theoretical and empirical foundations;
• their limitations, and the arguments surrounding them;
• their practical application to analyse issues faced by real world MNEs.

The module lead at the University of Reading Malaysia is Dr Siohong Tih.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Describe the concepts and frameworks used in international business strategy analysis;
2. Explain the academic reasoning underlying them;
3. Engage effectively in discussions concerning their relevance and appropriateness, both in general academic terms and in the context of particular firms, situations and environments;
4. Analyse the strategic issues of a particular company in a logical and disciplined way.

Module content

1. Introduction to international business
2. FSA/CSA framework and applications (FSAs: Firm-specific advantages; CSAs: Country-specific advantages)
3. The multinational enterprise (MNE), broad triad regions and global versus regional strategies
4. International culture
5. National competitiveness/ country diamonds
6. Integration/responsiveness framework
7. Multinational strategy
8. Organizational strategy
9. International financial management in the MNE
10. Flagship strategy framework

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Detailed guidance on the main topics of the syllabus and key references are provided in lectures. Students are required to do a significant amount of reading of journal articles, chapters of books, statistical sources and websites of companies, national and international organizations.

Tutorials are compulsory to attend. The purpose of the tutorial session is to help students understand the key concepts and the key theoretical frameworks by application to real world companies with the case study method.

This module may be taught in a different Semester if you are studying at our campus in Malaysia.

For students studying at our campus in Malaysia: This module may be taught in a different semester and the breakdown of study hours may differ to those set out in the Study Hours table (please refer to the Module Handbook for the correct breakdown). In addition, you will be required to complete an additional 40 hours of study, taking the total number of study hours to 240 for this module. This is to comply with the Malaysian Quality Agency (MQA).

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students must achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs