MMM071: International Business Environment

Module code: MMM071

Module provider: International Business and Strategy; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Jose Eduardo Ibarra-Olivo, email: eduardo.ibarra-olivo@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

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

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module studies the contemporary international business environment from different theoretical perspectives while drawing on relevant empirical evidence. Students learn about the role of multinational firms, institutions and political economic systems, technological changes, and geography in shaping the international business environment. The focus is on the actors and the complex set of networked interactions, embedded in different institutional frameworks, and grounded in different geographies, that make up the global geo-economy. The module aims to analyse the opportunities and threats in the global economy stemming from global shifts. It enables students to gain knowledge of a basic set of frameworks and concepts from diverse theories to describe and discuss the geography of the contemporary international business environment. The aim is to identify the main actors and institutions in the global economy, examine their interactions and critically assess their roles in determining the distribution of economic outcomes at different geographical scales.

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Discuss the nature and limits of economic globalisation and the transformations in the geographies of the global economy.  
2. Evaluate the nature of geographical embeddedness of multinational enterprises and the spatial extent of global production networks. 
3. Assess the role of institutions and states at different geographical scales in shaping international trade and investment activities. 
4. Discuss the impact of technological changes, innovation, and geographic dispersion on the international business environment. 
5. Discuss the extent of power asymmetry in shaping economic relations and the distribution of gains and losses in the global economy across different geographical scales. 

Module content

• Changes in the geographies of globalisation.
• The geography of the multinational firm. 
• Institutions, political economy, and varieties of capitalism.
• Economic relations in Global Production Networks. 
• Technological changes and systems of innovation. 
• Environmental effects of Global Production Networks
• Distribution of gains and losses in the global economy.
• Global industries.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

A combination teaching and learning methods is used. Lectures and seminars are complemented with screencasts, videos, discussion material, and learning activities, both individual and collaborative. Students are required to read a wide range of literature from academic articles, book chapters, statistical sources, news articles, reports to editorials.

Study hours

At least 25 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 need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% 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