MMM095: Multinational Enterprise Strategy and Performance

Module code: MMM095

Module provider: International Business and Strategy; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

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

Pre-requisite module(s): Students who plan to enrol for this module are advised that having some prior fundamental understanding of accounting and/or financial management is beneficial for their study of this module. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE MMM001 (Compulsory)

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

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 17 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed to provide students with an understanding of international business strategy and the implications of such a strategy on the financial performance of the multinational enterprise (MNE). 
Students who plan to enrol for this module are advised that some prior fundamental understanding of accounting and/or financial management is beneficial for their study of this module.

Aims:
This module examines international business strategy and financial performance of the MNE
Specifically, this module helps students understand the following topics:

• What does international business strategy mean for today’s managers?
• How can you best extend your knowledge of how multinational enterprises function?
• How can you turn the messages from the academic literature into effective business strategies within an MNE?
• How can you measure the financial performance of MNEs?

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Describe the nature of globalization and regionalization and the prominent role of MNEs.
2. Explain the interaction between the internal firm factors of the MNEs and relevant external country environment factors.
3. Critically outline seven central themes for successful international business strategies and unifies them into a clear framework that can be applied to real world businesses worldwide.
4. Analyse the strategic issues facing MNEs in a logical and disciplined manner.
5. Analyse the relationship between international business strategy and financial performance of the MNE.

Additional outcomes:
Students will learn to work collaboratively with other team members and also independently under pressure of restricted time frames and make their own decisions on the organisation of their work. In addition, in-class, teamwork, and independent learning activities will help students to develop transferable skills (commercial awareness, critical thinking, analytical analysis, integration skills and communication skills), which are important for their future employment and professional development.

Module content

1. Conceptual foundation of international business strategy: seven concepts and one unifying framework. 
2. Implications of international business strategy for MNE performance - Part 1: Review of financial analysis.
3. Implications of international business strategy for MNE performance - Part 2: The relationship between firm-specific advantages (FSAs), the degree of internationalization, and performance  Practical application exercise.
4. The critical role of firm-specific advantages (FSAs).
5. The nature of home country specific advantages
6. The problems with host country specific advantages.
7. Combining firm-specific advantages and location-specific advantages: Part 1
8. Combining firm-specific advantages and location-specific advantages: Part 2 - Innovation
9. Introduction to international financial management in the MNE: Part 1.
10. Introduction to international financial management in the MNE - Part 2: Foreign exchange management, global cash management and the role of MNE global/ regional treasury centre.

Global context:
The lectures and workshops will use a wide range of examples of real world firms across the broad triad of North America, Europe and Asia Pacific for classroom illustration purposes, which aim to help students understand the module materials.

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 the textbook, journal articles, chapters of books, statistical sources and websites of national and international organisations.

Workshops: Workshop attendance is compulsory. The primary objectives of workshops are to help you to apply theoretical concepts and frameworks to analyse real world firms using the case study method (practical applications).

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 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