Professor Carol Reade

Department of Organization and Management

College of Business, San Jose State University

Fall Semester, 2008

 

Course Title:	BUS 187 – Global Dimensions of Business
Course Code:	42547
Course Section:	08
Class Hours & Location:	TR,  10:30 – 11:45;  BBC 204
Office Hours:	TR,  8:15 – 8:45; 12:00 – 13:00; and by appointment
Office Location:	BT 557
Office Phone:	(408) 924-1343
Fax:	(408) 924-3555
Email:	carol.reade@sjsu.edu
Website:	http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/reade_c

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

 

A major force underlying the globalization of the world economy has been the rapid, sustained growth of international business, both in terms of international trade and in the investment and other practices of multinational enterprises.  This course provides an introduction to international business and the global economy from a management perspective.  Topics include international trade theories and practice, economic integration, differences in legal, political, economic, and cultural environments, and the strategies and structures adopted by multinational enterprises to compete in the global marketplace. 

 

COURSE PREREQUISITES

 

Upper division standing and Bus 100W

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

The overarching mission of the course is to instill in the student the knowledge, skills and passion necessary to contribute effectively in the global marketplace.

As a result of successful participation the student will:

 

• Become familiar with key concepts, theoretical frameworks, main driving forces and basic operational processes of international business;

• Develop the ability to present a balanced view of international business that takes into account the viewpoints of home and host governments, of private firms, average firms and of the interests of both developing and developed countries;

• Obtain a broad base for further study and application of the subject.

 

Lectures, case analyses, video film discussions, possible guest speakers, and exams are used to help students achieve these objectives.

 

REQUIRED TEXT

 

Hill, Charles W. (2009) International Business. 7th Edition. McGraw-Hill.  ISBN: 978007338134-3.  (The text is referred to in the syllabus as ‘Hill.’ The publisher’s PowerPoint slides for each chapter of the text will be made available on the instructor’s website.)

 

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

 

All students are expected to keep abreast of contemporary developments in global business by reading the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Financial Times, or other major daily, as well as selectively reading various journals such as The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, Business Week, Foreign Affairs, and other journals.

 

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE

 

Performance Categories           % of Final Grade

Participation                                        05%

Assignments                                        15%

Examinations                                       80%

 

Grading Scale

A+ =  97 – 100	B+  =  87 – 89	C+   =  77 – 79	D+   =  67 – 69	F   =  below 60
A   =  94 –  96	B    =  84 – 86	C     =  74 – 76	D     =  64 – 66
A-  =  90 – 93	B-   =  80 – 83	C-    =  70 – 73	D-    =  60 – 63

 

Participation:  (05%) 

 

Your presence in class is important, and active participation in class discussions is welcomed and expected.  If class is missed, please get notes and assignments from your classmates.  You are responsible for class material and announcements made in class including changes to the syllabus.   Showing respect for the learning environment counts heavily towards the participation grade.  All students are expected to display professionalism, in preparation for the business world.  That means arriving on time, remaining quiet when others are speaking, and paying attention to whoever has the floor in the classroom.  Please turn off your cell phones, and refrain from activities that disrupt the class. 

 

Assignments:  (15%)

 

Case Analysis (05%)

There will be three in-class case discussions throughout the term (see course schedule below).  Preparation for the case discussions involves analyzing the cases through answering the end-of-case questions prior to discussion.  While you are required to prepare for all three cases, you must submit the end-of-case answers for one of the three cases for grading purposes.  In other words, you have a choice between three cases with three different submission dates.  However, you may submit only one case analysis for a grade.  Your submission must be at the start of the class period during which the case is discussed.  No late submissions will be accepted.  Confine your answers to one page, single-spaced, 1-inch margins, 11 or 12 cpi font, Times New Roman.  Number your answers; there is no need to re-type the case questions.  If more than one page is submitted, only the first page will be assessed for grading purposes.

 

Consulting Report (10%)

This assignment involves preparing a brief ‘consulting report’ which assesses political risk and provides recommendations to a hypothetical client.  The assignment is designed to sharpen research, analytical, and business writing skills.  Guidelines for the assignment are posted on the instructor’s website.

 

Examinations:  (80%: Midterms, 2@25%; Final, 30%)

 

Three midterm exams will be administered during the course, the two best scores of which will count toward the final grade.  The final exam is comprehensive; it is therefore to your advantage to take all three midterm exams.  All exams are multiple-choice.  Please bring a SCANTRON Form No. 882-E to all exams.

All exams are closed notes and closed book.  Please be aware that you are responsible for all assigned text material, whether or not covered in class, as well as material covered in class such as exercises, discussions, videos and other assigned readings.

Study guide materials.  End of chapter questions make a good study guide, since they are the basis of class discussion topics.  Also, the PowerPoint slides for each text chapter, available on the instructor’s website, will be useful for review. 

There are no make-up exams.  If you miss one of the three midterm exams, that will be the exam score that is dropped.  Exams will generally be returned the next class period.  If you miss the class period when grades are handed back, please note that exam grades will not be communicated by email or phone.

 

POLICIES

 

Academic Integrity:  Plagiarism will lead to grade penalties, and possibly failure of the course and/or a notation of the incident in your SJSU student records.  It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes plagiarism before you hand in written work.  The official SJSU academic integrity policy can be found at http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/download/judicial_affairs/Academic_Integrity_Policy_S07-2.pdf

     

Americans with Disabilities Act:  If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to see me as soon as possible.

 

Add/Drop:  Information on add/drops, http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/soc-fall/rec-324.html
Information about late drop, http://www.sjsu.edu/sac/advising/latedrops/policy/ .

 

College of Business:  In classrooms, refrain from eating, using cell phones, and using computers for other than course-related activities.  http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/cob/5_STUDENT%20SERVICES/cobpolicy.htm. 

 

COURSE SCHEDULE

     

 

I look forward to seeing you in class, and to a challenging and fun semester!