Course Title: International Business

Spring Semester 2019

- Class Hours: Tuesday (14:00~16:45) in Int’l Studies Hall 423

- Instructor: Xuelian Piao, PHD
- Office hours: By appointment (Business School Main Building 417)
- E-mail: snowlotus@korea.ac.kr

I. Course Overview

This course aims to provide students with better understanding on firms' international
business management. The students have opportunities to learn about the various aspects of
international business environments such as political, legal, and economic environments
which firms are faced with along internationalization processes. Furthermore, the course
gives special attentions to firms' strategic choices in relation to international business. All
through the course the students are expected to grasp the basic concepts and theories, and to
analyze real-world cases on international business management, so it motivates the students
to immerse in each topic of the course through preparation and participation to the lectures
and discussions, presentations, and exams etc.

II. Textbook

International Business: Environments and Operations (16th edition, 2018)

Authors : John D. Daniels, Lee H. Radebaugh and Daniel P. Sullivan
Publisher: Pearson

III. Student Evaluation:

(a) Mid-term exam: 35%
(b) Final exam: 35%
(c) Group presentation: 20%
(d) Class participation and attendance: 10%
* There may be pop quizzes, and if so, the grade of quizzes will be reflected in the last item
of class participation and attendance.

(a) (b) Mid-term and Final Exams

The format will be in-class closed book written exams, and the exams will take 120
minutes long and covers all materials covered in class and/or included in the assigned
readings.
The exams will consist of multiple choice questions and short-essay type questions.
More details will be announced in class prior to the examination.

(c) Group presentation

1) FDI Inducement Policies of Select Developing Countries

This topic will be presented on April 2nd by KOICA program participants. Each group will
select one developing country, and analyze FDI inducement policies of that country. Based
 on a careful evaluation of the country's current position, the students will also develop
recommendations for its future direction. Each group can select a country of one's own
choice, but each country will be assigned only to one group on a first come, first serve
basis.

2) Actual firms' international strategy

The other students are assigned with this second topic presenting on June 4th. In this
presentation, each group will analyze the international strategy of a Korean or non-Korean
firm comprehensively and critically. Based on a careful evaluation of the selected firm’s
current position, each group will also develop recommendations for its future direction. The
selection of a company is of one's own choice, but needs to be noticed to the instructor
previously to avoid the duplication among groups, as the assignment is on a first come, first
serve basis.

* The representative of each group is required to send the draft of presentation material to
the instructor by email till 18:00 in the evening before the date of presentation, and to
submit the hard copy of the presentation material to the instructor at the beginning of the
class with presentation. All the group presentations will be subject to peer evaluations by
all members of each respective group, so the students who do presentations should submit
the evaluation result within the date of presentation according to the noticed format by
email.

(d) Class participation and attendance

Attendance and active participation is very important for your own learning and for the
learning of your classmates. Class participation will be evaluated based on the quality and
contents of your contributions. Students are requested to place a name sheet in front of
them during class, and after each class the students will be required to submit their
participation results and sign in the attendance book. And please fill in the bio sheet in
order for your introduction to the instructor and send it to me by email until Mar 10th.

If you miss more than four classes(days), you will get a grade of F regardless of your
performance. Students who miss the exam or a submission deadline or who do not show up
for a scheduled presentation will receive a zero for that part of their grade. Absence for
hospitalization can be excused if documentation is provided. Absence due to job-search
related matters is not excused.

IV. Course Schedule:

1. Mar.5th
Course Overview
Introduction to International business: An Overview
The Political Environments Facing Business
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 1

2. Mar. 12th
The Legal and Socio-cultural Environments Facing Business
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 2, 3
3. Mar. 19th
Strategies for International Business
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 12

4. Mar. 26th
Foreign Direct Investment
Reading: Daniels et al., pp. 60, 167, 102-103, 326, 448-450

5. Apr. 2nd
Group presentation on FDI Inducement Policies of Select Developing Countries
Reading: Gordon H. Hanson, "The Rise of Middle Kingdoms: Emerging Economies in
Global Trade" in Journal of Economic Perspectives, 26:2, 2012, pp.41-64

6. Apr. 9th
County Evaluation and Selection for Operations
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 13

7. Apr.16th
Export and Import Strategies
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 14

8. Apr. 23rd
Mid-term exam

9. Apr. 30th
Collaborative Strategies (1)
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 15

10. May. 7th

Collaborative strategies (2)
Reading: Beamish, P. and J. Banks, "Equity joint ventures and the theory of the multinational
enterprise" in Journal of International Business Studies, 18:2, 1987, pp.1-16.

11. May. 14th

International Marketing (1)
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 17

12. May. 21st

International Marketing (2)
Reading: Aref A. Alashban, Linda A. Hayes, George M. Zinkhan and Anne L. Balazs,
"International Brand-Name Standardization/Adaptation: Antecedents and Consequences" in
Journal of International Marketing, 10: 3, 2002, pp. 22–48

13. May. 28th

Global Manufacturing and Supply Chains
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 18

14. Jun. 4th

Group presentation on Actual firms' international strategy
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 19

15. Jun. 11th

Organization and Governance of Foreign Operations
Reading: Daniels et al., Ch. 16

16. Jun. 18th

Final exam

* Note: It is expected that the students read all the reading materials prior to the lectures. The
supplementary references or materials regarding the lectures will be noticed later on.