Overview of Course

This course introduces the benefits and pitfalls that firms face in foreign markets. Indeed, beyond traditional factors such as cost and market size, the ability to achieve competitive advantage through globalization is increasingly determined by the firm’s ability to understand and assess institutional factors such as differences in culture, the stability of political regimes, the impact of corruption, geopolitical policy shifts, ownership structure differences, and the risks posed by weak legal and regulatory enforcement systems. Contentious international policy issues such as labor rights, free trade and the protection of intellectual property, together with international organizations such as the WTO influence risks and opportunities in a given national environment.
The course aims to develop students’ cross-cultural awareness, analytical and critical thinking skills to achieve the best outcomes for both business and society. This course will introduce students to a broad range of international business issues encountered by managers and challenge students to think critically about corporate social responsibility when such issues arise.