Marketing
Sub-module: Marketing Management
In this module, students will learn and apply the basic concepts, practices and principles of marketing. They will study about the role of marketing in the company and its relation with the other functions.
Students will learn how effective marketing, based on an understanding of the customer and the customer’s needs, creates value for customers and, therefore, profits for the company.
On completion of this course the student should be able to:
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Understand the major challenges of marketing today;
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Understand the elements of the marketing mix;
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Design a Marketing Plan and apply the elements of the marketing mix which correspond to the company strategy.
Sub-module: International Marketing
In this module, students will build on the basic principles of marketing from the marketing management module and learn to apply the concepts, practices and principles of marketing in an international context.
On completion of this course the student should be able to:
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Understand the major challenges of international marketing environments;
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Understand the adaptation which may be required to the international marketing mix for the global context;
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Apply the marketing concept to the international environment and learn how to implement international marketing operations for maximum effectiveness.
Accounting
Sub-module: Managerial Accounting
Managerial accounting information is dedicated to internal decision makers who need to plan, control, co-ordinate and analyse where and how revenues, costs and profits are created in the company (or in part of it), as well as to compare profits according to different scenarios.
On completion of this module, the student should:
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Have an overview of the role of managerial accounting;
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Understand and be able to distinguish between basic manufacturing cost categories;
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Be able to calculate the components of cost of goods sold;
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Use marginal costing concepts in problem solving;
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Calculate profit/volume equations to determine breakeven;
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Appreciate the importance of overhead costs, the incorporation of overheads into a costing system and the problems associated with their allocation;
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Understand the concept of standards and variances and their role in managing organisations;
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Understand the role of budget;
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Have an appreciation for the balanced scoredcard approach to measuring performance.
Sub-module: International Financial Accounting
The International Financial Accounting sub-module forms part of the Accounting module.
This module is designed to be an introduction to accounting and financial reporting in a multi-national environment. Accounting information, in the form of financial statements is used for planning, control and decision-making.
This module looks at the analysis of accounts and financial information from the point of view of the user (manager and investor) rather than the preparer (accountant) of information and emphasises the international dimension of financial reporting.
Upon completion of this module the student should:
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Have an overview of the role of accounting and the accountant, understand the concept of accounting as the language of business, and how it relates to the "big picture";
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Be familiar with the accounting equation, and its components;
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Understand the basic principles of accounting;
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Have a general understanding of the purpose, components and importance of the four financial statements;
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Be able to analyse the financial statements, including using ratio anaysis and appreciating the limits of such analysis;
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Be able to assess the financial performance of a company in respect of profitability, capital structure, efficiency and liquidity; and
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Understand how is cash different to profit
Finance and Economics
Sub-module: Economics
The Economics sub-module forms part of the Finance and Economics module.
This course covers the following topics:
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Competition, markets and market analysis
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Market Demand and understanding the consumer
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Market supply and understanding the company's costs
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Market structures and company strategies
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Economic output, cycles and the wealth of nations
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Economic growth, capital accumulation and development
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Role of governments: fiscal and monetary policies
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Globalisation, international trade and global strategy
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Technical progress and e-commerce marketplace
This module examines the underpinning economic theory necessary for a full understanding and appreciation of the growth and development of international businesses.
It enables students to gain the necessary tools of economics that will enable them to analyse market conditions and competition faced by companies and aids in the development of business strategies.
Additionally, they will gain an appreciation of the broader macro factors that influence the spread of global companies. Specifically the objectives are:
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To introduce students to the fundamental concepts within mircoeconomics related to market demand, production, costs and market structures
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To enable students to understand the interaction of companies and their market enabling strategic decisions to be made
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To introduce students to the fundamental concepts within macroeconomics related to economic output, growth, capital accumulation, fiscal and monetary policies, and international trade
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To enable students to understand the linkage between macro-economic policies and global operations
Sub-module: Corporate Finance – The Investment Decision
Corporate Finance - The Investment Decision forms part of the Finance and Economics module.
Amongst the most important decisions taken by managers of corporations are the selection and the financing of investment projects that maximise shareholders’ wealth.
Consequently, the course addresses the basic principles of corporate finance:
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The role of finance in corporations, the financing cycle and the conditions of value creation
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Compounding, discounting, and the net present value
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The investment decisions: cash-flow forecasts and investment selection criteria (NPV, IRR,...).
At the end of the course, the students should:
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Understand the financial cycle, the importance and the consequences of investment and financing decisions;
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Be able to compound and discount interest and to calculate net present values;
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Be able to make various types of investment decisions (such as the launching of new product, equipment replacement, make or buy) using the discounted cash flow method.
Sub-module: Corporate Finance – The Financing Decision
This module covers:
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The financing resources of corporations: equity and financial debt
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Equity financing: how to raise money by issuing equity, estimation of the cost of equity (Gordon-Shapiro model, capital asset pricing model)
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Debt financing: main types of debt (bank loans, bonds, leasing), how to issue debt, calculation of the cost of debt
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The weighted average cost of capital.
At the end of the course, the students should:
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Understand the differences between equity and debt, identify the main types of equity and debt and the way they are raised;
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Be able to make buy or rent decisions;
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Be able to calculate the cost of equity, the cost of debt, and the weighted average cost of capital.
Business Information Systems
Sub-module: Corporate Web Communications
The Corporate Web Communications sub-module forms part of the Business Information Systems module.
The internet and web-based communication provide new ways for companies to present themselves to potential and current customers. We will examine the technology, design, and management of an effective company web presence.
Technical terminology and explanation of underlying technical architecture (http, internet, multimedia, security). Identifying the potential audience of the company web-site appropriate to the nature of the business. Clarifying the manager's role in developing and maintaining a company web presence.
This course is designed to allow the students to plan an effective company web presence. At the end of the course, the student should:
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Understand company business objectives as critical to creating an effective company web presence
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Analyse the characteristics of an effective company web presence
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Understand internet terminology for analysis and communication
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Communicate and justify technical needs for an effective web presence
Sub-module: Information Systems
The Information Systems sub-module forms part of the module Business Information Systems.
Information technology and systems (IT) are essential ingredients for the success of today’s inter-networked business enterprise. Business professionals must understand how to deploy, use and manage a variety of information technologies to revitalise business processes, improve managerial decision-making, and build up competitive advantage.
This module introduces students to such issues and prepares them to work in environments where the information needs and organisational boundaries are ambiguous and constantly changing. Theoretical models and frameworks which support the strategic analysis and development of an organisation’s information strategy and information systems are presented, applied and analysed.
The intent of this class is to provide students with an introduction to the key concepts and principles needed for the effective deployment, use, and management of IT in organisations. It will introduce the foundational concepts of IT, information system, enterprise resource planning system, digital firm, database management system, e-commerce and e-business.
Sub-module: Business Statistics
The Business Statistics System sub-module forms part of the Business Information Systems module.
This course covers the following topics:
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Main concepts and applications of statistics
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Graphic presentation of data
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Numeral summary of central tendency and variation of data
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Basic Probability theory and Probability
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Distributions
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Statistical Estimation
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Statistical Hypothesis Testing
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Simple Liner Regression and Correlation
The objective of this course is to provide students with statistical knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of business and real-world decision-making problems.
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to understand modern descriptive and inferential statistical concepts and methods and their application to problems relevant to business practice.
Strategic Management
Learn about and practise the art and science of strategic management.
This is an ‘integrating or capstone course’ that will provide you with an opportunity and that requires you to use all that you have learned in your other courses, will learn in your next courses, and in your career-long continuing professional education.
Material includes strategic management issues from entrepreneurial start-ups to large organisations, numerous industries, numerous countries and business cultures, and national economies ranging from emerging to highly industrialised. It includes both successes and failures of strategic management.
The student will develop:
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Principles of strategy, strategic planning, strategic management, and a framework for strategic analysis and decision making, through intensive class discussions of business case studies, articles, videos and short lectures.
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Personal strategic management skills - a special way of thinking about problems, challenges and opportunities - through examination of real-life business situations presented in business case studies, including:
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Analysis - learn to probe underneath symptoms to find and address root causes of problems;
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Practice developing strategic solutions for both problems and opportunities that are innovative, practical and actionable;
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Learn to make strategic decisions under uncertainty and stress (i.e. making decisions, not simply characterising them);
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Practice presenting and defending your solutions to the class;
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Learn to execute strategic decisions.
Sub-module: Microeconomics of Competitiveness
The Microeconomics of Competitiveness course MOC was designed by Professor Michael E. Porter and his team at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard University to improve the competitiveness of local companies and countries at international level.
It is a unique training programme that runs on a network, in which all participants share methodologies, processes and materials. As of 2010, students of GGSB will be able to benefit from this course which is offered in over 90 prestigious schools in 5 continents, simultaneously throughout the year. The course is taught by GEM faculty specifically trained by Harvard.
The MOC course has originated an academic network of Professors and students all over the world.
Students will be asked to do field projects in which they work together with faculty to build relationships with business and government.
Intercultural Management and Ethics
Sub-module: Cross Cultural Communication
Cross Cultural Communications forms part of the module of Intercultural Management and Ethics.
This course covers the following topics:
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Introduction to culture
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Understanding culture : culture models and cultural variables
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Culture and communication
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Impact of culture on managerial behaviours
In order to operate successfully in today’s increasingly complex global marketplace, international managers are required to develop greater awareness and sensitivity towards the cross-cultural issues encountered when managing and communicating within a multi-cultural environment.
For multi-cultural teams to succeed and to promote common goals, it is vital that they reconcile cultural dilemmas and identify synergies based upon cultural differences.
This module aims to enable participants to start developing the appropriate skills in analysing, interpreting different behaviors and different working styles and communicating in an international context.
Sub-module: International Negotiation
International Negotiation forms part of the module of Intercultural Management and Ethics.
The course covers the following topics:
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Introduction to Negotiation
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Distributive Negotiation - Claiming Value
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Integrative Negotiation - Creating Value
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Mutual Gains Negotiation
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International Negotiation
The objectives of this module are to develop the understanding of the main concepts of negotiation as well as the participants’ basic negotiation skills.
The international dimension will be covered through readings, exercises, preparation and role play of an international negotiation case in a cross-cultural group.
Sub-module: Business Ethics
Business Ethics forms part of the Intercultural Management and Ethics module.
The successful managers/business leaders of tomorrow will be those able to "walk the talk", especially in terms of ethics. For one essential reason: om a world where trust us a quickly fading value in all sectors of life, these leaders will inspire trust in others.
With this in perspective, this module aims at making the students aware of the growing importance of ethics in today's business world.
It provides guidelines to address ethical issues - dilemmas and establishes clear links between business ethics, C.S.R. (Corporate Social Responsibility) & S.R.I. (Socially Responsible Investment). It intends to help them realise that very often, over the middle or long term, business with ethics can generate the biggest R.O.I (Return On Investment).
Lastly, it will also lead them to understand that there can be no real business with ethics without strong personal leadership skills and values, especially in a multi-cultural context.
At the outcome of this module, the steps to be taken in that directions should be "clearer".
During this module, the students will:
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Study the necessity and value of applied business ethics in an ever changing and unstable world;
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Look at some of the most frequent ethical dilemmas encountered by managers;
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Get tools and action plans to solves these;
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Explore real situations were socially responsible or ethical decisions have provided financial (or other tangible) benefits for business;
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Refine their own personal approach on critical issues confronting managers.
Managing Technology
This course covers the following topics;
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Managing the Tecnological Environment
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Conceptual framework in order to understand the technological environment and its specific sectorial characteristics
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Strategy and technological changes (incremental and radical) - National innovation systems and government policies
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Controlling Technological Resourcs : components, methods and tools for actively managing technological resources
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Strategy and technology interface (strategic choice and technology choice)
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Technology audit and diagnosis of the technology portfolio - Organising innovation
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Functional policies for valorising technology internally and externally and increasing the return on technological innovation
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Managing the innovative firm (R&D /Marketing interface)
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HRM for technological competitive edge
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Innovating for growth
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Models for analysing the impact of technology on strategies and for forumulating and implementing strategies based on technology. Technology based strategy. Gaining access to new technologies.
The objective of this module is to analyse the interplay and relationships between management and technology within the full spectrum of the corporation: strategy, organisations and people.
The specific objectives of this course are:
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Help participants in acquiring the main conceptual frameworks and practical tools related to technology and management;
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And to develop participants' skills in mastering the dynamics of technological change.
The technology-management interplay will be explored from two perspectives:
Managing People in International Organisations
Sub-module: International Human Resource Management
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HRM and International HRM - the differences
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IHRM – strategy and application
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Cross cultural differences in HRM
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HRM in the International Firm
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HRM in joint ventures / mergers
The objective of this module is to understand the HRM issues and problems linked to the internationalisation of business (including expatriation and repatriation).
Sub-module: Organisational Behaviour
Organisational Behaviour forms part of the module Managing People in International Organisations.
This course aims at developing participants’ knowledge of how organisations function on individual, group and organisational levels.
Students will learn how to combine concepts and models of analysis on different levels to enhance their understanding of organisational phenomena.
They will develop an understanding of the most important managerial approaches towards motivating employees, managing groups and teams, and analysing work organisation.
International Business Law
This course covers the following topics:
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The legal environment of international business
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International sales and trade
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The regulation of the international marketplace
The specific objective of this course are:
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To provide the students with in-depth knowledge of the international aspect of international business;
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To examine how legislation and regulation impact on international manager can develop international strategies which take into account foreign legislation;
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To assist business school students in becoming familiar with the legal vocabularly and mastering fundamental concepts of international law as they pertain to business;
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To assist the students in applying legal concepts to real life situations, through legal case analysis and problem solving;
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To develop the skills of legal research, organisation of the researched material, team work, public speaking, through group oral presentations of GATT related and trade areas (NAFTA, EU) topics.
International Financial Management
This course covers the following topics:
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The multinational environment
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The foreign exchange markets - international financial management
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Introduction
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Foreign exchange risks
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International capital markets
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Translation risk management
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International investment
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Hedging techniques
The international financial environment is increasingly complex. Multi-national firms, as compared to purely domestic ones, have greater opportunities in terms of diversification, scale economies, and larger cost effective financing sources.
On the other hand, they also face greater risks: political instability, exchange rate fluctuations, and complex fiscal regulations. Since multinationality is an increasing feature of modern business, managers of firms (international or domestic) must have some of the knowledge and skills required by multi-national business.
The rapidly increasing integration of capital markets renders this even more imperative. This course is, therefore, intended to expose students to the concepts, techniques and instruments of international financial management.
International Business
Sub-module: Introduction to International Business
Introduction to International Business forms part of the module The International Business.
The objective of this module is to introduce the semester of international business modules, which are:
International Business, Business in Emerging Economies, Global Trade Relations, International Operations and Supply Chain.
Through lectures and discussions, the module aims to improve the student's ability to follow key factors in the international environment and to become intelligent consumers of academic articles, economic data and the business news on an international level.
Sub-module: Business Operations in Emerging Economies
Business Operations in Emerging Economies forms part of the module International Business.
This course covers the following topics:
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Emerging markets, their potential and challenges; BRIC markets
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Business in the emrging markets of Latin America and Africa
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Business in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe
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Emerging Market Businesses and business strategies of companies from emerging markets
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E-commerce and emerging markets
With the global spread of business operations, the emerging market economies are of key importance for international businesses. These economies offer many opportunities for expansion in terms of low cost locations, resources and new markets.
However, these economies also present special challenges for global companies arising from the nature of the rapid economic transformations.
This part of the module examines the strategies available to global companies for successful operation within emerging economies and also of companies from emerging economies in global markets.
Global Trade Environment
Sub-module: Global Trade Relations
Global Trade Relations forms part of the module The Global Trade Environment.
This course covers the following topics;
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Globalisation, Regional Trade Blocs, bilateralism vs. multilateralism
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Risk analysis and emerging economies
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The role of government: contrasting examples of Brazil, Estonia, China and Taiwan
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Turkey, example of crisis and risks for investors
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Africa: what constitutes fair trade? Agriculture + Textile sectors
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Argentina and the 2001 crisis.
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Some technical concepts and issues: technological change, the role of the dollar, balance of payments, exchange rate policy, FDI.
This course presents the international trading environment and the relations between developed and emerging economies at a macro-economic level. There will be a focus on regional trade blocs, a major and fast-evolving influence on international trade activity.
Different levels of government interventionism, the contrast between open and closed trade policies and monetary issues are also explored.
The overall aim is to provide an international perspective as a complement to the other sub-module, ‘Business Operations in Emerging Economies’, which will examine operational or micro-economic questions in a number of countries.
Sub-module: International Operations and Supply Chain Management
International Operations and Supply Chain Management forms part of the module The Global Trade Environment.
The focus will be on a practical and operational approach to manufacturing and services supply chain management, including operations and logistics management.
The course covers the following topics:
Understand the basic concepts of operations and supply chain and examine the compelling need for an integrated product strategy, manufacturing strategy and supply chain strategy.
Foreign Language
Native French speakers are required to learn Mandarin, and non-French native speakers are required to learn French.
This module will be taught over the period of 10 months covering 72 contact hours.
The International Management Project
Upon completion of the taught part, students will begin writing their final management project under the supervision of a tutor from Grenoble Graduate School of Business.
Grading of final management projects will be made by faculty member of Grenoble Graduate School of Business.
The project should be 25,000 – 30,000 words long and involve both library and field research. The project investigates a particular research question which should be business oriented and international in context.
Research Methodology
This module has been designed with the purpose of making the students reflect on what they have been taught in lecture sessions and link it to their respective research projects.