Newcastle University

Aims

This module aims to enable students to gain knowledge and critical understanding of the issues that impact international business and management in a globalizing economy. By focusing on a critical assessment of the impact of organisations operating on an international and global level on a range of stakeholders, the module will advance students’ knowledge and understanding of the interplay between globalisation, business and management.

Contemporary organisations operate in an international environment where business structures, processes and dynamics are faced with the challenges of global competition. The complexity of international business and management emerges from the intertwining dynamics between different stakeholders, which can be understood by analysing a diversity of topics, inter alia global labour relations, trade relations, international marketing and global governance. The module will adopt a stakeholder approach to facilitate that students engage critically in the discussion of the challenges, opportunities, threats and consequences facing organisations as a result of contemporary issues in international business and management.

Original Summary:

Outline Of Syllabus

In line with the contemporary focus of the module, topics covered may vary from year to year depending on emerging issues. It is intended that the module brings together contemporary issues in the subject areas and expertise present in the business schools to provide a platform for critical discussion of these issues and their implications for international business and management. Some indicative content includes:
«       Globalisation and development
«       Stakeholders in international business and management
«       Sustainability
«       Global governance
«       International marketing

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Contemporary issues in international business and management are contested and their understanding requires that students question their own assumptions about the meaning of globalisation as well as the credibility and legitimacy they bestow on different stakeholders.

Lectures are a good opportunity to raise these issues and it is deemed that seminars will be a good opportunity for students to engage and challenge the issues. This is a good way to promote knowledge and understanding of the issues in discussion.

The seminars also provide a good opportunity to support student progress in relation to the skills-based outcomes of the module. In relation to tutorial sessions, these have been included to provide a forum for discussion of the written assignment and general revision ahead of the examination. It is intended that there will be one session per semester. The sessions have been thought of as student-led support sessions to facilitate that students receive formative feedback. In particular, and given the experience of the present academic year, it is deemed that a review session must not be conducted as an addendum of a lecture but instead should be a full session where support queries can be addressed more comprehensively.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Seminars: Students will work as part of a seminar group and will be asked to prepare case studies or current discussions (i.e., Prof Jan Rivkin’s (HBS) Breakout Session on Strategic Responses for Global Terrorism) for discussion in seminars.

Coursework: During the semester, students will be shown a documentary (i.e., Life & Debt; Crude: The Real Price of Oil; Black Gold) or be given a piece based on a real case scenario addressing a controversial issue within dynamics of international business and management. Students will be asked to write a short conceptually-informed reaction paper where they are challenged to make sense of the issues raised by the documentary/piece. The idea of this assessment is to engage students in analysing the complexities and competing positions of different stakeholders in international business and management.

Resit will be by one exam only (120 mins).