SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

(BUS 685), SEC 3 (MON)

Subject Learning Guide

Fall, 2017
Bashundhara

Dr. Arifur Rahman

Associate Professor

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Subject Details
GENERAL DETAILS
Subject Code: BUS 685 Subject Title: International Business

Teaching Period: Fall 2017 Location(s): NSU, Basundhara Campus, Dhaka

Credit Points: 3 Mode: lecture Lectures/Tutorials Level: MBA

/Blended

ENROLMENT REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisites: Introduction to Business, Management, Marketing Fundamentals, Economics
(If any)

Assumed Skills & Knowledge:
Special Study Requirements:
1. Satisfactory completion of first year University studies.
2. Satisfactory completion of introductory marketing, business & tourism
studies subject.
3. High level English communication skills.
Students with special needs whose participation in this subject might be
limited by any
Study requirements are encouraged to consult the Equity and Access Subject
(EAU).
Further information and contact details for the EAU are available at NSU
webpage

STAFF CONTACTS
Role Campus Name Email/Time Telephone/HR Room
01881287068
Lecturer/Instructor Bashundhara Dr. Arifur Rahman arifmkt@du.ac.bd (Emergency TBA
only)
Consultation hour Bashundhara Dr. Arifur Rahman Mon and Wed 6pm-7pm NAC985

SUBJECT DESCRIPTION
The International Business subject is designed for students pursuing a career in global business management in a variety of
settings including for profit and not-for-profit organizations, industry and government. International Business focuses on the
overview of the unique problems faced by firms engaging in international activities; the importance of understanding the
foreign economic, social, political, cultural, and legal environment; the mechanics of importing and exporting; joint venture,
franchising, and subsidiaries, international dimensions of management, marketing and accounting, and international
financial management. The concentration will also explore the special problems of multi-national corporations; recent
problems of the international economic system, as well as country-risk analysis.

SUBJECT INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this subject, you should be able to:

1 explain how international factors affect domestic concerns;

2 explain regional economic integration and economic and political integration

3 explain the main institutions that shape the global marketplace and explain businesses expansion abroad
explain the key legal issues related to businesses operating in other countries; students are expected to enhance their
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cognitive knowledge of global issues;.

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 5 develop interpersonal skills with individuals from various cultures, and social responsibility awareness on global issues.

LEARNING ACTIVITY SUMMARY

Learning Activity: Schedule

Lectures and tutorials/workshops Weeks 1-12

ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK SUMMARY

Assessment Tasks: Due Date % Comments

Class Participation and Performance Based on quality of overall workshop

(Case analysis/article All classes 10 participation as well as group discussion
discussion/debate) leadership.

Week 3 (Oct 9), week 5

15-20 MCQ/Short Essay type questions (Best
Quizzes (03) (Oct 23), and week 8 (Nov 20
two will be graded)
13)

Mid semester test Week 6 (Oct 30) 25 Short essay type questions

Week 9 (written
Written assessment and assessment, 15%, Nov 20) 4000-5000 words (per group).
25
presentation Presentation starts from
week 9 (10%)

Students must be available to attend the

Final Examination December 11, 2017 20 exam when scheduled between scheduled
dates.

LEARNING RESOURCES

Reading Type Title Author and Year Publisher

Prescribed International Business John D. Daniels and Lee H. Routledge

Radebaugh (2015)

Further reading International Marketing : An Asia-Pacific J Fletcher , R & Crawford , H (2016) Pearson
Perspective

Further Reading International Economics (5th Ed.) Francis Cherunilam (2008) Tata McGraw Hill

Schedule of Learning Activities

Session Plan
Week
Topic Resources/suggested activities

Introduction to the Subject and Globalization and International Subject learning guide.
1 Business
John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh (2013/2015),
Chapter 1

3
Week
Topic
The Cultural Environments Facing Business
2
The Political and Legal Environments Facing Business
3 Case: Shoes of Preya step ahead of the competition
The Economic Environment
4 Case : Argentina uncorks Malbecworld ready for a
International Trade and Factor Mobility Theory
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6 International market selection and entry
Gains from trade and terms of trade
7 AND FIRM PRODUCTIVITY: THE CASE OF INDIA, REVIEW OF
Resources/suggested activities
John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh , Chapter 2
Case : Lj Hookers reach to china
John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh , Chapter 3
1st Quiz (Chapter 1 and 2 )
John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh , Chapter 4
glass
John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh , Chapter 6
Case: One size doesnt fit all: iKea ready to localise for
the indian market
2nd Quiz (Chapter 3 and 4 )
Videos on comparative advantage:
http://mruniversity.com/courses/international-
trade/comparative-advantage
http://mruniversity.com/courses/everyday-
economics/comparative-advantage-and-tragedy-tasmania
Video on the specific factors model:
http://mruniversity.com/courses/international-
trade/specific-factors-models
J Fletcher , R & Crawford , H (2016), Chapter 8
Case: Wal-Marts entry into Africanot business as
usual but a leap into unknown territory
Midterm Examination
[Chapters 1, 2 , 3, 4 & 6]
Chapter 7, Francis Cherunilam (2008)
Articles:
Marc J. Melitz and Daniel Trefler (2012) Gains from Trade when
Firms Matter, Journal of Economic PerspectivesVolume 26,
Number 2Spring 2012Pages 91118.
Lileeva, Alla(2008). Trade liberalization and productivity
dynamics: evidence from Canada, CANADIAN JOURNAL OF
ECONOMICS-REVUE CANADIENNE D ECONOMIQUE Volume: 41
Issue: 2 Pages: 360-390 Published: MAY 2008
Topalova, Petia; Khandelwal, Amit (2011)TRADE LIBERALIZATION
ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS Volume: 93 Issue: 3 Pages: 995-AUG
2011
A blog posts on some basics:
http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/256/economics/governmen
t-debt-and-the-trade-deficit/
Econtalk with Don Boudreaux on China, Currency Manipulation,
and Trade Deficits:
http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2010/11/don_boudreaux_o_4
.html
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 Week
Topic Resources/suggested activities

Trade barriers Chapter 10, , Francis Cherunilam (2008)

3rd Quiz (Chapter 8 from Fletcher , R & Crawford and
Chapter 7 from Francis and Cherunilam
Articles on trade barriers:
Douglas A. Irwin(2010) Trade Restrictiveness and Deadweight
Losses
from US Tariffs, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 2
8
(August 2010): 111133.
Sohini Chowdhury(2012) The Discriminatory Nature of Specific
Tariffs, World Bank Econ Rev (2012) 26(1)
Feenstra, Robert C. "How Costly is Protectionism?" Journal of
Economic Perspectives, Summer 1992, 159-178.
Niels, Gunnar. What Is Antidumping Policy Really About?,
Journal of Economic Surveys. Vol. 14 (4). p 467-92. September
2000.

John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh , Chapter 13

Export and Import Strategies
9 Written assessment submission
Presentation
Direct Investment and Collaborative Strategies and
Contemporary environmental variables in John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh , Chapter 14 and J
10 international marketing Fletcher , R & Crawford , H (2016), Chapter 6 & 18
Presentation

John D. Daniels and Lee H. Radebaugh (2015), Chapter 16

Marketing Globally
11 Case: Daiso: a new frontier of fun shopping comes to
Australia
Presentation
12 Final Exam (Dec 13, 2017) Essay type questions/case analysis
Note: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus if necessary. There will be few make-up (dates to be
announced) classes.

Instructions for the discussion seminars/class participation

The seminar readings will be given at the beginning of the semester (made available online/sent via email). They serve as
preparation for discussion, so you need to read and be prepared to discuss them prior to each class/seminar. The class/seminar
will be semi-formal discussions on the topic at hand.

Goal: The seminars are a way for you to critically evaluate some contentious policies (in the form case) of different companies
regarding foreign business environments, foreign trade, trade for development, international marketing and international
finance. They are also an opportunity to apply models of international trade, international marketing, and finance to topics on
which these are not commonly applied. Seminars allow you to practice arguing verbally for why a policy/strategy makes sense
or what should be changed, using the strategic way of thinking. They can help you better understand both the class material
and current debates in international business/international marketing with the help of your classmates.

Task: Make sure you do the readings for each session. I will limit the reading list to make room for you also to find additional
reading on your own to feel extra prepared for the discussions. While reading, plot down your own comments that you can
bring to class. Why is the writer of an article (case) wrong? What implications from other areas of international business can
help us better understand the issue? What makes sense from a logical economic point of view? What are the political economy
implications? In what way do two different pieces concur of contradict each other? What do you think is the correct position to
take on an issue and why? What do you not understand or find unclear in a particular argument, or the issue as a whole? These
will all be good inputs for discussion.

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Grading: Participation is key, as well as the quality of your comments or statements. Good participation in a seminar means
that you help the discussion along and contribute in a productive way. For instance, stating that an author of a piece is stupid
because you do not like his style is not helpful, as it leaves little possibility for your classmates to respond with constructive
comments. I will look at indications that you have done the reading and that you have thought about the subject matter.
Questions about things you find unclear with a piece are also good contributions for discussion, as it allows for good responses
from your classmates. Do not be afraid to show that you do not fully grasp what someone is saying. It is more important that
you have tried to understand and analyze the subject.

Written Assessment and Presentation

Maximum length: 4000-5000 words

Task Description Group Report

All assignments should be submitted online/in class. If NSU library have access, all reports will be checked by
Turnitin to compare the report to other sources and will provide students and lecturers with a similarity score for
the report. Reports with a similarity score index of more than 20% will be checked for plagiarism (although it may
not necessarily mean that the student has plagiarised).

This challenging assessment/task will provide you a real world experience through an applied and innovative task.
Read the Article Vegan leather is now a thing, and you wont believe what it is made out of! listed under the
Link: http://themindunleashed.com/2016/03/vegan-leather-is-now-a-thing-and-you-wont-believe-what-it-is-
made-out-of.html

You have been hired as the Marketing Manager of Ananas Anam in the UK (http://www.ananas-anam.com/).
Carmen Hijosa, your CEO has decided to market Piatex to Bangladesh, India, China, Australia, Nepal and
Brazil. She has asked you to write a report after conducting a strategic analysis of the environmental variables
such as economic, political, socio-cultural, technological and any other variables in any ONE of the above
countries of your choice which may influence the marketing of Piatex in that country. . She has also asked
you to recommend on the possible market entry strategy to your selected country.

It is recommended that students read various academic materials before writing this report. You will be expected
to have consulted books, at least 5 relevant academic journal articles, conference proceedings, theses,
dissertations, market reports and so on to write the report (i.e. support your arguments with theories and market
figures). You should start working on the assessment as early as Week 4.

Students can follow the following report structure to write the report:
- title page with unit name and code, student name, student id and campus and date;
- executive summary (not more than 250 words and it is not included in the word count);
- table of contents;
- introduce the background information necessary to understand the product Piatex and the country of your
choice (not more than max 500 words);
- discuss the environmental variables that may affect your international marketing campaign in that country
(around 2000-2500 words);
-discuss the possible market entry strategy with justifications (around 500-1000 words)
- write the conclusion (not more than 250 words) and
- list the references (5-10 academic references).

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You can use the NSU library database and Google Scholar to find journal articles. Remember to reference them
in-text as you use them and add them immediately to your reference list. You must use APA Referencing and if
using Endnote, you need to download and use the latest version.

Be creative!
To enhance the presentation of your assignment, you can use headings and sub-headings used to specify the
information required for each of the above criterion. The assessment marking criteria below should guide you for this
assessment task, in particular the weighting attributed to each section of the assignment. Please use Times New Roman with
font 12 and double line spacing.

Important Note: Selection of literary support from Google, Wikipedia, www.NetMBA.com, ww.marketingteacher.com,
www.tutor2u.com, etc. will be treated very negatively. These are not appropriate sources for your academic assignment and
their use is not acceptable.

Assessment Criteria

Structure, grammar and presentation 05

Background information on product and country 05

Economic environment 05

Political/financial environment 05

Social/cultural environment 05

Market selection and entry strategy 05

Referencing 05

Total 35 (Counted as 15% of total marks)

Referencing Style American Psychological Association (APA)

Submission Online/in class Submission. Please follow appropriate citation and referencing styles [APA]
Learnig
Presentation: Group Work (PPT presentation with voice over/video presentation)

Task Description

Length: 10 PowerPoint slides max with voice over/video presentation (of not more than 10 mins in duration) in Moodle/class
plus a Word script (maximum 1000 words). All reports will be checked by Turnitin to compare the report to other sources and
will provide students and lecturers with a similarity score for the report. Reports with a similarity score index of more than 20%
will be checked for plagiarism (although it may not necessarily mean that the student has plagiarised).

Organize yourselves into teams of 3 to 5 people through signing up for groups allocated in class. Each member of the group has
to individually submit the self and Peer Evaluation form by the due date where you will evaluate your own work and that of
your team members.

For the group report presentation, you and your team mates are expected to choose ONE country out of Bangladesh, India,
China, Australia, Nepal or Brazil where you will market Piatex and explain the rationale for your choice and then present
your written report.

Instructions for the PPT slides (10 PPT slides, maximum 10 minutes with voiceover/video presentation)

- You are to produce a maximum of 10 Powerpoint slides with voiceover.

- It should be a presentation of a maximum of 10 minutes recorded to discuss the above.

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- Use the marking criteria for this assessment as a guide to include what is needed in the slides.
- Only one PPT presentation per group needs to be uploaded in Moodle/presented in class.
- Your Powerpoint slides must be in bullet points
- You do not need to read the in text referencing or references at the end of the slides when recording your voice for the
PPT presentation
- As far as possible, as this is a team effort, we would like to hear all voices of the students involved in the group
especially on the metro campuses. For distance education students, we would understand if this is not be possible.

- You should use a headset with microphone preferably or speak loudly if you use the inbuilt microphone on your
laptop/computer. Please make sure your voice is clear, can be heard and understood when playing the Powerpoint slides.

- For hints on how to convert a PowerPoint slide to a presentation with voice over, please view the link below. Adding
Voice Over to PowerPoint Presentations in 5 Easy Steps:
http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/12/add-voice-over-to-powerpoint-presentations

Further instructions and detailed guidelines about this task will

CLASSROOM RULES OF CONDUCT

1. You may use your laptops in the class for class related work. Do not use your laptop for non-class related work or in any manner that will
be distracting to other students or the instructor.

2. Use of cell phones in class is not permitted.

3. Students are advised to frequently refer to the Student Handbook of North South University.

4. Academic Integrity Policy:

This unit provides 3 hours face-to-face teaching per week. Lectures will start punctually. Students should arrive on time. Students may
ask questions any time during the lecture. It is disruptive and discourteous to arrive late or talk during lectures.

Attendance is must for everyone. Class attendance is only one part of university study. In addition to class attendance, students will need
to spend around three hours per week in private study in order to perform well in this unit.

School of Business does not tolerate academic dishonesty by its students. At minimum, students must not be involved in cheating,
copyright infringement, submitting the same work in multiple courses, significant collaboration with other individuals outside of
sanctioned group activities, and fabrications.

Students are advised that violations of the Student Integrity Code will be treated seriously, with special attention given to repeated
offences.

Please Refer to NSU Student Handbook, Sections: Disciplinary Actions and Procedures and Guidelines.

GROUP PROJECT POLICY

Each group (maximum of 5 students) will submit a final report consisting of: 4000-5000 words , font Times New Roman, font size 12, and
double spaced (hard copy and electronic copy). Each team will also present the project for 10-15 minutes. More details about the structure,
components, time and criteria for assessment of the project will be announced during the semester.

EXAMS & MAKE UP POLICY

In order to complete the course, students must submit all the required assignments and sit for the exams. Make-up exams are not given
unless there is a major circumstance preventing the student from sitting in the exam (official material evidence is required). The timing of
the make-up is to be fixed with the instructor of the course if granted. There is NO provision of re-take quiz in this course.

Cell phones are prohibited in exam sessions.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

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Students are required and expected to attend all classes and participate in class discussions. North South University mandates to fail
students who are absent 25% or more from their classes, even if such absences are excusable. The one who will attend all the classes will
earn full credit for the attendance. Three consecutive missing classes will automatically drop you from the course.

COMMUNICATION POLICY
All communications should take place using the instructors email. In addition, students can communicate in the class or during the
instructors office hours.

APPROPRIATE USE POLICY

All members of the North South University community must use electronic communications in a responsible manner. The University may
restrict the use of its computers and network systems for electronic communications subject to violations of university policies/codes or
local laws or national laws. Also, the university reserves the right to limit access to its networks through university-owned or other
computers, and to remove or limit access to material posted on university-owned computers.

STUDENTS SUPPORT AND LEARNING RESOURCES

A. SOB-Learning Center:
B. The University Student Learning Support Center (SLSC): These centers provide academic support services to students at NSU. The
SLSC is a supportive environment where students can seek assistance with academic coursework, writing assignments, transitioning
to college academic life, and other academic issues. SLSC programs include: Peer Tutoring, the Writing Lab, Writing Workshops, and
Academic Success Workshops. Students may also seek confidential academic counseling from the professional staff at the Center.

Students Learning & Support Center (SLSC)

Tel:
Fax:
Location:
E-mail:

This service will be available in the near future.

STUDENTS COMPLAINTS POLICY

Students at North South University have the right to pursue complaints related to faculty, staff, and other students. The nature of the
complaints may be either academic or non-academic. For more information about the policy and processes related to this policy, you may
refer to the student handbook.

Have a great semester!