[Course] International Business Environment: An evidence-based approach

MBA HEC Montréal - INTE5000

Course overview

This course provides students with a comprehensive view of the business environment, including social, political, cultural and technological dimensions. The course then integrates the company to discuss the impact of globalization on the company’s international decisions.

This course provides an overview of the environment in which business operates, both locally and globally. The context encompasses the elements and actors that can affect company performance and that a manager must take into account when making decisions. Emphasis will be placed on the societal, political, cultural and technological dimensions of the business environment and also on the impact of globalization on corporate decisions. The perspective of the course is analytical. Participants will be exposed to the complex business environment and will be invited to seek solutions for the company.

Topics covered

• Social forces (demographics, immigration, public health, natural resources, etc.) are also a factor.
• Political forces (A multi-polar world, the decline of the West, the crisis of representative democracy)
• Issues related to culture and technology (hypermodernity, social networks, life engineering)
• Key drivers of globalization and business interaction
• Competitive advantages of states and the choice of location of business activities
• Multinationals and the influence of industries

Educational Objectives

• À définir 1
• À définir 2
• À définir …

Évaluations

• Participation : [15%]
  • Being on time and being a positive and active participant [5%]. Attendance in live sessions is not just about showing up. Students must come to class having completed async/sync work for that week, and be prepared to engage fully in the class. This includes having your camera on and being ready to contribute to the conversation. Please also respect your peers’ learning experience by raising your (virtual) hand in Teams or our communication platform when you wish to speak, and remaining muted when you are not speaking. Firefox or Chrome are a preferred choice. Mac users with Safari will need to allow the use of the camera in their system preferences.
  • Participation in the discussions through our Chat platform channels during the length of the course [10%]
• Assignment (individual): [40%]
  • Case analysis on Session 3 case.
  • Two pages, single spaced, with two pages of original exhibits (if desired)
• Final exam (individual): [45%]
  • Case analysis, take home exam, performed under time constraint
  • Case to be selected by coordinator (Thierry in summer)
  • Two pages, single spaced, with two pages of original exhibits (if desired)

Calendar

The course runs from January to April 2021. During this period, students will work on our communication platform as well as our analytical platform.

Schedule

[Unfold some info by clicking on the triangle pictogram]

This course positions the firm within the global context, allowing students to understand how macroeconomic, industry and country-level factors influence MNE decision-making.

Session 1: Globalization in the 21stcentury and its impact oninternational business here

In this session we look at the general influence of globalization, specifically as it relates to the 21st century. We will also review the course syllabus and discuss the concepts in the case.

Session 2: Macro-level trends in globalization (technology, consumer consumption) and their influence on the MNE here

In this session we look at major trends around the world and how they influence the MNE.

Session 3: Political contexts: institutions and international trade agreements and their influence on the MNE here

In this session, we will look at the political context, generally, across countries, and the institutions and agreements that influence MNE decisions.

Session 4: Political contexts: national politics and their influence on the MNE here

In this class, we will look at the specific case of Brexit, to analyze how national politics impact country-level agreements.

Session 5: Country-level differences and their influence on industries and MNEs here

In this session we look at how distance between countries impacts the competitive dynamics of industries and the way in which MNEs can exploit the differences.

Session 6: The comparative advantage of nations here

In this session, we integrate the ideas from previous sessions and consider how nations vary in terms of their comparative advantages, and study the impact of those variances on MNE decisions.

TL;DR

Before class:

1. Read this syllabus thoroughly
2. Bookmark this page: www.lab.nuance-r.com.

That’s it!