‘Global Strategy’ is a shortened term that covers three areas: global, multinational and international strategies. Essentially, these three areas refer to those strategies designed to enable an organisation to achieve its objective of international expansion.

The business resources in going global are much greater. Typically, companies need manufacturing plants in various low labour cost countries, global branding and advertising, sales teams, expensive patent and intellectual property registration in many countries, etc.

So, why ‘go global’ if the required resources are much greater and, incidentally, more complex to manage? Because the business rewards are supposed to be much greater for a global strategy. And so are the risks!

Hence, many companies do not have a ‘global strategy’ in the way that it is defined in international business literature. Even some major multinationals do not have a true global strategy in the sense of completely integrated production, no localized brands, etc.

Even if companies have a global strategy, this takes years to develop and requires substantial resources. It needs many millions of dollars and substantial management time and expertise.

Why is global strategy important?

From a company perspective, international expansion provides the opportunity for new sales and profits. In some cases, it may even be the situation that profitability is so poor in the home market that international expansion may be the only opportunity for profits.

From a customer perspective, international trade should – in theory at least – lead to lower prices for goods and services because of the economies of scale and scope that will derive from a larger global base. For example, Nike sources its sports shoes from low labour cost countries like the Philippines and Vietnam. In addition, some customers like to purchase products and services that have a global image. For example, Disney cartoon characters or ‘Manchester United’ branded soccer shirts.

Why study global strategy?

- Most sought-after and highest-paid business school graduates are business consultants and typically have expertise in global strategy.
- Working in most companies, be it large firms, SMEs or self-owned, would involve dealing with foreign–owned suppliers and buyers, competing with overseas firms in your home market, and even selling your products overseas.
- Understanding how strategic decisions are made may enhance your own career in such organisations.


However, as Thomas Donaldson has said, when we leave home and cross our nation’s boundaries, moral clarity often blurs. Managing ethics overseas is challenging, because what is ethical in one country may be unethical elsewhere. There are issues of violation of civil and political rights, discriminatory employment practices, environmental and health regulations, different standards of ethical conduct such as bribery and corruption. What should a global company’s strategy and decision-making be in the circumstances mentioned above? What are responsibilities of CEOs, senior managers and all employees when faced with such scenarios? In this course, we will unpack, discuss and understand the theories and practicalities on ethical issues in global organisations.

And finally, this course will help assess your current personal and management skills, and help develop plans to improve those skills that need improvement.

This is a 10-week course. The first week will involve introductions (course and us), forming groups etc. So, you need to be present in class. Thereafter, each week will involve discussions in class, submitting assignments and preparing for next week.

We hope you enjoy studying this course.

 

Dr. Sunil Savur

 

MARK 5025 Marketing Management

ACCT 5011 Accounting for Management M

BUSS 5300 Global Business Environment

There are no corequisite courses to be completed in conjunction with this course.

This course provides students with theoretical and practical knowledge of the role and impact of business strategy and ethics on management decision making and business conduct in the international business context. The course focuses on issues of business competitiveness in the global business environment and factors that explain the success and failure of international firms.

Students completing the course develop a body of knowledge that:

• Contributes to a comprehensive application of knowledge of business strategy and ethics to recent developments in the field of international business management.
• Provides a pathway for further learning.

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

CO1. Acquire a body of knowledge of, and critically reflect on, theoretical and practice-based principles of the role and impact of international business strategy and ethics on management decision making.

CO2. Critically assess and evaluate principles of business competitiveness in the global business environment and factors that explain the success and failure of international firms.

CO3. Apply principles of business strategy and ethics to organisational management in the international business setting.

CO4. Demonstrate Business School Enterprise Skills in the context of International Business: i) Self-Management (advanced level); ii) Problem Solving (advanced level); iii) Ethical Awareness (advanced level); iv) Written Communication (advanced level); and iv) International Perspective (advanced level).

Upon completion of this course, students will have achieved the following combination of Graduate Qualities and Course Objectives:

A graduate of UniSA:

GQ1. operates effectively with and upon a body of knowledge of sufficient depth to begin professional practice

GQ2. is prepared for life-long learning in pursuit of personal development and excellence in professional practice

GQ3. is an effective problem solver, capable of applying logical, critical, and creative thinking to a range of problems

GQ4. can work both autonomously and collaboratively as a professional

GQ5. is committed to ethical action and social responsibility as a professional and citizen

GQ6. communicates effectively in professional practice and as a member of the community

GQ7. demonstrates international perspectives as a professional and as a citizen

Topics covered in this course include:

• The differences between domestic and international strategy.
• Dynamics of globalisation and regionalisation.
• Product and international diversification, and the firm’s administrative heritage.
• Firm internationalisation and corporate performance.
• The role of institutions in international strategy and ethics.
• Strategy for firms in emerging markets.
• Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage.
• Strategic, operational, ethical and organisational choices faced by MNCs competing in global markets.

4.5 units

You will need continual access to the following text(s) to complete this course. Where possible the Library will make the book available for student use. Please check the Library catalogue before purchasing the book(s). The Library will always seek to purchase resources that allow an unlimited number of concurrent users, however availability is dependent on license arrangements with book publishers and platforms. http://www.library.unisa.edu.au

Peng, Mike W (2014). Global Strategy (3rd). South Western, Cengage Learning.

Reference book:

Total Global Strategy, George S. Yip and Tomas Hult, 3rd ed. 2012, Pearson. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-608983-4


JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS


Some readings will be listed on lecture overheads. Other good sources include:

For Strategy:

Journal of International Business Studies
Academy of Management Journal

Journal of Management
Academy of Management Review

Journal of Management Studies
Administrative Science Quarterly

Journal of World Business
British Journal of Management

Management International Review
California Management Review

Organization Science
European Management Journal

Organization Studies
Harvard Business Review

Organizational Dynamics
International Business Review

Sloan Management Review
Strategic Management Journal

For Ethics:

Journal of Business Ethics
Business Ethics Quarterly
Business Ethics: A European Review
Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations


You are strongly advised to look at the following publications to enhance your knowledge of current events
affecting businesses in Australia and internationally:

The Financial Review
The Australian
Business Review Weekly
The Bulletin International
The Economist
Wall Street Journal
Far Eastern Economic Review
Fortune
Financial Times
BusinessWeek

Other useful sources of information and data are provided by UNCTAD, IMF, Asia Development Bank, and
websites of companies.

Participants should also consult weekly business journals and the daily press (especially the financial pages).
These journals and your local daily business papers contain regular reports of the results and activities of
companies, and in particular they may raise accounting issues that have come to the forefront as a result of
their business activities.

All course related materials can be accessed through your learnonline course site which you will be able to access from the my Courses section in myUniSA.

All study related materials can be accessed through: https://my.unisa.edu.au

Details of assessment submission and return are listed under each assessment task. Assessment tasks will be returned to you within two to three weeks of submission.

If the Course Coordinator allows submissions in hard copy format, you will be required to attach an Assignment Cover Sheet which is available on the learnonline student help (https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1843&chapterid=567) and in myUniSA.

The feedback proforma is available on your course site.

There are TWO parts for this assignment:

 

Part 1: In-Class Participation:

Weightage 25%

 

• Students are expected to attend each session (class) and write answers (in class) to two questions every week. 
• First question will be on the Strategy-related topic of that week and the second question will be on Ethics-related topic of that week.
• Questions will be handed to students in class.
• Answers should be brief (not more than 75 words for each question).
• If you wish, the answers can be written in dot points. However, they should be in complete sentences explaining/describing the answer - and not in just one or two words.
• Answer sheets should handed back to the instructor at the end of the class.
• Marked answer sheets will returned to students in the following week's class.

 

Part 2: This has THREE submissions - Reflection-1, Reflection-2 and Reflection-3:

Weightage 75%

 

Reflection-1 is for Topics - 1, 2, and 3: 750 words +/- 10% - to be submitted as one file - due date 24 March 2019 11pm

Reflection-2 is for Topics - 4, 5, and 6: 750 words +/- 10% - to be submitted as one file - due date 14 April 2019 11pm

Reflection-3 is for Topics - 7, 8, and 9: 750 words +/- 10% - to be submitted as one file - due date 19 May 2019 11pm

 

Each Topic can have around 250 words +/- 10%

 

Reflection for each Topic should contain the following:

 

- Analyse the topic and write what are your key "take-aways" from the topic. What aspects of the topic were interesting and important to you?

- Draw conclusions from your analysis and write why do you think this topic is important.

- Write how would you apply the concepts of this topic to your career or future job.

- Provide real-life examples wherever required.

- Find and apply at least TWO resources (other than the textbook) to support your reflections. These resources can be from a journal article, a relevant academic book, or from a recognized media source.

- In-text referencing and a reference list will be required - as per the Harvard UniSA format.

 

Submission is on-line in the Learnonline site. Due dates for each Reflection are mentioned above.

 

Text format:

- Times New Roman font type

- 12 pt font size

- 1.5 line spacing

- Only text files such as a Word document will be acceptable. PDFs will not be acceptable.

 

Please refer to the Assessment Feedback sheet for marking criteria and rubrics.

This is an individual assignment.

 

The purpose of this assignment is to identify a global/international organization, identify its strategic and ethical issues, apply concepts from the course, find solutions and provide recommendations. It will assess your skills in problem solving, ethical action, and international perspectives.

 

The total word count is 4000 words +/- 10%.

 

Due date: 2 June 2019 11pm

 

For a typical report format, visit https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1144638&chapterid=167261 and download the "Reports Overview" pdf.

 

The report should consist of:

• Title page
• Executive summary
• Table of contents
• List of figures, if any
• List of tables, if any
• List of images, if any
• Symbols used, if any
• Introduction
• Main sections (see below for details)
• Conclusion
• Recommendations
• References
• Appendices

The word count is applicable only from "Introduction" to "Recommendations".

 

The "Main sections" should contain, but not limited to:

• Identify and describe global/international organisation - name, locations, products/services, financial, market and other relevant facts and evidences. The organisation could be from a developed or an emerging country that is truly global.
• Identify its key strategic issues - what is its vision and stated strategies and which outcomes/strategies are not being achieved. Use facts and evidences to support your discussions.
• Identify its key ethical issues - what ethical issues or dilemmas are confronting the organisation while implementing its strategies worldwide. Use facts and evidences to support your discussions. Use the stakeholder theory.
• Analyse the causes of both the strategic and ethical issues - by using at least four (could be more) topics from this course.
• Discuss the alternative solutions and their assumptions and consequences - using concepts from the course.
• Decide on a solution(s) with an action plan.

References:

 

A minimum of 10 references would be required. The textbook can be one reference. The organization's website can be another reference.The others (at least 8) should be from relevant academic journals and books.

 

Text format:

- Times New Roman font type
- 12 pt font size
- 1.5 line spacing
- Only text files such as a Word document will be acceptable. PDFs will not be acceptable.

Please refer to the Assessment Feedback sheet for marking criteria and rubrics.

 

 

See above under Assessment details.

This course does not have an exam.

Variation to exam arrangements does not apply to this course.

Supplementary assessment or examination offers students an opportunity to gain a supplementary pass (SP) and is available to all students under the following conditions unless supplementary assessment or examination has not been approved for the course:

1. if the student has achieved a final grade between 45-49 per cent (F1) in a course
2. if a student who has successfully completed all of the courses within their program, with the exception of two courses in which they were enrolled in their final study period, a supplementary assessment or examination may be granted where the final grade in either or both of these courses, is less than 45 percent (F1 or F2) and all assessments in the courses were attempted by the student. Supplementary assessment will not be available for a course under investigation for academic integrity until the investigation is completed, and determined that it did not constitute academic misconduct.

More information about supplementary assessment is available in section 7.5 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual.
http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/

All students must adhere to the University of South Australia's policies about assessment:
http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/.

There are no additional assessment requirements identified for this course.

Students with disabilities or medical conditions or students who are carers of a person with a disability may be entitled to a variation or modification to standard assessment arrangements.  See Section 7 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual (APPM) at:  http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/

 

Students who require variations or modifications to standard assessment arrangements should make contact with their Course Coordinator as early as possible in order to ensure that appropriate supports can be implemented or arranged in a timely manner.

 

Students can register for an Access Plan with UniSA Access & Inclusion Service. It is important to make contact early to ensure that appropriate support can be implemented or arranged in a timely manner. See the Disability Hub for more information:  http://www.unisa.edu.au/Disability/Current-students

Students are advised there is a deadline to finalise Access Plan arrangements for examinations. Further information is available at:  http://i.unisa.edu.au/campus-central/Exams_R/Before-the-Exam/Alternative-exam-arrangements/

Deferred assessment or examination is not available for this course. APPM 7.6.4

Special consideration is not available for this course. APPM 7.7.4

Variation to assessment methods, tasks and timelines may be provided in:

Unexpected or exceptional circumstances, for example bereavement, unexpected illness (details of unexpected or exceptional circumstances for which variation may be considered are discussed in clauses 7.8 - 7.10 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variation to assessment in unexpected or exceptional circumstances should be discussed with your course coordinator as soon as possible.

Special circumstances, for example religious observance grounds, or community services (details of special circumstances for which variation can be considered are discussed in clause 7.11 of the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual). Variations to assessment in expected circumstances must be requested within the first two weeks of the course (or equivalent for accelerated or intensive teaching).

 

Students with disabilities or medical conditions please refer to Students with disabilities or medical conditions.

Academic integrity is the foundation of university life and is fundamental to the reputation of UniSA and its staff and students. Academic integrity means a commitment by all staff and students to act with honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, respect and responsibility in all academic work.

An important part of practising integrity in academic work is showing respect for other people's ideas, and being honest about how they have contributed to your work. This means taking care not to represent the work of others as your own. Using another person's work without proper acknowledgement is considered Academic Misconduct, and the University takes this very seriously.

The University of South Australia expects students to demonstrate the highest standards of academic integrity so that its degrees are earned honestly and are trusted and valued by its students and their employers. To ensure this happens, the University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. For example, work submitted electronically by students for assessment will be examined for copied and un-referenced text using the text comparison software Turnitin http://www.turnitin.com.

More information about academic integrity and what constitutes academic misconduct can be found in Section 9 of the Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual (APPM): http://i.unisa.edu.au/policies-and-procedures/codes/assessment-policies/. The Academic Integrity Module explains in more detail how students can work with integrity at the University: https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=252142

Program Learning Outcome Evaluated (non–graded):

As part of the Business School’s Assurance of Learning process in Programs, the following Program Learning Outcome(s) (PLO) will be evaluated in this course and the overall findings will inform continuous improvements within Programs. Performance on the PLOs will not form part of any course grade and no feedback on individual performance will be provided.

 

 

 

KNOWLEDGE
Demonstrate an understanding and capacity to apply theoretical and technical knowledge and skills in business to solve complex problems and contribute to business growth while demonstrating high level capacity for self-development as a business professional throughout one’s professional career.

 

SELF-MANAGEMENT
Demonstrate an understanding and capacity to apply theoretical and technical knowledge and skills in business to solve complex problems and contribute to business growth while demonstrating high level capacity for self-development as a business professional throughout one’s professional career.

 

EFFECTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
Demonstrate competency in reviewing, analysing, identifying and providing meaningful solutions to complex business problems for organisations and institutions.

 

ETHICAL ACTION
Demonstrate a high level of personal autonomy and the ability to work in teams, applying judgement in an ethically and socially responsible manner, and to contribute to leadership in projects and organisations.

 

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Demonstrate the ability to analyse and evaluate the impact of global cultural, legal, business and other environmental factors on business in organisations, and responsibilities of a globally responsible citizenry.

 

Nil

The alteration to assessment due dates and communication strategy is designed to minimise the impact of major unplanned learnonline system service outages on students and staff. They should only be considered when an unplanned outage occurs within 3 days of an assessment activity.

Any implementation or revisions are at the discretion of the course coordinator.

 

Outage Duration	Alteration to due date	Alteration to examination
Less than 1 hour	Nil impact	Nil impact
Between 1 and 4 hours	consider extension	Nil impact
Between 4 and 24 hours	24 hour extension	Consider when marking
Longer than 24 hours	48 hour extension	Consider when marking

 

 

Any changes to assessment activity will be communicated to you from your Course Coordinator via:

• Email 
• SMS message