MSc International Business Management - LM507 (Under Review)

1.	Objectives

The aim of the Programme is to provide participants with knowledge in the field of International Business that will be both academically rigorous and vocationally relevant. The core modules of the Programme provide a comprehensive grounding in theoretical and empirical aspects of international business, while the elective modules will allow students to explore issues in the functional areas of international firms. An innovative aspect of this degree Programme is a foreign language-based module in German, Spanish, Portuguese or Mandarin.

Upon successful completion of the Programme, students would have acquired the necessary skills to:

•	think analytically and critically, aptitudes which are of crucial importance in today’s continuously changing and turbulent global business environment;
•	work at managerial level within an international/multinational organisation;
•	work effectively in more than one country;
•	recognise and analyse complex management problems in multinational and international firms that deal extensively with foreign firms and to implement the solutions in the context of internationally operating organisations; and
•	handle a foreign language, which should provide them with an added edge within the international business sectors.

The Programme is of relevance to those interested in a professional career in:

(i)	international business consultancy;
(ii)	the international business management of international/multinational companies, or
(iii)	government, public institutions or non-governmental organisations where an in-depth understanding of various aspects of international business, management and strategy is essential.

2.	General Entry Requirements 
	
As per General Entry Requirements for admission to the University for Postgraduate Degrees.
 
3.	Programme Requirements
	
Preference will be given to holders of a degree in Management, Finance, Economics or Law.

4.	General and Programme Requirements – Special Cases

The following may be deemed to have satisfied the General and Programme requirements for admission:

(i)	Applicants who do not satisfy any of the requirements as per Regulations 2 and 3 above but who submit satisfactory evidence of having passed examinations which are deemed by the Senate to be equivalent to any of those listed.

(ii)	Applicants who do not satisfy any of the requirements as per Regulations 2 and 3 above but who in the opinion of Senate submit satisfactory evidence of the capacity and attainments requisite to enable them to pursue the programme proposed.

(iii)	Applicants who hold a full practising professional qualification obtained by examination.

5.	Programme Duration

The duration of the Graduate Programme should normally not exceed 4 years.

				Normal	          Maximum
Master’s Degree (PT):		2 Years			4 Years
Postgraduate Diploma:		2 Years 		4 Years
 
6.		Credits per Year: Minimum 6 credits, Maximum 21 credits subject to Regulation 5. 

7.	Minimum Credits required for Awards

Master’s Degree:	36
Postgraduate Diploma:	30

	Breakdown as follows:
	                 Credits from		
	Core Taught Modules	Dissertation	Electives	TOTAL	
Master’s Degree:	21	6	9	36	
Postgraduate Diploma: 	21	-	9	30	

8.	Assessment

Each module will carry 100 marks and will be assessed as follows (unless otherwise specified):

Assessment will be based on a written examination of 3-hour duration and continuous assessment carrying a range of 30 - 40% of total marks.  Continuous assessment will be based on at least 2 assignment(s), and/or seminar presentations per module per year.

For a student to pass a module, a minimum of 30% should be attained in both Continuous Assessment and Written Examination separately, with an overall total of a minimum of 40% in that module.

Each module of 45 hours carries 3 credits and each module of 90 hours carries 6 credits.

During year 2, a Residential Seminar may be organised by the Faculty subject to availability of resources.  Students should compulsorily attend and actively participate in the Residential Seminar whenever organised and:

(i)	students will be required to submit a report of not less than 1200 words to their Programme Coordinator after attendance and participation;
(ii)	Seminar attendance and the report shall be assessed by the Programme Coordinator and 
(iii)	Grade ‘S’ assigned upon satisfactory performance in order to be eligible for award of the degree.

Dissertation will carry 6 credits. For the dissertation, it is recommended that students attend all lectures/seminars for the module Research Methodology for Managers. No credit is awarded for this Research Methodology module, but the latter must be satisfactorily completed (Grade S) for the award of the Degree.

Submission Deadlines for Dissertation:

First Draft: End of July in the Final Year.
Final Copy: Last working day of August in the Final Year.

9.	Important Note

The rules as stipulated in the Programme Structure and Outline Syllabus will replace all other rules & regulations.

10.	List of Modules

CORE MODULES
	
Code	Module Name	Hrs/Wk
	Credits	
MGT 6040Y	Multinational Enterprises and Developing Economies	3	6	
MGT 6041Y	International Business Environment and Strategy 	3	6	
LAWS 6005Y	Domestic and International Business Law	3	3	
MGT 6042Y	Business Languages
Options – German, Spanish, Portuguese or Mandarin	3	3	
MGT 6043Y	Managing Human Resources for International Business	3	3	
MGT 6000Y	Dissertation 	-	6	
MGT 6015Y	Research Methodology for Managers	-	0	
MGT 6100	Residential Seminar*	-	-	

ELECTIVE MODULES
	
MGT 6044Y	International Logistics	3	3	
MGT 6020Y	Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility	3	3	
ECON 5214	Competitive Strategy and the Wealth of Nations	3	3	
ACF 6008Y	International Accounting	3	3	
MGT 6017Y	e-Commerce Fundamentals	3	3	
MGT 6035Y	Global Marketing Management	3	3	
ACF 6009Y	International Business Finance	3	3	

NOTE:

(i)	Modules carrying 3 credits will be run on semester basis and examinations will be held at the end of respective semester they are offered.
(ii)	The above list of elective modules is not exhaustive.
(iii)	The University may not offer any of the elective modules if a critical mass of students is not attained.

11.	Programme Plan - MSc International Business Management

YEAR 1
	
Code	Module Name	Hrs/Wk
	Credits	
CORE
				
MGT 6040Y	Multinational Enterprises and Developing Economies 	3	6	
MGT 6043Y	Managing Human Resources for International Business	3	3	

ELECTIVES
	
CHOOSE AT LEAST TWO			
MGT 6044Y	International Logistics	3	3	
ACF 6009Y	International Business Finance	3	3	
MGT 6020Y	Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility	3	3	
ACF 6008Y	International Accounting	3	3	
				
YEAR 2
	
Code	Module Name	Hrs/Wk
	Credits	
CORE
				
MGT 6041Y	International Business Environment and Strategy	3	6	
LAWS 6005Y	Domestic and International Business Law	3	3	
MGT 6042Y	Business Languages – German/Spanish/Portuguese/Mandarin	3	3	
MGT 6000Y	Dissertation 	-	6	
MGT 6100	Residential Seminar*	-	-	

ELECTIVES 	
CHOOSE AT LEAST ONE
	
ECON 5214	Competitive Strategy and the Wealth of Nations 	3	3	
MGT 6035Y	Global Marketing Management	3	3	
MGT 6017Y	e-Commerce Fundamentals	3	3	

	The Module “Research Methodology for Managers – MGT 6015Y” will be offered in Year 2. It is non-examinable and no credit is awarded for it, but it must be satisfactorily completed (Grade S) for the award of the Degree. The “Research Methodology for Managers – MGT 6015Y” module is designed to enable students to develop the appropriate skills for the preparation of their dissertation, as well as for in-company projects.

	Note  : * Compulsory if organised, subject to availability of resources

12.	Outline Syllabus

ACF 6008Y - International Accounting
The Context of International Accounting. International Accounting Harmonisation. Multinational Corporations: External Reporting and Disclosure. Setting Accounting Standards - Accounting development and environmental factors, Diversity in accounting practices. Effects of diverse cross-country financial accounting practices. Synopses of financial accounting systems in industrialised countries and developing countries: France, Germany, Japan, UK, and USA. Accounting Development in Regional Integration. Classification Studies and the Impact of Culture on Accounting. Foreign Currency Translation. Specific Reporting issues: Analysing Foreign Financial Statements. Multinational Corporations: Managerial Accounting. Multinational Corporations: Budgeting, Product Costing and Foreign Exchange Risk Management. Multinational Corporations: International Transfer Pricing and Taxation: Variables impacting on transfer pricing strategies, Transfer Pricing Methodology, International Taxation.

ECON 5214 – COMPETITIVE STRATEGY AND THE WEALTH OF NATIONS
Competition and Strategy: Core Concepts, Strategic Motives, Declining Industries and the Role of Strategy.  Locations and Competitiveness: Comparative Advantage of Nations, Clusters and New Agendas for Institutions and Governments, Global Organisations and Global Strategies.  Public Issues and Reforms: Urban and Environmental Concerns, Effective Health Care Systems and Public Private Partnerships.  Case Studies.

ACF 6009Y - International Business Finance
Domestic and International markets; Bonds - ratings, yields, risk/reward relationship; Foreign Exchange Rates Theory and Practice; Foreign Exchange Risk Management; Effect of Currency and Interest rate risk on Capital Market Instruments, Foreign Investment; Foreign Project Appraisal; Equity Finance and hybrids; International Asset Pricing and Cost of Capital; Political Risks and International Financing.

LAWS 6005Y - Domestic and International Business Law
Origins and Sources of Business Law; Growth of International Commercial Law and Emergence of Transactional Commercial Law; Essential Elements of Conflict of Laws; Major Legal Families and Traditions. Law of Contract; Sales Contract; International Sales Contract Company Law; Essential Features with Focus on Formation of Domestic Companies and Duties of Directors and Meetings; Offshore Companies; Formation; Key Features; Use of Offshore Companies; Other Offshore Vehicles – e.g. Trusts, Sociétés, Banks, etc; Dispute Resolution; Letters of Credit and Charges; Regulatory Framework of International Trade Treaties; GATT/WTO, SADC, COMESA, etc.

MGT 6000Y - DISSERTATION
The dissertation will allow the student to explore in depth an area or an issue related to particular interests. It will draw upon relevant concepts and techniques introduced during the taught part of the course and will seek to combine the theory and practice of management through the completion of a substantial and relevant in-depth piece of work. Report of approximately 15,000 words.

MGT 6015Y - Research Methodology for Managers
Nature of Research - research process, choosing research topics, developing hypothesis and variables. Selecting research methods, literature review and secondary sources, observation and diaries, focus groups, content analysis. Quantitative research: surveys and sampling- descriptive and inferential statistics, questionnaire design, coding and attitude measurement, data analysis and presentation using SPSS, communicating, presenting and writing the research. Introduction to Multivariate Analysis: Multiple Regression, Discriminant Analysis, MANOVA, Factor Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Managerial Applications.

MGT 6017Y - e-COMMERCE Fundamentals
Le commerce électronique et son impact sur le développement économique de PVD et pays en transition, évolution du système commercial de 1890 à nos jours, le commerce électronique catalyseur de la mondialisation, la spécificité des opérations de commerce international et l'impact du commerce électronique sur l'efficacité des opérations, l'échange international et les avantages comparatifs du commerce électronique, les clefs du commerce électronique, l'entreprise face à l'ouverture internationale, les voies de réponse de l'entreprise, la dynamique sectorielle internationale, les déterminants de la dynamique d'internationalisation, la gestion des risques financiers liés au commerce électronique, études de cas.

MGT 6020Y - BUSINESS ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Origins of ethics – the business system – philosophies of ethics – moral issues in business context – moral responsibility – ethics of care – ethical principles in business – utilitarianism – Kantian ethics – ethics and corporations – international business ethics – ethics and business decision-making – notions of absolutism and relativism – stakeholder and stockholder theory – the social responsibility of business – the corporate conscience of business – the concept of bribery – bribery viewed by ethics philosophies – bribery in international business – whistle blowing.

MGT 6035Y - Global Marketing Management
The international environment; global markets and regional market characteristics; current issues in international marketing research; Global marketing strategy: sourcing, entry and expansion in different markets; planning, development and implementation of global marketing plans; the international marketing mix.

MGT 6040Y - Multinational Enterprises and Developing Economies
Theories and Practice of the Multinational Enterprise Section: Introduction to FDI and the MNE. Historical Emergence of MNEs. The Theories of International Production The Theories of International Production II. The Theories of International Production III. Alliance Capitalism.
Developing Countries in the World Economy Section: The Concept and Measurement of Development. Economic Theorising about Development. Equality and Development. The International Setting for Trade. Industrial Development in LDCs. The Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and LDCs. The Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and Transfer of Technology. The Newly Industrialised Economies (NICs). The World Trade Organisation (WTO), Regional Integration and LDCs.

MGT 6041Y - INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND STRATEGY
The Business Environment: International and Comparative Perspectives Section: The international business environment. Technological Forces: The revolutions: computing, communication & the new industries. Technological Forces: The realities: Globalisation or Internationalisation? Social Factors: Culture and the nation state, Society and the Firm. Economic Considerations – Systems & Objectives: National Competitiveness and Emerging Markets. Public Policy – Players & Possibilities: Liberalise, privatise, regulate, deregulate, re-regulate… States and firms. Selecting and Managing Entry Modes to Foreign Markets.
International Business Strategy Section: Fundamentals of Strategic Management. The Analysis of Industry and Competition. The Analysis of Competitive Advantage. Industry Evolution and Innovation. Internalisation and International Competition. Diversification and Multi-business Firm. Transformation and Innovation. Information Economy and Electronic Commerce.

MGT 6042Y - BUSINESS LanguageS (German/Spanish/Portuguese/Mandarin)
It is believed that one major facilitating factor in the mobility of employees when carrying out international business assignments is the ability to master a foreign language. Such a module will contribute to giving our students a competitive edge in the job market and on the international scene.  
This module carries 3 credits which are earned through examinations and full participation in in-class continuous assessment such as oral tests and presentations as well as attendance and participation in seminar activities from students. Introductory sessions will be held to provide necessary orientation.
Availability of each language offered will be based on critical demand from students and availability of resources.

MGT 6043Y - Managing Human Resources for International BUSINESS
Evolution of HR function towards the International Management of Human Resources: Challenges in the international business environment. Globalisation and HRM – HR strategies for global expansion: Global HR strategy, Resourcing, Development, Compensation, Comparative theory – convergence, development an internal theories. Multinationals and Employee Relations. Managing Expatriates: 7C’s of International HRM, Recruitment and selection, Training and Development, Remuneration, Repatriation. Cross-cultural management: Organisational culture and National culture, Motivating across cultures, Communication policies, Teamwork and cross-cultural effectiveness, Mergers and strategic alliances. Comparative HRM: Japan, USA, UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific.

MGT 6044Y - International Logistics 
Introduction: Logistics, Role in the Economy and Organisation. Supply Chain Management I: Towards a Strategic View of the Supply Chain, Changing Scope and Direction: Managing the Supply Chain. Supply Chain Management II: Future Trends in Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Integration: Opportunities for Competitive Advantage. Order Processing and Information Systems. Financial Impact of Inventory & Inventory Management. Managing Materials Flow & Transportation. Decision Strategies in Transportation. Warehousing, Material Handling, Computerisation and Packaging. Procurement. Global Logistics. Global Logistics Strategies: Organising for Effective Logistics. Strategic Logistics Management: Logistics Performance Measurement, Strategic Logistics Plan and Formulating Logistics Strategy, New Directions in Logistics.

30 July 2009