1. Be Abletoanalyse the International Business Environment

Alfred Nobel Open Business School Switzerland

International Business Environment

The unit willenablelearnerstoexplore the changinginternational business environment and developknowledge and understanding of howorganisationsrespond.

IndicativeContent

1. Be abletoanalyse the international business environment

Analysistechniques: Environmentalanalysis and diagnostics, Environment audit, Porter’sdiamond (The CompetitiveAdvantage of Nations - Porter), PESTLE, ‘FiveForces’ analysis.

•Micro-environment: Stakeholders, Suppliers, Customers, Competitors, Market intermediaries.

•Macro-environment: Externalclimate, Economicconditions, Politicalopinion, Legalenvironment (national and international), Culturalenvironment, Resources, forexamplecapital, people and natural, Technology.

•International business environment: Culture, CorporateSocialResponsibility, Politics, EnvironmentalIssues, Globalisation.

2. Understand the impact of globalisation and international trade

History: Economictheory, Dependencytheory, Non-western cultures, Maritime European empires, Industrialisation, Trade and empire, Bretton Wood, Development of communications, Informationtechnology.

•Extent of globalisation – Trade, labourmovement, culturalexchange, technicaldevelopment and exchange and capital

•Effects of globalisation – Effectsonmarkets, business change, capital, jobs and outsourcing, culturaldominance, naturalresources, conflict; debates: benefits and challenges of globalisation, advocates and critics

•Operations: International business conduct, Competitionindifferentmarkets, International branddevelopment, Protection of IP, Trade partnerships, Politics and regulation, Security, Ethics.

3. Understand the internationalmarketsinwhich businesses operate

Sustainability

•Moral and Ethicalissues: Organisationpurpose, Nature of business ethics, Corporateresponsibility, Socialresponsibility, Corporateaccountability, Corporategovernance, Culturalconflict (Forexample: nature of bribes and rewards), Differenteconomicmodels, Differentethicalframeworks (theories: deontological and utilitarianism), Hofestede, Hall (monochronic and polychroniccultures).

•Conflicts: Currentconflicts and issuesshould be examined

Examplesinclude: climatechange and environmentalism, anti-globalisation and socialresponsibility, ‘PeakOil’, greaterinsecurity, relationshipswithgovernment, technologicalchange and privacyconcerns, socialmedia, intellectualpropertyissues

Legislation: UK, European, global and othernationallegislation and guidance; globalagreementsoncarbon; legislationonpollution; agreementsonissuesaffectingspecificindustries, forexamplefishingagreements; institutions; codes of practice and guidelinesfrominternational (e.g. OECD, ISGN), and industry (e.g. ISAR) bodies, reportingmechanisms (audit standards).

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