| Unit name | Global Business Environment |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIM10012 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lambert |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
none |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important
No business organisation operates in a vacuum. It always interacts with its surrounding – its environment. It may influence but most certainly being always influenced by its environment. The way a particular business organisation conducts its business is most likely being affected by the or even limited by the state of the environment within which it operates. Successful Business and Management practitioner must possess an acute understanding on the state of environment surrounding its business organisation before making any business decision. EFIM 10012: Global Business Environment Unit aims at providing learners with such important knowledge.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
Students studying any Business, Management, Economic and Social Science programs will benefit from attending this unit because understanding the interaction between any business organisation with its external environment is a core knowledge of any of those disciplines.
An overview of content
The aim of this unit is to provide you with knowledge and clear understanding of the political, economy and organisation of the global business environment which underpins the principles and processes of international business management in multinational enterprises (MNEs) that function in a world economy, and the challenges posed to globalisation in a time of contemporary upheaval.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The unit provides you the opportunity to interrogate contemporary case studies across different sectors of the world economy, which will further develop your practical, analytical, and key skills for the challenges of the modern workplace.
Learning Outcomes
The intended learning objectives (ILO)s of this unit are the following:
1. To critically evaluate the relevancies of particular business environment factors to business organisations using theories associated with the establishment of the contemporary global business environment, in particular concerning the changing nature of international relations, nation-states, global regulators as well as the multinational enterprises themselves, in the context of global factory, global supply chains and global value networks.
2. To analyse the scope of activities and strategies of multinational enterprises across a range of different economic systems and international contexts and their roles within global factory, global supply chains and global value networks.
3. To assess the impact of global business environment to business organisation using independent critical thinking ability.
4. To develop effective planning, team-working, research, problem solving, presentation, and writing skills.
This unit adopts at the same time a Practice-Based Learning, Problem Based Learning and Project Based Learning. By Practice-Based Learning, this unit expects that you will learn the subject from the perspective of the practitioners who heavily use the concepts and principles introduced in this disciplinary area. This unit believes that you will learn more effectively if you can see first-hand the real practical application of the subject that you study. By Problem-Based Learning, this unit designs your learning process to be centred around a particular [industrial] problem that you are expected to solve. This unit believes that effective learning can only be created through learner’s own experience in acquiring, understanding and applying knowledge that is perceived as useful by the learner itself. By Project-Based Learning, this unit aims at linking the problem that you are expected to solve with a real Industrial project given by our Industrial partner.
Consequently, teaching and learning in EFIM 10012: Global Business Environment unit involves a sequence of interconnected lectures, seminars, structured active learning (workshop), reading as well as independent student research. The 20 credits of this unit which corresponds to 200 hours learning is divided into 30 hours guided learning which include Lectures, Seminars and Workshops and 170 hours Independent Learning and Research.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
In addition to read suggested readings, to be successful in your summative assignment, you need to attend lecture, seminar as well as to participate in class workshop. You are also expected to engage actively in groupworks as well as doing independent research. Your seminar leader can also provide suggestion and feedback during the workshop.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Group presentation (30%) which is associated with the Intended Learning Objective (ILO 1, 2 and 4) and 2000 words individual assignment (70%) which is associated with the Intended Learning Objective (ILO 1, 2 and 3)
When assessment does not go to plan
Each student within a group who fails their group presentation is required to write 1000 words reflective essay on the rationale why they fail their groupwork supported by solid evidence, provide lessons to be learnt and future plans for not making the same mistakes. For those who fail the 2000 words individual assignment needs to write a 2000 words essay on given topic.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIM10012).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
