Unit information: Firms, States and Economic Diplomacy in 2027/28

Unit name	Firms, States and Economic Diplomacy
Unit code	MGRC30012
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Balakishi
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	EFIM10012 Global Business Environment EFIM20003 International Business Management
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

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

This is a new mandatory unit for third-year students on the BSc International Business Management programme. This unit examines the impacts of economic and political disturbance on firms and their business/investment operations by studying the linkages between international business, international political economy, politics and economics from a comparative perspective. It builds on knowledge from previous units (e.g., Global Business Environment – first year TB2 unit, International Business Management – second year TB1 unit) and applies influential theoretical perspectives on International Business (e.g., Eclectic Paradigm, Firm-State Bargaining, Uppsala School) and International Political Economy (e.g., Varieties of Capitalism, Triangular Diplomacy). This unit studies various political and economic forces (e.g., the state, economic diplomacy, uni-/bi-/multi-lateral agreements, climate change, Conference of the Parties (CoP), economic unions, sanction/embargos) influencing and shaping differences across firms’ internationalisation processes and business/investment activities/operations, and examines whether there is variation across firms from the same and different industry as well as the origin of firms.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study

As a mandatory unit for final-year BSc International Business Management students, it builds on prior International Business units such as Global Business Environment and International Business Management, and forms the final part of the taught International Business core running through the programme. Students will develop a critical understanding of western and non-western firms and the International Business environment in which they operate. The main empirical focus of the unit is on emerging economies, but the unit also highlights the implications of these debates for other parts of the world. The lectures and tutorials are designed to encourage students to assess International Business issues from a variety of different perspectives that inform firms’ decision-making and strategy. The aim here is to help decolonise the teaching of International Business and help students identify connections between the fields of International Business, International Political Economy and formal and informal business practices from cross-country perspectives. Students will learn how to take a cross-disciplinary perspective on International Business issues and firms’ business operations/activities, and contrast them with their own worldview.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

This unit introduces relevant key concepts from the fields of International Business and International Political Economy. In comparative perspective it addresses the key issues of the state, economic diplomacy, uni-/bi-/multi-lateral agreements, climate change, Conference of the Parties (CoP), economic unions, sanction/embargos influencing and shaping differences across firms’ internationalisation processes and business/investment activities/operations and examines whether there is variation across firms from the same and different industry as well as the origin of firms. This unit critically assesses the theory and research in International Business and International Political Economy in terms of applicability to today’s business practices.

How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit

1. Students will be armed with both conceptual knowledge and practical application to evaluate contemporary International Business research and practice as it relates to the institutional and International Political Economy fields that shape the International Business environment and the expansion of firms into international markets.
2. Students will adopt cross-disciplinary approaches to understanding the field of International Business and gain critical thinking skills in assessing International Business practice and research
3. Students will develop the ability to understand and disseminate knowledge about the contested nature of International Business and firms’ business operations/activities.

Your learning on this unit (Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs))

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Identify and describe home and host country government economic policy towards firms, and the economic development of home and host countries;
2. Critically assess the impact of government-firm and government-government relations on firms’ expansion as well as the impact of firms’ activity in emerging markets and developing countries;
3. Apply theory to analyse and evaluate the complex interface between firms’ business activities and strategies, home and host country regulations and economic development, various levels of government-firm and government-government interactions.
4. Provide critical reflections and suggestions on International Business practices

How you will learn

This unit will be taught through a combination of interactive lectures and tutorial sessions. Lectures (1 hour) will take place every week for 10 weeks and be followed by weekly tutorials (2 hours). The lectures will introduce weekly subjects, core readings and examples that illustrate the application of key theories/frameworks. Tutorial sessions will be student-led discussions, focusing on the application of key International Business and International Political Economy theories/frameworks/concepts to case studies, evaluating contemporary International Business research and practice, and critically assessing contemporary issues in International Business from cross-disciplinary and cross-country perspectives. Tutorial sessions will be moderated by tutors and the Harvard Business School-style will be adopted, where students work on cases in advance in groups and then analyse the cases collaboratively in a guided discussion. The interactive sessions will provide students with formal (group presentation) and informal feedback (discussions), and the analytical and intellectual skills developed in these sessions will be assessed in the summative assessments.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

1. Active participation in the seminars will help students to develop the knowledge, understanding and higher-level cognitive skills required for the summative assessments. During the seminars we will work on elements of the materials that will be assessed in the summative assessment, and will provide the opportunity for both peer and tutor feedback.
2. Feedback from the summative group presentation will feed forward into the individual coursework.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

1. Group presentation (30%):

• Students will prepare and present a case study on a firm, industry or issue of their choice.
• The length of presentation is 15 minutes.

This summative assessment covers ILOs 1 and 3.

2. Individual coursework (70%):

• 2500-word individual assignment based on the summative groupwork.

This summative assessment covers ILOs 1, 2, 3 and 4.

When assessment does not go to plan

If a student fails the summative assessments, the following re-assessment measures are in place:

• Summative Assessment 1 (30%): Individual written case study 1,500 words. This summative assessment covers ILOs 1 and 3.
• Summative Assessment 2 (70%): Individual written case study evaluation 2500 words. This summative assessment covers ILOs 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Resources

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. MGRC30012).

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.