Course Syllabus For BA 4371

Course Information
BA 4371, Section 005: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, Fall 2006
Class Time: Thursdays, 12:30 – 3:15p.m.
Room: SOM 1.212

Professor Contact Information

Instructor: Professor Jane E. Salk
Office: SOM 4.408
Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-3:30 PM or by appointment
Phone: 972-883-6265
Email: Jane.Salk@utdallas.edu

About Professor Salk

Professor Salk is a 2006 winner of the Decade Award, given by the Academy of
International Business for the publication having the most impact on its area within the
field of International Business. She joined the faculty of UTD in Fall of 2002 after
serving as a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, The Essec Business School
in Paris, and The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. Her PhD is from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and she has been the recipient of Fulbright and
Kenan Fellowships.
In addition to an international research reputation, Dr. Salk consults in the areas of
international team and organizational development. Her areas of expertise include joint
venture and acquisition strategy, implementation and integration, executive training in
strategy for global companies and cross-cultural team-building. She has worked in
family businesses, MCI Corporation and has over seven years of full-time experience on
the practice side. She speaks French and German and has worked in France, Germany
and Switzerland as well as in the USA.
Her research topics include international alliances in acquisitions, cross-national
management team integration and organizational learning and knowledge management.
She has been a guest lecturer at leading institutions including INSEAD, St. Gallen,
University of Vienna, Tilburg, and Tel Aviv Universities. She has over 25 publications
that have appeared in leading journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Human
Relations, Comparative Political Studies and Journal of International Business Studies as
well as books from Oxford University Press and Wiley.

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

(including required prior knowledge or skills)
Prerequisites: BA 3365, MATH 1326 and MATH 2333. Co-requisite: BA 3341

Course Description

Course Syllabus Page 1

BA4371 introduces students to the environment of International Business and
Multinational Corporations (MNC) . Participants will review a broad introduction and
overview of topics including how MNCs confront cultural, political and legal differences
across markets. The course examines worldwide patterns of trade and investment, along
with some key strategic, managerial, and marketing problems confronted by
multinational firms.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

The International business and economic environments affect many aspects of businesses
and managerial careers. This course exposes you to fundamental issues and concepts in
international business. In particular, I expect you to leave this course with a firm
understanding of how the context and content of cultures affect International Business,
how to look at ethical behavior in the IB context (is it a tradeoff with “good business”?).
We also cover political, basic economic, strategic and as socio-cultural aspects of the
international environment and you will have the opportunity to dig more deeply into a
topic of your choosing in the context of a group presentation. I hope to provide an
Introduction to International Business that can serve as a foundation for further study and
potential career development.

Required Textbooks and Materials

(Available at the on-campus bookstore or online (new and used).
Hill, C. (2004). Global Business Today: Forth Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-
Hill Higher Education.

Assignments & Academic Calendar

(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)
Assignme
Date Readings Due Topic Due in cl
Aug-17 No readings Syllabus, Open Discussion, Expectation-setting
Work on
group
formation
Personal
Globalization Informatio
Aug-24 Chapter 1 Film: Is Walmart Good for America? Card Due
News stor
presentat
Aug-31 Chapter 2 Country Differences beginÆ
Group
Membersh
Sept-07 Cha pter 3 Differences in Culture (Italy versus Europe) and choice

Course Syllabus Page 2

 first Case
submitted
written for
by this dat
Be prepare
Sep-14 Skim Ch 4 140-158 Differences in Culture (and Ethics): T-shirt Travels discuss
Sept-21 Chapter 5 International Trade Theory
Bring
questions
class to
Sept-28 TBA SPEAKER? Plus review for midterm discuss
Group C
Write Up
Due plus
Peer
Evaluatio
Oct-05 MIDTERM Bring Scranton Sheet and pencil Due
Oct-12 Chapter 6 Political Economy of International Trade, with film “Life and Debt”
Second Ca
Selection
Oct-19 Chapter 7 Foreign Direct Investment in writing
Oct-26 Chapter 10 The Global Monetary System
Nov 02 Chapter 11 Plus TBA Strategy
Last new
Nov 09 Chapter 16 Entry Mode and Global HR Management presentat

Nov-16 FINAL Bring Scranton Sheet

IMPORTA
NOTE
Nov-23 THANKSGIVING NO Class – Happy Holiday BELOW:
Group C
Write Up
plus Seco
Peer
Evaluatio
due by 4P
on Tuesda
Novembe
in my in-b
(drop off
my office
with
Nov 28 Course over! Secretary

Course Syllabus Page 3

Grading Policy:

Participation: 20
General in Class 10%
News Presentation 10%
Peer Evaluations on
Group Work (+/- up to 25% of participation)
Midterm and Final ( 30% each) 60
Case Analyses (10 % each) 20

TOTAL: 100 points

Individual Assignments:
Participation
Class participation is critical in class. Quality of class contributions will be weighted
more heavily than quantity. Frequent and valuable participants are those who attend all
of the lectures, participate thoughtfully and regularly. To help me learn each student’s
name and grade “participation and contribution” as fairly as possible, you will prepare
and bring a “nameplate” to each class.

Business News Presentation: On the 3rd class day and each class day where there is no
exam, three students will be responsible for presenting an overview of a news story from
the popular business press (i.e. WSJ, Fortune, Business Week). Depending upon
enrollment, I might randomly select students for a given day on that day and will be
required to present at the beginning of class. Alternatively, I shall ask for written topic
statements on session 2 and will be sure tere is not duplication before linking them up to
assign dates.

The student will present an overview of the story, the countries that are impacted, and the
implications for international business. YOU MUST DO ENOUGH RESEARCH ON
THE TOPIC THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE STORY (for
example, who owned Mittal Steel and why was this a factor in opposition to making
an acquisition in Europe) AND YOU MUST LINK THE STORY TO SOME
ASPECT OF THE COURSE. Provide a Bibliography to professor at time of
presentation. Each student will speak for approximately 5 minutes and then answer
questions/discussion from the class. Overheads and other aids can be of help in
organizing and communicating ideas. If you are not prepared, you will not get credit for
this part of your participation grade.

Class Discussion: Your participation grade will reflect the degree to which you
contribute to class, rather than simply whether you are physically present. Here are some
guidelines in participation grades. The instructor has the sole authority in assigning
participation grades. Here is a rough guide of how this is evaluated

Course Syllabus Page 4

 Excellent class participation is characterized by a student consistently attending
class, and making an insightful contribution to discussions, being well-prepared
by having prepared notes and demonstrating a superior understanding of the
material.

Good class participation is characterized by students consistently attending class

and contributing to discussions as well as being reasonably prepared with notes
from the reading, while only occasionally demonstrating a superior understanding
of the material.

Poor class participation is characterized by a student inconsistently attending

class rarely contributing to class discussion (or contributing with banter), and
having no notes prepared for the readings.

Peer Evaluation (part of participation grade): Each team member will evaluate the rest
of the team members for their contribution to group work. Details on how to calculate
peer evaluations and how to incorporate into the group projects are shown in the peer
evaluation sheet.

Exams
One mid-term and one final exam will be given at designated points in the semester.
Although exams are non-comprehensive, the course material builds and integrates on
previous topics, thus certain questions may be answered from many angles and drawing
on many areas of the course demonstrates a superior learning experience. Exams are
based on the assigned readings (textbook and other articles), videos, cases, and guest
lectures. Exam format could be in the question format of multiple choice, short answer,
and/or short essay.

Requests for rescheduling an exam will be considered only with timely notification to the
instructor and appropriate documentation such as a written medical excuse or a note from
the academic dean. It is your responsibility to inform the instructor in advance of the
exam. Approval for rescheduling is at the discretion of the instructor.

Extra Assignments and Guest Lectures

I may periodically assign additional assignments not listed on the syllabus. We may have
guest lecturers throughout the course with associative assignments. You are expected to
complete these assignments on time.

Group Work: Case Assignments

Each case should be a comprehensive analysis of the facts of the case and application of
concepts discussed in the lecture or sourced from the textbook using the questions in the
cases. Your group case analysis grade will be based on the quality of the group's work.
Part of your learning experience is managing the coordination of tasks required to create

Course Syllabus Page 5

a good product. How you work as a group will be accounted for in your participation
based on each individual's assessment of the relative contribution of each group member
(peer evaluation). Each analysis will be graded according to the case evaluation guides
detailed below.

Information for Case-Reports:

1. Your position is that of a business consultant to the chief executive officer of the
company. You have been hired to do a strategic analysis of the company and the
industry using case materials, library research, electronic data sources, and tools
suggested by the text. The goal is to determine what direction the company should
take and make specific recommendations about what the company should do next and
why.

2. Including quantitative analyses (e.g. such as financial ratios, industry sales, and
competition figures) is highly recommended. Clever use of exhibits can dramatically
enhance the quality of the paper.

3. Hand in one copy of your written report. Keep an additional copy for yourself.
Library research AND online research (called “due diligence” in the business world)
is REQUIRED. As a guide, each of your cases should have at least 10 references
listed. Try to avoid the “Google” method of report writing and use the library’s
amazing resources, such as the access to electronic periodicals of 100’s of business
journals and documents to make your recommendations. A bibliography is required
according, providing a full list of references.

4. Group cases will be graded as follows:

1) Content – 75%
This is the most important part of the report. This shows a group’s ability to
find, compile and analyze information pertinent to this assignment. It also
shows your analytical ability in terms of determining the challenges and
opportunities of doing business in a country and making practical
recommendations. Thoroughness, accuracy, and keen analysis should come
through in this portion of the paper.
2) Process – 25%
This refers to readability, flow, logic, organization, professional look, and
writing mechanics of the report. Reports should be clear, concise, structured in
a logical fashion and easily readable, with a logical flow of thoughts and ideas
as well as transitions between paragraphs. The report should be devoid of
spelling and grammatical errors, and repetition should be avoided. It should
also look neat and professional.

Suggested format:
A. Sub-titles are required. (At least introduction, analysis, alternatives, and
conclusions are required)

B. Alternatives and recommendation required.

Course Syllabus Page 6

 C. Exhibits and References. (Exhibits should be labeled sequentially and in the
order they are discussed in the text. If you do NOT talk about an exhibit in the
text, it probably isn’t doing anything except taking up space.)

Strong points in your case-reports

1. Evidence of thorough case study.
2. Judgments supported by evidence from the case or outside sources.
3. Identification of the key drivers and/or forces in the external environment and how
that may affect the future of the firm or the industry.
4. Identification and evaluation of pertinent company’s capabilities, weaknesses,
resources, and sources of competitive advantage in the context of the industry and
competitive environment.
5. Clear articulation of the issue you are addressing.
6. Use of professional tools and concepts from the text and lectures. (This includes tools
used in other courses such as ratio analysis or market share analysis.)
7. Alternatives that are realistic and fall from the analysis.
8. Examination of tradeoffs associated with alternatives.
9. Justification for the recommendation that is consistent with company strategy and
resources.

Weak Points in your case-reports

1. Unorganized or presentation is unclear.
2. Failure to proofread ANY written material (in written or oral presentation) and
correct obvious misspellings, errors, and sloppy grammar.
3. Mere repetition of case facts without analysis. (I.e. Rehash of the facts of the case is
not value added.)
4. Failure to identify outside sources.
5. Exhibits that are extraneous to the analysis. The reader or viewer is left to draw
his/her own conclusions and wonder why the exhibit is there.
6. Failure to ANALYZE. Don’t just give facts, do ANALYSIS!
7. Lack of consideration of non-economic issues (i.e. culture, values, ethics, etc.) if it is
relevant.
8. Failure to support opinions by evidence or logical explanation.
9. Lack of adequate outside research.

Note that I will not re-assign individuals to a different group after the initial assignment
has been made. It is the group’s responsibility to work together. Students desiring
guidance on working with group members are welcome to ask me for advice.

Grading
Your grade in this course is determined as follows:
Grading
Scale:

Course Syllabus Page 7

 98-100 A+
94-97 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D-
Below 60 F

Course & Instructor Policies

Class communication:
WebCT: Class notes, the syllabus, and other relevant course-related materials will be
posted on WEBCT. You may download this material from the website. In addition, you
are advised to check your messages on WEBCT prior to each class session. This will be
the main way of disseminating any messages or instructions relating to the course.

Contacting the Instructor: Faculty has been requested to state in their syllabi that a new
university policy to protect student privacy has been established. This policy states that
faculty is not required to answer student emails unless they come from a UTD email
account. Therefore, you are advised to contact me via my UTD email account from
your own UTD account. Note that although I do check WebCT a few times during the
week, you should use my regular email if you want a timely response.

Common Courtesy
You are expected to be courteous during class time. Please respect your fellow students
by turning off cell phones and beepers before class, refraining from talking with others
when someone is speaking, and arriving punctually to class. Also, note that laptop usage
during class is prohibited, as this is distracting to fellow students.

Scholastic Dishonesty
Any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, colluding,
submitting for credit any work or materials that are attributable in part or fully to another
party, taking an exam for another person, and engaging in or attempting to engage in any
act designed to give unfair advantage to a student. The University of Texas at Dallas has
several procedures to deal with students who commit acts of scholastic dishonesty,
ranging from flunking the course to being expelled from the university. Visit
http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/TitleV.html for further information on this topic.

Course Syllabus Page 8

Also, please be aware that UTD subscribes to turnitin.com, which I may use at my
discretion to spot check for plagiarism on group case write-ups.

Library Research
The following library site provides abundant data search engines that are helpful in
writing a paper.
http://www.utdallas.edu/library/reference/business.html

Just searching company website and/or citing free web information is not enough. Take
advantage of the paid search engines in the library homepage. It contains the following
search engines. Should you have further questions, contact liaison librarians in the library
(Loreen Phillips, Loreen.Phillips@utdallas.edu or visit
http://www.utdallas.edu/library/reference/somliaison.html.

• Business and Company Resource Center

• Business Source Premier
• Business & Management Practices
• CCH Internet Tax Research Network (tax service)
• Wall Street Journal (1984-current)
• Academic Universe Lexis Nexis (then under Business)
• Disclosure Data from Academic Universe Click on Business, then Company
Financial (company financial info)
• Mergent Online (formerly Moody's FIS Online) (company financial
information)
• National Trade Data Bank (NTDB)
• EconLit (economics)
• ECONbase
• PAIS (public affairs)
• Business Dateline (index to regional business publications)
• Business Organizations
• Regional Business News (from TexShare)
• EDGAR Financial Reports (company financial information)
• Social Sciences Abstracts
• Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science/Web of Knowledge)
• Essay & General Literature Index

Course Syllabus Page 9

 • Web of Science (Web of Knowledge) (citation indexes)
• WorldCat (OCLC)
• General Databases (multidisciplinary)
• For psychology in the workplace: Psychology and Human Development
Databases

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state
law and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related
activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the
website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description
of any travel and/or risk-related activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules
and regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the
responsibility of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable
about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities.
General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD
publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each
academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the

procedures of recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined
and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of
Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student
Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in
interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities
of citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well
as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students
are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such
conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are
also imposed for such conduct.

Course Syllabus Page 10

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic
honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute
integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a
student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic
work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions
related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the
submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general
rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating,
plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of
academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and
from any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the
university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course
will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible
plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of

communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the
same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each
individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student
email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and
that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates
from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree
of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of
the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email
account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The
Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for
students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any
college-level courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's
course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's
responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I
cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to
ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not
to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Course Syllabus Page 11

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services
and Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or

other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student
first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor,
administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called
“the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for
assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level,
the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response
provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School
Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student
may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education,
and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision
of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals
process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in
interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work
unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has
been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks
from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to
complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is
located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and
Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30
p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688

Course Syllabus Page 12

 (972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For
example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape
recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind.
Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a
research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired).
Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled
in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special
services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such
an accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present
to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs
accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact
the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other
required activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a
religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section
11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as

possible regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The
student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment
within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the
absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and
completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence.
A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed
period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the
purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement
about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any
missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may
request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her
designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the
legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by
the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the
Professor.

Course Syllabus Page 13

 Peer Evaluation Sheet

BA 4371 Section 022 – Summer 2005

Case: ____________________________________

1st case or 2nd case in the semester? _______________

Team # ______________

Your Name __________________________

Names of You 1 2 3 4 5
Members
(write names
under
numbers)
Score
(1-5)* (in 0.5
pt increments,
where 5 is the
highest and 1
is the lowest)
Reasons (use
space below
or back if
necessary)

Course Syllabus Page 14

Student Information Sheet
BA 4371 Section 022 – Summer 2005

General Information

Name: ____________________________
Phone # ____________________________

Email: ____________________________

Hometown/State or Country: ____________________________

Work experience (use back if necessary):

International experience (study abroad, travel, work, national origin, etc.) – include
length of time and country(ies)

Personal goals:

1. What do you hope to learn from this course?

2. What are your professional and/or academic goals?

3. Would you like to work abroad or in an international context? If so, please elaborate
why.

Course Syllabus Page 15