ENGINEERING TRIPOS PART IIB – 2012/2013

Module 4E5 - International Business Economics

AIMS

The multinational firm is one of the most important and controversial issues in the modern world. This course will introduce students to the main theoretical debates and the real world evidence about this topic. It uses both theoretical and empirical analysis. The course presents competing views on the nature and boundaries of the multinational firm, industrial concentration, the global value chain, competitive advantage, and industrial policy. Each of the topic analyses debates through in-depth case studies of industrial sectors and firms.

LECTURE SYLLABUS

The course is organised as eight two-hour sessions comprising lectures and firm-level case discussions.

• Globalisation and multinational enterprise.
• The global business revolution
• Multinational enterprise:mergers and acquisition
• Multinational enterprise:the global value chain
• Multinational enterprise:organisational structure
• Multinational enterprise:industrial policy
• Theories and realities
• Crossroads:the end of wild capitalism and the future of humanity

COURSEWORK

Students are expected to choose one essay question and write an essay of 3,000 words.Students are expected to demonstrate ability to understand the theoretical and conceptual issues and apply them in a practical situation using case study material.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module the student should:

• Understand the concepts and theories of the nature of multinational firm
• Appreciate the changing international business environment
• Understand the operations and organisation of multinational firms
• Appreciate the challenges of conducting international businesses in the era of globalisation.
• Understand the challenges of globalisation for sustainable development.

REFERENCES

Please see the Booklist for Group E Courses for references for this module.

Last updated: June 2012