International firms need to formulate company policies that take account of the fact that they manufacture, service, employ and market to or in countries with different laws, different beliefs and different levels of socio-economic development compared to a firm’s country of origin. This course examines the contextual, organisational and managerial issues associated with the operation of multinational firms. Interactions between contextual elements and management of an international enterprise will be studied from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The course includes topics such as international strategic management; international social and ethical responsibilities of firms; cross-cultural management and communication; international human resource management and workplace relations.

Firms playing in the international and/or global market need to formulate company policies and strategies that take account of the fact that they manufacture, serve, employ and market to or in countries with different laws, different beliefs and different levels of socio-economic development compared to the firm's country of origin. This course provides a capstone course for the major in international business that draws together the various theoretical concepts and strategies explored throughout the major in an integrated and strategic manner with an orientation toward real life application and practice. In this course, we focus on the significance of international management in the effective execution of various activities in today's multinational and global corporations. The essential idea is to encourage you to examine the relevance of international management issues as they affect the operation of multinational enterprises. More specifically, this course aims to help you grasp and understand the significance of:

1. International strategic planning and operational issues in managing a multinational company in the global context,
2. Cross-cultural issues in management and organizations, and
3. Corporate social responsibility in an interconnected world.

The major topics that will be studied include international strategic planning and implementation in MNCs, strategies for international competition, international production and outsourcing, international joint ventures and strategic alliances, organizational structure of MNCs, control in international operations, intra- and inter-firm technology and knowledge management, cross-cultural communication, cross-cultural negotiation and decision-making, motivation and leadership in international management, international human resource management, and international social and ethical responsibilities of firms.

• Participation                  10%
• Case Analysis               20%
• Individual Essay            40%
• Final Exam                    30%

3 hour seminar plus private study time.

At least an average of 65% (or equivalent) in the final two years of an Australian undergraduate degree

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