Course BA 4371 International Business

Professors Jane Salk

Term Spring 2009
Time Mondays 1:30-4:15
Room 1.107

Professor’s Contact Information

Office Phone (972) 883-6265
Office Location SOM 4.408
Email Address jane.salk@utdallas.edu
Office Hours Monday 1-2PM or by appointment
Assistant Li Sun, SOM 4.407
Information Email Address lxs055000@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 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 in industry. 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
The reason BA 4371 is part of the curriculum is to serve as an introduction to the environment of
International Business and Multinational Corporations (MNC). Recent events should make it
evident to all of us that we are touched in many ways by global interdependence, whether we are
trying to finance a car, find a job, etc. Though there are broad “grand-standing” declarations

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such as “Capitalism is dead” and that “the American era is over” it is important to maintain a
critical approach to such blanket pronouncements. At the same time it is clear that no textbook
can tie together the basic conceptual and historical knowledge that is fundamental to these fast
changing events. Hence, we shall supplement and clarify the textbook material via the following
mechanisms: a) Use of documentaries and other recent media material, developing group
projects around themes linked to the current economic crisis; b) use of cases from the chapters in
discussing and reviewing material; and c) we shall design all group projects around a set of
issues suggested by the professor and class members that are related to the current economic
crisis.

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, and 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 socio-cultural aspects of the international environment I hope to provide
an introduction to International Business that can serve as a foundation for further study and
potential career development.

Required Textbook:

Hill, C. (2009). Global Business Today: (6th Edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher
Education.

Grading:
Level of Per Cent of Final
Responsibility Grade
Group Group Project 30%
Individual Class Participation 20%
Individual Midterm and Final 50%
Exams

COURSE SCHEDULE

Schedule of Assignments
Session Week Day Reading Assignments
Number
1/12/09 1 Monday Setting Expectations Bring
Introduction to book and course Textbook and
In Class Video: make an effort
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=- to attend
6443495785760801623&q=Thomas+Freedman+
World+Flat&hl=en

1/19 2 Monday Chapter 1-- Globalization

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1/26 3 Monday Chapter 2 National Differences in Political Contemporary
Economy issues –
selection of
top project
themes

2/2 4 Monday Chapter 3 Differences in Culture

2/9 5 Monday Chapter 4 Ethics Project groups

finalized
today

2/16 6 Monday Chapter 5

2/23 7 Monday MID TERM EXAM: Covers all assignments to Do not forget
date Scantron
Sheet
3/2 8 Monday MIDTERM EXAM
3/9 9 Monday Video in class: Commanding Heights Part 1 This video
(with discussion linkages to upcoming chapters contains
and the projects) required
material that
will be
incorporated
into
subsequent
classes and
exams. Make
an extra effort
not to be late
3/16 10 SPRING BREAK ENJOY!
3/23 11 Monday Chapter 6
3/30 12 Monday Chapter 7 Bibliographies
and abstracts
due for all
groups

4/6 13 Monday Chapters 9

In Class Commanding Heights Pt 2
4/13 14 Monday Chapter 10

Video in Class: Commanding Heights Part 3

4/20 15 Monday Chapter 11: International Strategy

4/27 16 Monday Presentations Written

Projects due
today
5/4 17 Monday Presentations
5/11 18 FINAL EXAM

DESCRIPTION OF GRADING CRITERIA

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A: Group Projects (40%)
Proposals for projects will be suggested by the professor and students up to the third course
session. The advantage of proposing an accepted project is that you can be assured of being
assigned to a group covering that topic. Otherwise, after selecting the list of topics in class, I
shall assign up to six students per group to a topic and post these assignments to WEBct. I
suggest you get to know your group members early. Any changes of group (including rejection
of non-responsive members) need to take place by the first class after Spring Break.
The project should draw upon more than brief newspaper accounts. The textbook is a good
source for organizing concepts and each chapter cites articles relevant to the topic. The reference
librarians can be of great help as well (see section below on library resources and databases.
ALL SOURCES CONSULTED MUST BE LISTED IN THE BIBIOGRAPHY PLUS I
EXPECT YOU TO ADHERE TO APA STYLE AND CLEARLY CREDIT SOURCES.
FAILURE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS CAN MAKE YOUR PAPER SUBJECT TO
PLAGERISM ENQUIRY IN ADDITION TO A LOWERING OF THE GRADE.
The paper should be 8-10 pages long, double-spaced (12pt Times Roman type). I expect a
well thought out and argued paper. Each group also will give a brief presentation of their basic
findings (do not have all members presenting). Following are some criteria that distinguish good
projects.

a) 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 country and making practical recommendations. Thoroughness, accuracy,
and keen analysis should come through in this portion of the paper.
b) Process Quality – 25%
Reports should be clear, concise, structured in a logical fashion and ease to follow
(reading and, if called upon, its clarity and engagement for an audience). It should also
look neat and professional.

Suggested format:
A. Sub-titles are required. (At minimum: introduction, analysis, alternatives and
recommendation, and conclusion sections are required)
B. 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.

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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.)

Weak Points
1. Unorganized or presentation is unclear.
2. Failure to proofread ANY written material (in written or oral presentation) and 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 is extraneous to the analysis. The reader or viewer is left to draw his/her own
conclusions and wonder why the exhibit is there. Use it or lose it!
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.

C: 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 must prepare and bring a “nameplate”
to each class. There will be “cold calls,” some pop quizzes and absences and lack of preparation
will be noted.

Here are some guidelines in participation grades. The instructor has sole authority in assigning
participation grades. Here is a rough guide of how this is evaluated:

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.

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D) 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. Exams are based on the assigned readings (textbook and other articles), plus all of the
case presentations, videos and guest lectures, if any. Exam might be in any of the following
formats: multiple choice, short answer, and/or short essay. Expect at least one essay question for
the final exam.

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 of such an eventuality in
advance of the exam. Approval for rescheduling is at the discretion of the instructor and is only
done in the case of a documented, legitimate emergency that made the absence unavoidable (see
general policy below.

E): Policy on late work: As just said, the exams can not be made up or rescheduled without the
advanced approval of the professor. Failure to be present and contribute to your groups’ work
can result in a zero. Case write-ups turned in after the beginning of the class on the due date will
be penalized 15% for the first 24 hours, 30% for up to 48 hours late and will not be accepted for
grading after that point.

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.

Grading SCALE
A standard grading scale is as follows:
Grading Scale:
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

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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: PLEASE USE MY UTD REGULAR EMAIL ACCOUNT

(jane.salk@utdallas.edu). 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. 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
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)

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 • 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

• 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

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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.

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.

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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.

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

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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
(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 that have 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.

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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.

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