International

Business
Management

Department of International Business

& Marketing

NUST Business School

National University of Sciences & Technology
Course Details
Course Title: International Business
Course Code: FIN 328
Program: MBA Credit Hours: 3

Course Faculty
Lecturer Bilal Ahmed
Office:
Office Hours:
Email: bilal.chohan@nbs.nust.edu.pk

Course Description

The disappearing of economic boundaries is partially due to the proliferation of electronic

communication, which allows instantaneous information transfer for sales, marketing,
manufacturing and outsourcing. Furthermore, growing distribution networks, supply chains,
and transportation hubs simplify the movement of products. The broad networks of worldwide
financial institutions reduce currency issues. Thus, business professionals are increasingly
servicing the needs of customers around the world.

Ultimately, most business professionals will in some way be impacted by international

influences. Individuals planning a career in business must understand the intricacies of doing
business with partners from other countries—whether the business is conducted in the United
States, Pakistan or elsewhere in the world.

Culture, language, political systems, geography, and socio-economic factors all influence a
company’s business practices. Researching the companies you wish to do business with,
including their business practices, culture and tradition is vital to business success in this global
marketplace.

In order to be prepared for a career in any facet of the business world (accounting, finance,
marketing, information technology, law, healthcare, etc.), an understanding of global issues is
critical. Thus, studying international business will help students prepare for diverse business
opportunities, knowing in advance that respect for and knowledge of your counterparts can
create a competitive advantage.

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Course Objectives
1. Understand the different challenges businesses face when they operate in an
international environment.
2. Examine the various cultural, political and legal issues that impact international business
activity.
3. Examine the international institutions and practices that impact international business.
4. Develop insight into the management implications of international business strategy
and operations.

Learning Outcomes
1. Comprehensive understanding of theoretical concepts of International Business
Management.
2. Use of tools, frameworks, approaches and constructs in a contextualized environment.
3. Development and practice of skills required by a modern day International Business
Manager.

Required Course Material

International Business, A Managerial Perspective. 8th Edition, by Ricky W. Griffin and Michael W.
Pustay, Pearson Publishing.

W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne-Blue Ocean Strategy How to Create Uncontested Market Space and
Make Competition Irrelevant-Harvard Business Press (2005)

The following cases will be used through the semester.

1. 7 Eleven Indonesia
2. Coffee wars in India
3.LG electronics: Global strategy
4. Apple and its suppliers
5. Nestle Maggie India/ Amul dairy
6. Tata steel
7. Uber: Uber in every major country
8. Tesla: Internationalization from Singapore to China
9. Orascom telecom.

Readings will be provided beforehand in the corresponding week. It is your responsibility to read them
and come prepared for them. In case a you have been provided with the reading material and you have
not read it before coming in the class, you will not be part of the discussions, you wont be allowed to
attend the and will lose your marks for it.

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Course Evaluation (Grade Breakup)
Grading will be done as per NBS criteria. The breakup of the grade points is as follows:
Evaluation %
Cases 10%
Quizzes 15%
Final Project 15%
Mid Term 20%
End Term 40%

Course Content (Weekly)

Weekly breakdown is given below
Week Lecture Topic Reading

1 Introduction and Course Overview Corresponding Chapter

Introduction to International Business
Introduction to Strategy
2 Globalization, Global Marketplaces Corresponding Chapter
International Strategic Alliances

3 Legal, Technological, Accounting and Political

Environments

4 The Role of Culture Corresponding Chapter

5 Blue ocean strategy Value Based Management

System

6 Continued

7 Frameworks and evaluation Corresponding Chapter

Project information
8

9 Mid Term Exam Corresponding Chapter

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 10 Emerging Markets Reading
Rise of Emerging markets Multinationals
11 Strategic Innovation at the base of pyramid Reading
Market Research and Business Intelligence in
Emerging Markets

12 Managing Business Entry in Emerging Markets Reading

13 Managing Structure and Supply chain in Emerging Reading

Markets

14 Managing Operations in Emerging Markets Reading

15 Class presentations

16 Class presentations

17 BUFFER WEEK

18 FINALTERM EXAM

Course Policies

Class Participation & Attendance:

 According to NUST policy, 75% attendance is mandatory for you to pass this course. Please make
sure that your emergency and sick leaves fall within this criteria.
 Attendance will be taken on CMS, and will be taken in the first 10 minutes of the session. Once
attendance has been taken, you will not be marked present.

Quizzes:
A total of three quizzes will take place during the semester and all of them will be unannounced.

Exams:
There will be one mid-term exam and one final exam. Format of these exams will be announced well in
advance.

Academic Dishonesty:
You are responsible for knowing and enacting academic conduct that is in line with the University’s
statement entitled “Academic Dishonesty” available at:

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 http://www.nust.edu.pk/usr/showContents.aspx?mdl=1839
The statement highlights examples of unacceptable behavior which include, but are not limited to, the
following:
 Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study
aids in any academic exercise; copying from another student’s examination; submitting work
prepared in advance for an in-class examination; taking an examination for another person or
conspiring to do so.
 Plagiarism: Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own
in any academic exercise; failure to attribute direct quotation, paraphrase, or borrowed facts or
information.
It is expected that all work that is handed will be your own. Any ideas or content that come from
another source must be properly cited (including any content taken from the Internet, books, articles
and lectures). A handout ‘How to Avoid Plagiarism’ is provided to you along with this course outline. It
is expected from you that all your work (project, assignment and presentations) are referenced using
this handout.
Moreover, TurnItIn will be used as the plagiarism software to evaluate all your submissions. Any acts of
plagiarism and cheating will be dealt strictly and in accordance with the policy in place by the University.