Course Introduction & Assessment Details

1. Course Introduction & Assessment Details

2. Course Overview & Intended Learning Outcomes • This course is jointly taught by six departments in College of Business. • Upon completing this course, students will be able to: • Describe the social, historical, economic, political, cultural and technological forces that drive the process of globalization. • Analyze the pros and cons of global economic and cultural integration and the impact of globalization on income re-distribution among stakeholders. • Synthesize and evaluate the effects of globalization on a variety of business practices.

3. Factors Influencing Global Business • Key factors influencing global business strategy can be summarised under the PEST heading: Political, Economic, Social, Technological. Global Business Factors

4. Political Factor • Political Change – Change in government through democratic election can influence future business strategy. • e.g. the opportunities that are now available in Russia and Eastern Europe following the collapse of communism • Political Uncertainty – Political uncertainty can lead to a fall in investment by businesses and influence decisions on expansion and business ventures • War/Terrorism – create uncertainty

5. Economic Factor All following factors need to be considered in any global business venture: Legal and institutional factors – litigation risks, labor laws etc. Investment Considerations and Allowances Sophistication of Financial Markets – ease with which capital can be moved and raised Commodity Prices – oil, energy, metals Monetary and Fiscal Policies – interest rates, tax and customs policies, government aid Internal Regulation and Bureaucracy Exchange Rates

6. Social Factor • Religious Considerations – appropriateness of some business ventures – e.g. selling condoms in staunchly Catholic countries • Impact on local communities of business development – availability of jobs, training, environmental impact for these communities • Impact on the environment – can impact on the businesses image • Ethical considerations • Cultural issues

7. Technological Factor • Availability and developments in technology can have a powerful influence on global business strategy: • Access to bandwidth • PC ownership • Technology and sales – processing payments and sales • Compatibility of technologies in Business Management – accounting systems, language differences, etc.

8. Globalization and Business Functional Areas Management Logistics Accounting Finance Marketing Information Systems Global Business Factors

9. Teaching Instructors

10. Overview of Management Module Instructor: Mr. Didier Guillot (MGT) • Current debate on whether or not globalization has disengaged Asia from the traditional world economic engines led by the U.S. economy. • Emerging strength of China as a new centre of gravity in Asia, economically and geopolitically among others. • The issue of intertwining of international business and management seen through comparative eyes.

11. Overview of Logistics/Supply Chain Module Instructor: Dr. Biying Shou (MS) • Major challenges and the sources of such challenges in global supply chain management. • Examples of strategic, tactical and operational decisions in supply chain management. • Selected trendy topics in global supply chain management will be discussed.

12. International accounting, management control, taxation and auditing environment and the relating issues that global businesses are facing with. This module will lead you through the development of accounting practice in the globalized business environment. help you to appreciate the roles played by different accounting functions in international businesses. Overview of Accounting Module Instructor: Mr. Kelvin Mak (AC)

13. Overview of Economics & Finance Module Instructor: Dr. Isabel Yan (EF) • This module analyzes the various channels of economic and financial linkages across countries and discusses their implications. In particular: • The changing patterns of international trade and investment are analyzed. • Will use the Asian financial crisis of 1997 as a case study to illustrate the impacts of increasing linkages across the globe.

14. Overview of Marketing Module Instructor: Dr. Vincent Fok (MKT) • Marketing is a process of identifying customers and satisfying their needs. • The first half of the module discusses the impact of globalization from the consumers' perspectives. • The second half of the module is about selling goods overseas. New challenges include but not limit to operating in different languages, cultures and practices, and regulations and spending patterns.

15. Overview of Information Systems Module Instructor: Dr. Raymond Lau (IS) • This module will: • First explore how ICT facilitates the smooth operation of a world wide web of interacting business units or individuals through several real-world examples such as Alibaba.com, Amazon.com, Facebook, and so on. • Second study the practical know-how of connecting to the global information network after attending this module.

16. Course Assessments • Assessment tasks include • Participation 20% • Project and presentation 45% • Exam 35%

17. Assessment Details: Participation • Participation means both listening and speaking • Attendance • Contribution to class discussions • Try to ask interesting questions, or offer good examples and insights. • Your contributions will count for more if you build on the comments/insights offered by others in the class. • Don’t take things personally. Have an open mind - be inquisitive and skeptical. • The purpose of class participation is learning.

18. Assessment Details: Project • Project • Students are required to complete a group project during the semester. • Each group should consist of 3 or 4 members. • At the end of the semester, each group is required to present the assigned project and submit a written report.