GBUS 830 - Management of International Business

This course explores the relationships among domestic and foreign firms in economic development, particularly in emerging economies. Concerns over the distribution, pace, and consequences of economic growth are a fundamental force driving change in the international business environment. Firms and their managers are heavily influenced by these changes and by government policies that seek to improve economic conditions through increased flows of trade and investment. Investments in developing economies in particular present managers with opportunities to realize substantial financial returns and contribute to economic growth but are fraught with unique challenges and risks. Investments by foreign firms also raise normative concerns regarding the role of business in society and the nature of globalization. The course gives students theories and frameworks for understanding the nature of economic development and growth and the effects of private firms’ trade and investment activities on local economies. By applying these frameworks to a broad set of cases, students learn how to analyze the economic, financial, and social relationships influencing investments and operations around the globe. All the materials and experiences in the course speak to the central question: “How do firms affect globalization and economic development, and how do globalization and economic development affect firms?” (Y)

Credits: 1.5