• Descripció

The International Management subject addresses the main issues that companies must face when (1) they decide to internationalize and (2) they begin to carry out their activity in an unknown environment to which they are accustomed. Several factors make internationalization one of the most important strategic decisions that a company can make, and its success can be vital for the future of the company, since internationalization can compromise its survival in the national market.

This subject will begin with a general vision of globalization and its impact on companies, before focusing on the main decisions that internationalization implies, that is, the destination and the product to internationalize, as well as the way to access new markets. The new challenges that arise in relation to organization, coordination and the relationship between the parent company and its subsidiaries will also be addressed. Since once the company has successfully passed the initial stage and becomes a multinational. Finally, you will analyze the cultural differences in the way international business is conducted and determine the best way to design a human resources policy in light of the range of options for the international management of the executives of a multinational.

• L'assignatura en el conjunt del pla d'estudis

International Management is an elective course of 6 ECTS in Economics, Business Administration and Management, Marketing and Market Research and Tourism Degrees.

• Coneixements previs

It is recommended that before enrolling this course, the student has attended the course of  Business Strategy (Direcció estratègica). Besides, as the course is in English, it's also highly recommended to have a B2 level in English (upper intermediate).

• Objectius i competències

This subject will develop the following transversal skills covered by all degree programmes in the Economics and Business Studies Department: 

It will also develop the following specific skills: 

  All of these skills are addressed by the following general objectives:

• To understand globalisation and the point of view of anti-globalisation movements and the struggle for another world, as well as to analyse the response and reaction of multinationals.
• Evaluate the coherence and the viability of a real company business' international strategies.
• Identify, prioritize, synthesize and present relevant information for international strategic decision-making.
• Apply the concepts and tools of strategic analysis in the case of a real company.
• Identify, analyze and evaluate the competitive advantages and alligened international strategies of a company.
• To decide, based on sound criteria, what mechanism or mechanisms to use to enter foreign markets.
• Identify, analyze and evaluate the development of international strategies of a real company.
• Reason and argue proposals for action for strategic change or for the development of the company in the future.
• Develop teamwork skills in a remote environment.

• Continguts

The subject's contents and resources are divided into the following four units: the global business environment, global versus local, the business challenges to be global, and globalization versus corruption.

Unit 1: The global business environment

During the last centuries, economies have hardly evolved due, among other things, the changes in market structures; today, companies can distribute their products all over the world in several days with almost no difficulty. This unit attempts to understand how world catastrophes - like Covid Pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a container ship stranded in the Suez Canal - have disturbed the World Trade and exposed the dependencies of the European Union in a globalized economy, for medicines, manufacturing and energy.

Unit 2: Global versus Local

For decades, the mainstream narrative, told by politicians, business people, globalization theorists, and the business media, has been that we live in an increasingly "global" economy. The key players in this story about the global economy are multinational companies, such as Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Tata, or Nestlé, who offer their products and services in almost all parts of the world. Some products and services are completety global, such as music in Spotify, Netflix series, razors, shampoo, etc. But are they really global, or do regional differences still matter? Bycicles sizes and colours are adapted to different countries; hair products vary enormously according to cultures and regions.

Unit 3: Business challenges to be global

The way we work changed dramatically over the course of 2020-21, following the pandemic, leading to the emergence of new hybrid and remote work models, changes in workforce and employment trends, and the adoption technology such as automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) that accelerated digital transformation to sustain business operations globally and locally. Two of the biggest concerns for CEOs of companies are: (1) the challenges related to talent and future jobs and (2) ensuring that international assignments truly meet the needs of the business. On the one hand, the digital transformation has brought many benefits to companies but has also eliminated many job functions. Thus, the adoption of digital technology will require companies to train their employees in new skills, which will lead to a certain resistance to change within organizations. In addition, companies will need to develop a new capability that allows them to compete effectively with competitors, including those that are "born digital" and are better placed to handle transformation challenges. On the other hand, as organizations expand their global presence, the number of employees on international assignments increases. A key factor in the success of any international assignment is the extent to which a program plans for assignment goals, employee selection, preparation for relocation, etc.

Unit  4. Globalization versus corruption

Thanks to globalization, the world is becoming smaller and more accessible. For example, through technology it is possible to communicate with someone from any remote corner instantly or get on a plane and in a matter of hours appear on the other side of the world. Globalization has a profound effect on the world, and on the way companies and even governments do business. The nature of globalization in the 21st century - fueled by post-war economic booms, global liberalization movements and freedom and the rise of dominant multinational corporations - led to an increasingly connected world and economy. While globalization brings benefits to developing countries and economies in transition, embracing globalization can also create new risks for developing countries. Research carried out in the mid-1990s showed that corruption is an obstacle to economic growth. They drain public resources from education, health care, and effective infrastructure-the kind of investments that can improve economic performance and raise living standards for all. More recent research has shown that the most corrupt countries benefit less from globalization. Still, "corruption" exists all over the world. It is the extreme forms of abuse of power that create the greatest risk of macroeconomic instability in developing countries and in the international financial system. So, what are the main effects that globalization is currently having on developing countries? How can this situation be improved? How to improve practices in these regions of the world to continue being a global and sustainable world?

• Consulta dels recursos d'aprenentatge de la UOC per a l'assignatura

• Informació addicional sobre els recursos d'aprenentatge i eines de suport

The learning resources is a combination of videos and textual sources. In each activity the student can find the resources required to facilitate the learning process.

• Informacions sobre l'avaluació a la UOC

El procés d'avaluació es fonamenta en el treball personal de l'estudiant i pressuposa l'autenticitat de l'autoria i l'originalitat dels exercicis realitzats.

La manca d'autenticitat en l'autoria o d'originalitat de les proves d'avaluació; la còpia o el plagi; l'intent fraudulent d'obtenir un resultat acadèmic millor; la col·laboració, l'encobriment o l'afavoriment de la còpia, o la utilització de material, programari o dispositius no autoritzats durant l'avaluació, entre altres, són conductes irregulars en l'avaluació que poden tenir conseqüències acadèmiques i disciplinàries greus.

Aquestes conductes irregulars poden comportar el suspens (D/0) en les activitats avaluables que es defineixin en el pla docent -incloses les proves finals- o en la qualificació final de l'assignatura, sigui perquè s'han utilitzat materials, programari o dispositius no autoritzats durant les proves, com ara xarxes socials o cercadors d'informació a internet, perquè s'han copiat fragments de text d'una font externa (internet, apunts, llibres, articles, treballs o proves d'altres estudiants, etc.) sense la citació corresponent, o perquè s'ha dut a terme qualsevol altra conducta irregular.

Així mateix, i d'acord amb la normativa acadèmica, les conductes irregulars en l'avaluació també poden donar lloc a la incoació d'un procediment disciplinari i a l'aplicació, si escau, de la sanció que correspongui, de conformitat amb l'establert a la normativa de convivència de la UOC.

En el marc del procés d'avaluació, la UOC es reserva la potestat de:

• Sol·licitar a l'estudiant que acrediti la seva identitat segons l'establert a la normativa acadèmica.
• Sol·licitar a l'estudiant que acrediti l'autoria del seu treball al llarg de tot el procés d'avaluació, tant avaluació contínua com avaluació final, per mitjà d'una prova oral o els mitjans síncrons o asíncrons que estableixi la Universitat. Aquests mitjans tindran per objecte verificar els coneixements i les competències que garanteixin l'autoria; en cap cas no implicaran una segona avaluació. Si no és possible garantir l'autoria de l'estudiant, la prova serà qualificada amb D, en el cas de l'avaluació contínua, o amb un Suspens, en el cas de l'avaluació final.

  A aquests efectes, la UOC pot exigir a l'estudiant l'ús d'un micròfon, una càmera o altres eines durant l'avaluació; és responsabilitat de l'estudiant assegurar que aquests dispositius funcionen correctament.

• Consulta del model d'avaluació