This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

MGS5181 - International business strategy

6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Postgraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Business and Economics

Organisational Unit

Department of Management

Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Ilse Niemann-Struweg

Offered

South Africa

Term 1 2016 (On-campus block of classes)
Term 3 2016 (On-campus block of classes)

Synopsis

This unit looks at international business strategy theories and their application. Topics include the relationship between environmental scanning and strategic planning; methods of developing a strategic plan; corporate and business level strategy; choice of foreign operation and its implications in terms of risk and control; determinants of MNC activity; strategic issues that relate to international wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and alliance modes; impact of multi-domestic, regional and global integration strategies; and international corporate governance.

Outcomes

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

describe the concepts and use the tools for competitive analysis and strategic planning in the international environment
formulate and implement strategies for SMEs and multinational organisations in a global setting, with increasing focus on the emerging economies
identify and analyse the opportunities and dangers involved in international strategic management
evaluate the impact different types of foreign operations have on the internationalising organisation.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 50%
Examination: 50%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Ilse Niemann-Struweg

Prerequisites

MGF5966, MGM5966 or MGS5966 or MGX5966 or MGX9660 or MGZ5966, and achieved 60 credit points.

Prohibitions

MGX5181, MGM5181, MGZ5181