BUAD 104 LEARNING ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE LINC PROGRAM Syllabus Spring, 2016 COURSE DESCRIPTION Globalization has become an important force shaping businesses around the world. In an increasingly global world, it is critical that business professionals learn about globalization and international business practices. This course, designed for freshmen business majors in the Marshall School, will provide an introduction to globalization and international business and familiarize you with the skills needed to be successful in conducting business across borders. The centerpiece of this course is a week-long field study trip to another country to learn about the business, economic, and cultural environment in that country. In addition to the experiential education during the international field study trip, the course will consist of a set of class sessions leading up to the trip, in which major themes related to international business and the business environment of the country you will visit will be discussed. The course will conclude with an integration of the lessons learned about international business from both the class sessions and the experiential education during the international field study trip. This course will provide a learning experience that will expand and broaden your cultural horizons and help you gain an appreciation for how business is conducted across national boundaries.
Transcript
BUAD 104LEARNING ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COMMERCELINC PROGRAM
SyllabusSpring, 2016
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Globalization has become an important force shaping businesses around the world. In an increasingly global world, it is critical that business professionals learn about globalization and international business practices. This course, designed for freshmen business majors in the Marshall School, will provide an introduction to globalization and international business and familiarize you with the skills needed to be successful in conducting business across borders. The centerpiece of this course is a week-long field study trip to another country to learn about the business, economic, and cultural environment in that country. In addition to the experiential education during the international field study trip, the course will consist of a set of class sessions leading up to the trip, in which major themes related to international business and the business environment of the country you will visit will be discussed. The course will conclude with an integration of the lessons learned about international business from both the class sessions and the experiential education during the international field study trip. This course will provide a learning experience that will expand and broaden your cultural horizons and help you gain an appreciation for how business is conducted across national boundaries.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1) To understand the impacts of globalization on business.2) To assess the business environment in other countries, including business
practices, economic and financial structures, institutions and institutional voids, political and regulatory systems, and cultural and social conditions.
3) To appreciate the challenges and opportunities of doing business internationally.4) To develop an international business perspective by understanding the
similarities and differences in the business environment across countries and how heterogeneity in the business environment across countries affects international business practices and strategies.
5) To understand the ethical issues and corporate social responsibility issues that arise in conducting international and global business.
6) To appreciate how to develop business strategies and make business decisions in the international and global context.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
7) To observe, reflect upon, and articulate conclusions about the business environment and business practices in other countries.
LINC AND THE MARSHALL BUSINESS CURRICULUM
A major emphasis of the Marshall School Business Curriculum is to prepare students to be successful managers in an international and global business environment. The LINC program is offered during freshman year in order to introduce students to issues of international and global business early in their undergraduate education. Having the foundations of an international and global perspective early on at USC will prepare you to better appreciate the international dimensions of the various business courses and activities you will be participating in during the rest of your years at USC. In addition, LINC will serve to introduce you to many issues that you will be exploring in more detail during the other courses and activities you will be taking part in during your education at Marshall.
LINC will help you to better understand some of the Organizational and Cultural issues you will study in BUAD 304: Leading Organizations, particularly issues related to cross-cultural work environments. It will also help prepare you to understand some of the strategic management issues you will discuss in BUAD 497: Strategic Management later on in your education at Marshall, particularly those related to Strategy in the International and Global context.
LINC will introduce you to and help reinforce some of the issues you will be studying in the foundational courses at Marshall. In LINC, you will be introduced to the economic environment of another country, which is related to some of the issues you will be studying in your Economics courses at USC, particularly BUAD 352: Macroeconomics for Business. In LINC, you will be writing memos and preparing a group presentation, which relates to the skills you will be developing in the Writing and Business Communications courses at USC.
During LINC, you will visit companies in another country and will be introduced to real-world examples of some of the functional areas you will learn about in the functional courses at Marshall, such as BUAD 307: Marketing Fundamentals, BUAD 311: Operations Management, and BUAD 306: Business Finance. For example, during the LINC field trip to another country, you will see examples of marketing campaigns, retailing environments, and advertisements. You will also see examples of operations or manufacturing plants in another country.
Finally, LINC will help prepare you for international business courses or experiences that are offered later during your USC education. The Marshall School offers many elective courses to deepen your understanding of International and Global Business, such as Business Communication Across Cultures, International Finance, International Trade and Commercial Policy, Technology-Enabled Global Businesses: Markets and Sourcing, International Business Communication, Cross Cultural Negotiations: Communication and Strategy, Global Leadership, Global Strategy, and Global Marketing Management. Also, LINC helps prepare you for other international travel and study programs which many
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students participate in later in their USC education, such as International Exchange Programs, Global Summer Internship Programs, International Case Competitions, ExCEL, and Global Brigades @ Marshall.
FACULTY
Argentina -- Buenos Aires:Thomas Knapp 213-740-0505 BRI 1 [email protected]
Australia -- Sydney:Julia Plotts 213-821-6798 BRI 303C [email protected]
The website for this course is on Blackboard at http://blackboard.usc.edu.
Course announcements, lecture slides, readings, and other course materials will be posted to this website. Please make sure you can access this course in Blackboard and retrieve the course syllabus and other course materials electronically. You should check Blackboard regularly for announcements and new materials. USC's Blackboard learning management system and support information is available at http://blackboard.usc.edu.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
ORGANIZATION OF LINC PROGRAM
There are three phases of the LINC Program:
Phase I – Pre-Trip Preparation
A set of eight pre-trip class sessions takes place before the international field study trip. These sessions will introduce you to a) important issues in international business, b) the business, economic, political, cultural, and institutional environment of the country you will be visiting, and c) business and managerial practices in the country you will be visiting. One of the eight pre-trip sessions with be a common plenary session across all LINC sections on Ethics in Global Business.
During this phase, you will prepare a set of individual memos related to the learning in the class sessions and a group briefing paper related to one of the companies we will visit during the international field study trip. Quizzes will also be given to assess your mastery of the course material. Attendance and active participation at the pre-trip class sessions is mandatory.
Phase II – International Field Study Trip
You will spend a week in a country gaining first-hand information about the business, economic/financial, political/regulatory, cultural/social, and institutional environment of that country. During this week, you will visit companies to learn about how business is conducted in the country. You will also visit sights to learn about the cultural, historic, economic, and institutional environment in which business takes place in the country. In addition, you will be asked to work on experiential exercises as part of the in-country learning. Finally, you will be asked to complete a reflection assignment. Attendance and active participation at all of these visits and experiential exercises is mandatory.
Phase III – Integration of Learning from the Course
At the end of the field study trip, your group will prepare a final project integrating the learning from all of the components of the course. A final class session will take place for project presentations and to discuss the lessons learned from the course. Attendance and active participation at this final class session is mandatory.
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GRADING POLICIES
The grading for LINC will be Credit/No Credit. In order to receive credit for the course, you must pass each of the following requirements, as follows:
1) Class Participation and Attendance (Individual) 2) Memos and Quizzes (five total) (Individual) 3) Company Briefing Paper (Group) 4) Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip (Group) 5) Reflection Assignment (Individual) 6) Final Project (Group)
Given that this course is based on experiential learning, attendance and active participation at all sessions during all 3 phases of the LINC Program is expected. In order to receive credit for the course, you must pass all of the above six components of the course requirements. Failing to pass any one of these six components will result in receiving No Credit for the course. For example, failing to pass the class participation and attendance component of the grade will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
At the end of the course, you will complete peer evaluations of the members of your team. In order to receive credit for the course, you must contribute fairly to the group assignments. Please see Appendix I for the peer evaluation form.
Expectations Regarding Student Conduct on the International Field Trip
During the trip, you are a representative of USC and your actions reflect upon the reputation of the school. Therefore, you are expected to behave professionally at all times and be an exemplary Ambassador of the USC Marshall School of Business.
As is the case with all USC study abroad programs, all SCampus polices and the University Student Conduct Code are in effect during the international field trip, from the time you arrive at LAX at the start of the trip until the end of the trip. The University Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs also applies throughout the international field trip.
Throughout all phases of this course (the pre-trip class sessions, the international field study trip, and the final class session), you are expected to adhere to all SCampus policies (see http//scampus.usc.edu ), including the University Student Conduct Code and the University Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs . Violations of these policies during any phase of this course will result in receiving No Credit for the entire course. In addition, violations of these policies will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards (see http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS)Finally, violations of these policies during the trip will subject you to being required to return home early from the trip at your own expense.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
Pre-Trip Evaluation of PerformanceYour performance in the class will be evaluated prior to the departure of the international field study trip, by February 27 for March trips and April 24 for May trips. Those students who are not passing the course based on the work completed by that time (such as Class Attendance and Participation, the Memos and Quizzes, and the Company Briefing Paper) will receive No Credit for the course and will not be allowed to travel on the international field study trip. After January 31, 2015, for March trips, and after February 27, 2015, for May trips, none of the travel fee is refundable. Therefore, students who receive No Credit for the course and are not allowed to travel will not receive any refund of the travel fee.
Different Levels of Passing Grades (Credit) for the Course
Passing grades will be broken down into High Pass, Pass, and Low Pass depending on your level of performance in the class. When you apply to participate in other Marshall School programs and opportunities in the future (such as domestic trips, ExCEL, case competitions, International Exchange Programs, etc.), whether you received a High Pass, Pass, or Low Pass in this course will be factored into your ranking in being considered for these other programs. For example, those who received a High Pass in this course will be given higher priority in being considered for these other programs. Also, future recommendation letters from your LINC faculty or the Marshall School Undergraduate Program Office will be influenced by whether you received a High Pass, Pass, or Low Pass in this course. While your transcript will only show whether you received credit or not for the course, the Marshall School will maintain a record of whether you received High Pass, Pass, or Low Pass in this course.
Whether you receive a High Pass, Pass, or Low Pass in the class will be determined as follows:
High Pass1) Active and consistent participation in the Pre-Trip Class Sessions and the
International Field Trip activities/visits, with insightful questions and comments.
2) Consistently very high levels of preparation for class sessions and activities/visits.
3) Superior and sophisticated understanding, insights, and syntheses of the course material as reflected in the Memos, Quizzes, Reflection Assignment, and Class Discussions.
4) Superior understanding and integration of the course material as reflected in the group assignments (i.e., the Company Briefing Paper, Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip, and the Final Project).
5) Proactive and very high levels of involvement in the group assignments.6) Very high levels of professionalism manifested in interactions with
speakers and other contacts met in class sessions and during the trip.
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Pass1) High levels of alertness in the Pre-Trip Class Sessions and the
International Field Trip activities/visits, with moderate amounts of participation as reflected in questions and comments.
2) Very good levels of preparation for class sessions and activities/visits.3) Solid understanding, good insights, and good syntheses of the course
material as reflected in the Memos, Quizzes, Reflection Assignment, and Class Discussions.
4) Solid understanding and good integration of the course material as reflected in the group assignments (i.e., the Company Briefing Paper, Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip, and the Final Project).
5) Very Good levels of involvement in the group assignments.6) High levels of professionalism manifested in interactions with speakers
and other contacts met in class sessions and during the trip.
Low Pass1) Attending all of the Pre-Trip Class Sessions and the International Field
Trip activities/visits, with minimal questions and comments.2) Good levels of preparation for class sessions and activities/visits.3) Basic understanding of the course material as reflected in the Memos,
Quizzes, Reflection Assignment, and Class Discussions.4) Basic understanding of the course material as reflected in the group
assignments (i.e., the Company Briefing Paper, Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip, and the Final Project).
5) Acceptable levels of involvement in the group assignments, but less involvement than other group members.
6) Professionalism manifested at all times in interactions with speakers and other contacts met in class sessions and during the trip.
Reasons for Receiving No Credit for the Course
Level of Academic Performance: 1) Failing to receive a passing grade in any one of the six components of the
grade (i.e., 1) class participation and attendance, 2) the memos and quizzes, 3) the company briefing paper, 4) the experiential exercises, 5) the reflection assignment, and 6) the final project) will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
2) Failing to submit assignments on time will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
3) Failing to demonstrate a basic understanding of the course material as reflected in memos, quizzes, the reflection assignment, class discussions, and group assignments will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
4) Failing to contribute to the group assignments (i.e., the Company Briefing Paper, Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip, and the Final Project) will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
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Attendance and Participation: 1) Missing more than 1 of the 8 Pre-Trip Class Sessions will result in
receiving No Credit for the course. If you need to miss one of the pre-trip class sessions, you must be excused by your professor in advance, and you are only allowed one excused absence. In addition, you are responsible for making sure you understand the material that was covered during the missed session and must prepare a one to two page paper summarizing the material covered and lessons learned during that session.
2) Missing any of the visits/activities during the International Field Study Trip will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
3) Missing the final class session (at the end of or after the trip) will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
4) Behaving unprofessionally during class sessions or visits/activities during the International Field Study Trip such as sleeping during sessions, being disruptive during sessions (e.g., arriving late, coming and going during sessions), and failing to respond to questions and feedback will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
5) Students who consistently come to class unprepared will receive No Credit for the course.
Behavior: As part of this trip, you are a representative of the USC Marshall School of Business and your behavior during the trip affects the reputation of USC and the Marshall School. Therefore, you are expected to behave professionally during the trip. Inappropriate and unprofessional behavior during the trip (e.g., rude behavior during company visits, drunkenness, etc.) will result in receiving No Credit for the course. Violations of SCampus policies (see http://scampus.usc.edu ), including the University Student Conduct Code and the University Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs, will result in receiving No Credit for the course.
IMPORTANT DATES
Eight Pre-Trip Class Sessions
Check Your Country’s Schedule for the Dates of these Eight SessionsMemos and Quizzes (five total)
Submit 1 Hardcopy of each Memo to Your ProfessorQuizzes Taken on Dates Specified in Your Country’s Schedule
The Pre-Trip Class Session on February 26 will be a LINC Plenary Session on Ethics in Global Business. All LINC trips with attend the same Plenary Session. Guest speakers with expertise in International and Global Business and the Ethical Issues involved will present during this session.Formal Business attire is required for this session.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
Company Briefing Paper
For March Trips: Due on February 19 (Fri.) by Starting Time of Class
Submit 3 Hardcopies to Your ProfessorSubmit an electronic version in PDF format with Turnitin on Blackboard
For May Trips: Due on April 15 (Fri.) by Starting Time of Class
Submit 3 Hardcopies to Your ProfessorSubmit an electronic version in PDF format with Turnitin on Blackboard
International Field Study Trip
For March Trips: Depart LAX on March 11 (Fri.) or 12 (Sat.) and
Return on March 20 (Sun.)Company Visits, Experiential Exercises, Cultural Activities, and Reflection
Assignment from March 13 (Sun.) through March 19 (Sat.)For May Trips:
Depart LAX on May 13 (Fri.) or 14 (Sat.) andReturn on May 22 (Sun.)
Company Visits, Experiential Exercises, Cultural Activities, and Reflection Assignment from May 15 (Sun.) through May 21 (Sat.)
Note: The departure and return dates are approximate. Travel dates for some trips may differ slightly. Please check with your country faculty or the LINC web site for the exact dates of your trip.
Final Session and Final Project: Integration of Learning from Course
For March Trips: Final Session and Final Presentation on April 1 (Fri.)Final Project Due on April 1 (Fri.) by Beginning of Class
Submit an electronic version in PDF format with Turnitin on BlackboardFor May Trips:
Final Session and Final Presentation on May 21 (Sat.)Final Project Due on May 25 (Wed.) by 5:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Submit an electronic version in PDF format with Turnitin on BlackboardNote: Electronic Versions of the Company Briefing Paper and the Final Project should be submitted in PDF format with Turnitin on Blackboard. Please see Appendix II for instructions on submitting electronic deliverables with Turnitin.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Class Participation and Attendance (Individual)
The learning from this course is largely experiential and participation-based. There will be many opportunities to ask questions of speakers and faculty members and engage in discussions with speakers, faculty members, and your fellow students. Those who
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participate more actively will learn more from the experience. In addition, interactions with guest speakers and members of the business community reflect upon the reputation of USC and the Marshall School, and thus, professionalism and high quality participation in meetings and visits is expected at all times. Your participation will be assessed based on 1) attendance and promptness, 2) alertness and active listening, and 3) participation in discussions and quality of questions asked.
Attendance and Promptness: As opposed to a traditional course that relies on textbooks, readings, and lecture notes, this course is an experiential-based course. The learning in this class comes largely from the activities that take place during the Class Sessions and the experiences during the International Field Study Trip. Given the experiential and participation-based nature of this course, material cannot be made up outside of class and the trip, and attendance is critical to the learning in this course
Attendance at all sessions (the pre-trip class sessions, the visits/activities during the international field study trip, and the final class session) is mandatory. Showing up on time and remaining for the full length of all sessions is expected. Attendance will be taken during each session. If you need to miss a pre-trip class session, you must be excused by your professor in advance, and you are only allowed one excused absence. Missing more than 1 of the 8 Pre-Trip Class Sessions will result in receiving No Credit for the course. Missing any of the visits/activities during the International Field Study Trip will result in receiving No Credit for the course. Missing the final class session will result in receiving No Credit for the course. Absences for medical reasons will require a note from a physician.
Alertness and Active Listening: Paying full attention at all sessions is expected.
Participation in Discussions and Quality of Questions Asked: Participation in discussions in both the classroom sessions and during the visits/activities on the international field study trip is expected of all students. Asking insightful questions of guest speakers, faculty, and fellow students is also expected. In order to participate actively in the course, it is expected that you will come to all sessions well prepared, having read and thought about assigned material. The quality (not merely quantity) of your participation and questions asked is an important part of your performance in this class.
Memos and Quizzes (five total) (Individual)
Your individual understanding and integration of the material from the class sessions will be assessed through memos and quizzes. Quizzes will be given in certain class sessions to test your mastery of the course material. Memos will be submitted after some of the pre-trip class sessions to assess your learning of the course material.
Your professor might provide more specific guidance and direction about how to focus and what to address in each memo. If more specific guidance and direction is not provided, the memos should focus on the key lessons and takeaways from previous class sessions and readings. The memos should analyze and integrate these key issues, lessons, and takeaways.
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Do not just repeat what was said during class sessions and readings. Instead, you should process and synthesize the learning from the previous class sessions and readings, and discuss what lessons you learned, what takeaways you found meaningful, and why you found those lessons/takeaways particularly important. After the first couple of class sessions, you should attempt to integrate the lessons by discussing themes and lessons that cut across more than one class session. Your own individual analysis and perspective on the issues, lessons, and takeaways from previous class sessions and readings should be emphasized.
The body of the memo’s content can be in bullet points or in paragraphs or in some combination of bullet points and paragraphs. It is due at the beginning of the class session. This assignment is to be completed individually.
Company Briefing Paper (Group)
Each group will prepare a briefing paper related to one of the companies that we will visit during the trip. This briefing paper will include your discussion and analysis of the company’s situation as well as the industry in which the company competes. The briefing papers from all of the groups will be assembled into a briefing book, which will be distributed to all students in the class before the trip. It is expected that before the trip you will read all of the company briefing papers contained in this briefing book. When we visit each company, each of you will already have some basic knowledge about the company and its industry from the briefing book and, therefore, can ask more insightful questions of the speakers. This paper should be approximately three pages, single-spaced (five pages is the maximum length).
Please see the section later in the syllabus that provides guidelines about how to prepare the company briefing paper. Also, please see Appendix III that provides a template for the company briefing paper.
Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip (Group)
During the International Field Study Trip, there will be two experiential exercises to complete. The following are three examples of the types of experiential exercises you will complete -- you will be asked to complete two exercises similar to these examples. Additional guidelines for the two experiential exercises your group will complete during the trip will be distributed by your professor.
Joint Learning Activity with Students from Another University: Your class may visit a major university during the trip and meet with students from that university. During this visit, your group may team up with a group from the local university and be given some time to analyze together a case study or engage in some other joint learning activity. Each cross-national team would then present their analyses and conclusions to the faculty and all of the other student teams.
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Observational Exercise: You may be given some time during the trip to observe how people live, work, or shop in another country. For example, you could visit shops, stores, and malls in order to observe and analyze the retailing, sales, and marketing environment in another country. Your group would then prepare a presentation with your observations and analyses of how people live, work, or shop in the country you are visiting and how this compares with how people live, work, or shop in the United States. You would deliver this presentation to the faculty and other students during the trip.
Corporate Social Responsibility Exercise: Your class may visit a community organization (such as a grammar school or an environmental organization) or an NGO and meet with representatives from these organizations to discuss the responsibility of businesses and business people in contributing to the communities in which they operate. You would be given some time to observe the work of this community organization or NGO and, if appropriate, participate in an activity related to this organization. For example, if visiting a grammar school, you might spend some time meeting with and tutoring the students in English.
Reflection Assignment (Individual)
During the International Field Study Trip, you will be asked to complete an individual reflection assignment. This reflection assignment will allow you to make sense of, synthesize, and integrate the experiential learning during the trip. In this assignment, you should reflect upon and articulate the learning and insights that you are experiencing and gaining during the course of the international field study trip. For this assignment, you will turn in individual notes, complete individual worksheets, or write individual memos in which you reflect upon and articulate the experiential learning you are acquiring during the trip.
Your professor will provide more specific guidance and direction about the specifics of what is required for this reflection assignment.
Final Project (Group)
After the International Field Study Trip, a final group project is due. This project should analyze and draw conclusions about the key lessons, takeaways, and insights that came out of the LINC program related to a) global/international business, b) the cultural/economic/historical/political/institutional environment of the country you visited, and c) doing business in the country you visited. The project should integrate both theoretical and practical insights and should synthesize learning from both the Pre-Trip Class Sessions and the International Field Study Trip. In this assignment, we are challenging you to think deeply about what you learned in this course and what you gained from having taken it.
Your professor might provide more specific guidance and direction about the final project. If more specific guidance and direction is not provided, please see the section later in the syllabus that provides general guidelines about how to prepare the final project.
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CSR AND ETHICS IN GLOBAL BUSINESS
Involvement in international and global business exposes individuals and companies to ethical issues and raises questions about the social responsibility of corporations as they engage in business across borders. Opportunities for learning about the ethical issues facing international managers and understanding the social responsibility questions confronting international companies will be integrated into LINC. There will be a plenary session on Ethics in Global Business during one of the pre-trip class sessions. During the international field trip, one of the visits might focus on issues pertaining to corporate citizenship and corporate social responsibility.
SOURCES OF DATA
In completing the assignments for this course, you will need to do research about the country to which you will be traveling and the company and industry that you will analyze for the company briefing paper. The USC library system has substantial amounts of online and print reference material related to international business and various countries around the world. The USC Librarians have developed a Library Research Guide for International Business, which contains references to data and information relevant to LINC. Please consult these international business data and information resources, which can be accessed though the USC Libraries web pages at http://libguides.usc.edu/intlbiz. Near the top of this international business page are a set of tabs with many different countries listed. Please select the tab with your LINC country for sources of data and information specific to that country. Please select the "Home" tab for general sources of international business data and information.
In addition to online and library sources of data, you will have opportunities during the International Field Study Trip to gain access to primary sources of data. You will gain first-hand information about international business and the country to which you are traveling through the company visits, experiential exercises, and cultural activities that make up the International Field Study Trip.
TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Laptop computer, tablet, and internet usage are not permitted during class sessions, unless the instructor explicitly gives permission to use these technologies for a class exercise. Use of other personal communication or entertainment devices, such as cell phones, smart phones, and music players is also not permitted during class sessions. ANY electronic devices (including cell phones, smart phones, PDAs, iPhones, Android phones, computers, laptops, iPods, iPads, other tablets, MP3 players, etc.) are to be turned off during class time. Receiving or sending communications or entertainment during class detracts from participation, disrupts the learning environment, and is rude to those around you.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
Videotaping faculty lectures is not permitted due to copyright infringement regulations. Audiotaping is also not permitted, unless explicitly approved by the professor. Use of any recorded or distributed material is reserved exclusively for the USC students registered in this class.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. USC is committed to the general principles of academic honesty that include and incorporate the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. By taking this course, students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Violations of academic integrity standards will be treated seriously. SCampus, the Student Guidebook, (http://scampus.usc.edu) contains the University Student Conduct Code including the university's academic integrity standards. Students in this course are expected to behave according to all of these standards.
Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found at: http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/ . Failure to adhere to the academic conduct standards set forth by these guidelines and our programs will not be tolerated by the USC Marshall community and can lead to dismissal.
RETURNED COURSEWORK AND RETENTION OF GRADED COURSEWORK
Final projects will be retained for one year after the end of the course. All other graded work will be returned to students during class, and it is the responsibility of students to retain the material. Students who miss class sessions when graded work is returned are responsible for arranging for an appointment to retrieve the material. Graded work that was returned but unclaimed by a student will be discarded at the end of the semester. Disputes over graded material should be brought to the professor’s attention within 2 weeks after the work is returned.
CLASS NOTES POLICY
Notes or recordings made by students based on a university class or lecture may only be made for purposes of individual or group study, or for other non-commercial purposes that reasonably arise from the student’s membership in the class or attendance at the university. This restriction also applies to any information distributed, disseminated or in any way displayed for use in relationship to the class, whether obtained in class, via email or otherwise on the Internet, or via any other medium. Actions in violation of this policy constitute a violation of the Student Conduct Code, and may subject an individual or entity to university discipline and/or legal proceedings.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
No student may record any lecture, class discussion, or meeting with faculty without the faculty member’s prior express written permission. The word “record” or the act of recording includes, but is not limited to, any and all means by which sound or visual images can be stored, duplicated or retransmitted whether by an electro-mechanical, analog, digital, wire, electronic or other device or any other means of signal encoding. The faculty reserve all rights, including copyright, to their lectures, course syllabi and related materials, including summaries, PowerPoints, prior exams, and all supplementary course materials available to the students enrolled in this class whether posted on Blackboard or otherwise. They may not be reproduced, distributed, copied, or disseminated in any media or in any form, including but not limited to all course note-sharing websites. Exceptions are made for students who have made prior arrangements with DSP and the faculty .
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to your instructor as early in the semester as possible. Your letter must be specific as to the nature of any accommodations granted. DSP is located in GFS 120 and is open 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. For more information visit www.usc.edu/disability.
ACADEMIC CONDUCT
Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity http://equity.usc.edu or to the Department of Public Safety http://dps.usc.edu. This is important for the safety of the whole USC community. Another member of the university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center for Women and Men http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault resource center webpage http://sarc.usc.edu describes reporting options and other resources.
LANGUAGE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Students whose primary language is not English should check with the American Language Institute http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali, which sponsors courses and workshops specifically for international students.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
In case of a declared emergency if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes. USC Emergency Information http://emergency.usc.edu will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued by means of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.
Please make sure you can access this course in Blackboard and retrieve the course syllabus and other course materials electronically. You should check Blackboard regularly for announcements and new materials. In the event of an emergency, the ability to access Blackboard will be crucial. USC's Blackboard learning management system and support information is available at http://blackboard.usc.edu.
Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
COMPANY BRIEFING PAPER LINC 2016
Educational Objectives
1) To understand the position of companies you will visit in their industries and the key challenges and opportunities they face.
2) To familiarize yourself with the challenges and opportunities confronting the industries you will visit.3) To appreciate basic facts about the companies and industries you will visit.4) To prepare yourself and the class for the company visits in the country you will visit.
Deliverable
Three hardcopies of your company briefing paper are due to your professor by the starting time of your class on Friday, February 19, for March Trips, or on Friday, April 15, for May trips. An electronic copy is due by the same time and should submitted in PDF format with Turnitin on Blackboard.
This paper is a short analysis of one of the companies and industries you will visit (a group will be assigned to each of the companies and industries you will visit). The emphasis of the paper should be on discussing the key challenges and opportunities confronting your assigned company and industry and understanding the types of important decisions facing managers in your company. The purpose of these papers is to prepare yourself and the rest of the class for the company visits in your country. By having some familiarity with the companies and industries you will visit, you will be prepared to ask more sophisticated questions of the speakers.
The paper should consist of your own interpretation and analysis of the information you collect and should be written in your own words. Cutting and pasting information from other sources should be avoided. Instead of merely repeating the information you collect, you should make sense of the information you collect, interpret the information in terms of the implications for your company and industry, and communicate these points effectively and concisely in the paper.
Company Briefing Papers should be approximately three pages, single-spaced (five pages is the maximum length). Be sure to cite your sources of information. A template for formatting the company briefing papers is provided so that these papers have a consistent appearance when assembled into a book (see Appendix III of this syllabus for the template).
Issues to Address in Briefing Paper
The paper should be divided into six sections corresponding to the following six issues:
1) Describe briefly your company and the industry in which it is located.2) Analyze the major challenges and opportunities facing the industry.3) Identify the company’s competitors, and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Analyze the
strengths and weaknesses of your company in comparison to those of the competitors.4) Analyze the key challenges and opportunities facing the company today and in the future. Discuss the
most important decisions facing senior managers in the company.5) List five key questions that you would like to ask of the managers at the company during the company
visit.6) List your sources of information.
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Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
FINAL PROJECT LINC 2016
Educational Objectives
1) To integrate the learning about global/international business that came from both the pre-trip class sessions and the international field study trip.
2) To synthesize the learning about the cultural/economic/historical/political/institutional environment of the country you visited from both the pre-trip class sessions and the international field study trip.
3) To draw conclusions about the key lessons on doing business in the country you visited from both the pre-trip class sessions and the international field study trip.
4) To integrate theoretical and practical insights from both the pre-trip class sessions and the international field study trip.
5) To reflect deeply about what you learned in this course and what you gained from having taken it.
Deliverable
A short presentation of your Final Project will be given to the class during the Final Session on Friday, April 1, for March Trips, or on Saturday, May 21, for May trips.
One electronic copy of your Final Project should submitted in PDF format with Turnitin on Blackboard by the beginning of class on Friday, April 1, for March Trips, or by 5:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Savings Time on Wednesday, May 25, for May Trips.
Guidance and Direction for Final Project
Your professor might provide more specific guidance and direction about the final project. If more specific guidance and direction is not provided, please use the information in the following sections about the general format and general guidelines for the final project.
General Format for Final Project. We encourage you to be creative in the format of your final project. Using multimedia for the final project is encouraged. For example, the final project can take the form of a video or slide show or other non-traditional format.
If you prefer to use a more traditional report format for the final project, the final project should consist of 3-5 pages of text, single-spaced. It should be supplemented with photographs or other materials to illustrate the conclusions you discuss. For example, a lesson that contains an insight about marketing practices might include illustrative photographs of advertisements you took during the trip. A conclusion about the effects of rapid economic growth might include photographs illustrating these effects.
If you would like to use another format for the final project, the final project should be at least equivalent in amount of work to the more traditional report format. We encourage you to use other formats for the final project and to be creative in how you approach this assignment. However, if you use another format for the final project, you should discuss this with your professor to obtain approval for the type of creative, non-traditional approach you will use.
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Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
General Guidelines for Final Project. The rationale for the final project is to allow you to reflect deeply upon the most important lessons learned from the LINC program and draw conclusions about the most important insights or takeaways from the experience. You should integrate learning from both the pre-trip class sessions and the international field study trip in analyzing and drawing your conclusions.
Your group should analyze and draw conclusions about the lessons learned about global and international business, including the challenges and opportunities involved in doing business globally and internationally. Your group should also analyze and draw conclusions about the lessons learned about the cultural, economic, historical, political, and institutional environment of the country you visited. Finally, your group should analyze and draw conclusions about the lessons learned about doing business in the country you visited.
The project should not merely repeat what was said during the pre-trip class sessions and international field study trip. Instead, the project should attempt to integrate, distill, and draw the most significant insights, takeaways, and conclusions from all of the learning during this program.
The lessons you include should not be confined to one particular company or industry. Instead, you should reflect on more inclusive lessons that cut across companies and industries. The lessons you include might contain insights that attempt to integrate different aspects of the country and international business environment. For example, a lesson about the cultural environment in your target country might include insights about how the cultural environment affects competition, business practices, ethical issues confronting managers, international business relationships, etc.
The lessons should integrate both theoretical and practical knowledge you have gained from this course. The lessons you include might synthesize both the theoretical insights you learned and the practical insights and observations you made during the experience. For example, you might show how particular practical observations you made during the trip tie in with general theories and frameworks learned during the class sessions.
In reflecting on the lessons learned, you might compare and contrast the cultural, economic, historical, political, and institutional environment of the country you visited with that in the United States or other countries with which you are familiar. In addition, you might compare and contrast how business is done in the country you visited with how it is done in the United States or other countries with which you are familiar.
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Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
Appendix I PEER EVALUATIONS
LINC 2016
Please allocate 100 points among your team members, including yourself, to reflect each person’s relative contribution to your team. Write the name of each member of your team, including yourself, in the spaces below and then assign points to each person. Make sure the points add up to 100.
List Name of Person Points
Yourself __________________________ _________
Team Member __________________________ _________
Team Member __________________________ _________
Team Member __________________________ _________
Team Member __________________________ _________
Team Member __________________________ _________
Total: ___100___
ExplanationPlease explain why you divided up the points the way you did. This explanation is an important component of the peer evaluations, so please take the time to provide a thorough explanation. Peer evaluations that have a good explanation will be taken more seriously than those that do not. Please continue your explanation on the back of this form, if needed.
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Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2016 University of Southern California
Appendix IISUBMITTING ELECTRONIC DELIVERABLES WITH TURNITIN
LINC 2016
Electronic versions of your Company Briefing Paper and Final Project should be submitted in PDF format using the Turnitin feature of Blackboard.
To submit a document using Turnitin, please follow these steps: 1) Save your completed document or Power Point presentation in PDF format (Microsoft Office allows you to save a file in this format by selecting PDF on the line “Save as type:” from the “Save” or "Save as" screen and clicking “Save”), 2) Enter Blackboard at http://blackboard.usc.edu and select this course, 3) Go to the “Assignments” section, 4) Select “View/Complete” under the deliverable in question, 5) Fill out the options on the screen (select the name of one person from your team from the drop down menu for author, provide a submission title for the paper, choose the file you want to upload to Turnitin) and click "Upload"), 6) On the next screen hit "Confirm," to complete the submission process.
Please use a standard convention for naming your files as follows:a) For the company briefing paper, use the naming convention briefingpaper_yourcountry_yourcompany. For example, a paper pertaining to Sony and its industry for the Japan trip would be named briefingpaper_japan_sony.b) For the final group project, use the naming convention finalproject_yourcountry_lastnamesofteammembers. For example, a final group project for the Japan trip with team members with the following last names – Adams, Carlton, Jones, and Smith – would be named finalproject_japan_adamscarltonjonessmith.
You may view the Originality Report generated from your Turnitin submission. The Originality Report can be accessed by clicking on the “View/Complete” link under the team deliverable in the “Assignments” section of Blackboard.
Business School StudentsMarshall School of Business
University of Southern California
February 19, <<or April 15,>> 2016
<<Put the Company Name Here>>
1. Description of Company and Industry
<< Describe briefly your company and the industry in which it is located.>>
<<To provide consistency of appearance among all the papers in the briefing book, please do not change the formatting that appears in this document. Use the body text style for your paragraphs and do not indent at the start of each paragraph. Do not right justify.>>
2. Major Challenges and Opportunities Facing Industry
<<Analyze the major challenges and opportunities facing the industry.>>
3. Competitor and Company Strengths and Weaknesses
<< Identify the company’s competitors, and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your company in comparison to those of the competitors.>>
4. Key Challenges and Opportunities Facing Company
<<Analyze the key challenges and opportunities facing your company today and in the future. Discuss the most important decisions facing senior managers in the company.>>
5. Five Key Questions
<< List five key questions that you would like to ask of the managers at the company during the company visit.>>
6. Sources of Information
<<List your sources of information.>>
<<Put your company name here, centered on the page, and on subsequent pages.>>
Page 1 <<Put appropriate page number here, centered, and on subsequent pages.>>
BUAD 104LEARNING ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COMMERCELINC PROGRAM – MARCH TRIPS
SyllabusSpring, 2015Friday 12:00PM – 1:50PM
Professor: Michael W. Coombs, Ph.D.Office: BRI 303Office Phone: 213-740-9290Office Hours: by appointmentE-mail: [email protected]
Staff: Diana KurdianOffice: 837 Downey Way, Stonier Hall 300Office Phone: 213-740-7138Office Hours: by appointmentE-mail: [email protected]
Staff: Sheena DreherOffice: Bridge Hall 104Office Phone: 213-740-0690Office Hours: by appointmentE-mail: [email protected]
COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULE FOR LINC CHILE
WEEKLY PREPARATION & PERFORMANCE
1/15 Session 1: Issues of Globalization & Global Business Strategy
Bbd: Watch Discs 1 through 3 of “The Commanding Heights” DVD. (Each disc is approximately 120 minutes each).
Read: Distance Still Matters: The Hard Reality of Global Expansion.
Companies routinely overestimate the attractiveness of foreign markets. Dazzled by the sheer size of untapped markets, they lose sight of the difficulties of pioneering new, often very different territories. The problem is rooted in the analytical tools (the most prominent being country portfolio analysis, or CPA) that mangers use to
judge international investments. By focusing on national wealth, consumer income, and people’s propensity to consume, CPA emphasizes potential sales, ignoring the costs and risks of doing business in a new market. Most of these costs and risks result from the barriers created by distance. “Distance” however, does not refer only to geography; its other dimensions can make foreign markets considerably more or less attractive. The CAGE framework of distance presented in this article considers four additional dimensions to broaden and improve our analytical abilities.
Discussion Questions:1. Why do analysts use the criteria in the Country Portfolio Analysis? 2. What are the advantages of this framework?3. What are the dimensions of the CAGE model? 4. Why is this framework a helpful method of analysis?
1/22 Session 2: The Political / Historical Environment of Chile
Read: Chile: The Latin American Tiger.
Online: Download “Enterprise Surveys, Chile: Country Profile 2006”Go to http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/documents/EnterpriseSurveys/Reports/
CHILE.pdf
Online: Download the World Factbook-Chile Go to http://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ci.html and then select World Factbook in center of the screen and then country.
Discussion Questions:1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of regional trade agreements?1. What are the differences between a free trade agreement (NAFTA) and a customs union
(Mercosur)?2. What are the factors which led Chile to make the decisions that they did regarding trade
agreements?
1/29 Session 3: The Political / Cultural Environment of Chile
Read: Economic Gains from Trade: The Comparative Advantage
How nations trade and whether they benefit from it are two of the oldest and most important questions in political economy. In the 170 years since David Ricardo formally developed the theory of comparative advantage, it has become one of the principles most widely accepted among professional economists. Despite this wide acceptance in the professional community, the basics of international trade are still poorly understood by many policy makers and commentators.
Discussion Questions:1. What does this reading tell us about the self reliance of nations? 2. Based on this reading would you recommend that a country isolate itself from trade
with other countries?
Read: Spotting Institutional Voids in Emerging Markets
With the demise of communism, many countries in the world are striving to build their economic activity around markets and to participate in free trade agreements, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), European Union (EU), and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This reading addresses some important issues to consider when building a business in an emerging market.
Discussion Questions:1. What is the value of this framework for evaluating market entry?2. Are there any additional criteria which you might use to evaluate a new market?
2/5 Session 4: The Cultural / Social Environment of Chile
Read: National Culture and Management article
Online: Go to www.geert.hofstede.com
Print out the definitions of the five dimensions found on the first page. Then find and print out the “bar” charts for the following countries: 1) Chile, 2) The United States, and 3) your own country, if you are not a U.S. citizen.
At the individual level each of us possesses unique and personal characteristics. Children of the same parents reared in the same home do not all behave the same. At the national level, when aggregate comparisons are made, considerable research shows patterns which are thought to be typical of that culture. We will use this as a starting place to examine cultural differences and to understand the cultural norms and values present in a specific country.
We will seek to understand the relationship of national culture to management and how the culture is manifested in business settings. The charts provided at this web site provide a cultural signature or “fingerprint” of the five dimensions.
Discussion Questions:1. What is the cultural signature (five dimensions) for Chile?2. Does it differ from the cultural dimensions generally found in South America? 3. How does Chile’s cultural signature compare with that of the United States? 4. If you are an international student, how does Chile’s cultural signature compare with that
5. What are the implications of these comparisons for doing business in different cultures? 6. What else might we consider in making cultural comparisons?
2/12 Session 5: Doing Business in Chile - I
Read: Codelco Copper Mines.
Codelco is a Chilean copper mining company, widely considered to be one of the most professionally managed firms in South America in spite of the fact that it is 100% government owned. A $10.5 billion company in 2005, Codelco faced the challenge of incorporating information technology into its production processes, which had historically been very manual in nature.
Discussion Questions:1. What is your conception of typical mining operations? 1. How would you compare your conceptions with the story presented in this case? 2. Why do you think Codelco is operating this business the way they do?3. To whom is this approach valuable?
2/19 Session 6: Doing Business in Chile - II
Read: Arauco (A): Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion?
Arauco is a major Chilean producer of market pulp and wood products, owning over 1.2 million hectares of forest in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. As of early 2004, Arauco is the third largest producer of market pulp (pulp sold on the open market) and is considering increasing its capacity, tying it with Brazilian competitor Aracruz as the world’s largest producer. The first phase of the project has been approved by the board of directors and includes sawmill, plywood mill, and energy complex valued at $120 million. Now Alejandro Perez, Arauco’s president and CEO, is seeking approval for the second phase of the project, which would include the company’s sixth market pulp plant at a cost of $1.2 billion. Perez’s concerns about the volatility of the market prices for the past three years led the company to diversify into wood products like panels, medium density fiberboard, and other remanufactured wood products. These divisions are highly successful and currently account for approximately 50% of Aruaco’s revenues. Perez is debating whether the company and its shareholders would be better served by a forward integration into the paper business instead of increasing the company’s capacity in market pulp.
Discussion Questions:1. Should Arauco build the Itata plant? 2. What are the sources of competitive advantage for Arauco? 3. How would you assess the degree of integration within the company?
4. Why has Arauco moved away from its traditional “pulp alone” strategy? If these are reasons to move away from “pulp alone,” why decide now to build a new huge plant in Itata?
5. Do you recommend Arauco to integrate into the paper business? Why?
Company Briefing Paper Due Due: Company Briefing Paper (By Starting Time of Class)
Submit 3 Hardcopies to Your ProfessorE-mail Electronic Version to Your ProfessorE-mail Electronic Version to [email protected]
2/26 Session 7: Ethical Issues in International BusinessFormal business attire is Required for this sessionReading: TBDSpeaker: TBDLocation: TBD
3/4 Session 8: Cultural & Social Environment plus Trip-TalkPreparation:Performance: Memo summarizing the Ethics presentation
3/12 (Sat.) Depart from LAX for International Field Study Trip
3/13 (Sun.) International Field Study Trip with Company Visits, Experiential- 3/19 (Sat.) Exercises, and Cultural Activities
Due: Experiential Exercises
3/20 (Sun.) Return to LAX from International Field Study Trip
4/1 Session 9: Final Session and Final Presentation: Integration of Learning from CoursePreparation: Team documents Performance: Team Presentation
4/1 (Fri.) Final Project DueDue: Final Project (By Beginning of Class)
E-mail Electronic Version to Your ProfessorE-mail Electronic Version to [email protected]
