Faculty of Business: Management
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Undergraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Handbook description

The e-commerce and e-business revolutions have led many organisations to question their ways of managing the multitude of challenges that arise from embracing the e-world. This subject acknowledges the risks and opportunities inherent in both adopting and ignoring the technological advantages now available to organisations. This subject assumes that most of these challenges help define the international organisation of the future. The critical dimensions require a planned approach if the risks assumed by many dot.com companies at the start of the 21st century are to become a matter of history. The subject is designed to introduce a new and developing way envisaging business-to-business, business-to-customer, and government-to-business relations. The supply chain management enhancements, growing trade blocs and diminishing national boundaries (to mention just a few) challenge the borders of traditional international organisations in ways that are just beginning to be explored.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. describe the nature of management issues arising from the global implementation of e business related technologies and to relate these developments to successes and failures of alternative business models
2. demonstrate sophisticated skills in the gathering, analysis and synthesis of international business competitive intelligence and describe suitable systems for the management of this information
3. identify the interaction between information technologies and the key business processes that form part of international supply chains
4. identify key developments that are enabling the development and management of virtual modes of operation in national and international supply chains.

Contribution to graduate profile

International Organisation in the Digital Age fills a knowledge gap in the skills of B Bus International Business Major participants who will shortly find themselves confronted by the management challenges of the currently evolving models of supply chains. Recent experiences have suggested that there are a number of lessons to be learnt from an over-exuberant adoption of 'new economy' modes of business without also integrating traditional management approaches to new business models. The subject compliments the objectives of the International Business major. It offers a range of management skills aimed at enhancing the capacity of successful participants to accept their managerial responsibilities in ways that enable an organisation to manage risk more effectively when proceeding with the adoption of e-business models in a highly competitive global environment.

Teaching and learning strategies

The lectures and workshops will incorporate a range of teaching and experiential learning strategies including electronic presentations, simulations, debates, readings, and case studies.

Content

• Strategic development of e-business models
• Organisational transformation enabled by information technology
• Strategies for managing information and knowledge in e-business
• Emerging supply chain strategies enabled by information technology and changing international business environments.

Assessment

Assignment (Individual)	30%
Case study analysis. Students will be required to use the academic literature in order to develop a set of recommendations using a supplied case study. It will enable students to demonstrate they have met objectives 1, and 2.
Group analysis of an international supply chain (Group)	30%
Students analyse an international supply chain and make suggestions for improvement. It will enable students to demonstrate they have met objectives 2 and 3.
Formal Final Examination (Individual)	40%
This will use multiple choice and long answer format questions in order to test students understanding of subject material. It will enable students to demonstrate they have met objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Examinations will be conducted under University Examination conditions, and hence thoroughly address secure assessment concerns. The group assignment is based on the collection of primary data. Protocols are established to ensure that managers in the participating companies can be identified, and if necessary, corroborate student claims on data collection. Individual essay assessment is subjected to plagiarism detection software.

Recommended text(s)

McKay, J. and Marshall, P. (2004), Strategic management of e-Business, Milton: John Wiley and Sons.

Indicative references

Carr, N. G. (2003), IT doesn't matter, Harvard Business Review, May., 41-49.

Farrell, D. (2003), The real new economy, Harvard Business Review, Oct., 104-112.

Ferdows, K. (1997), Making the most of foreign factories, Harvard Business Review, Mar-Apr., 73-88.

Hines, P., Lamming, R., Jones, D., Cousins, P. and Rich, N. (2000), Value Stream Management: Strategy and excellence in the supply chain, Pearson Education.

Kirby, J. (2003), Supply chain challenges: Building relationships, Harvard Business Review, Jul., 64-73.

Magretta, J. (1998), The power of virtual integration: An interview with Dell computer's Michael Dell, Harvard Business Review, Mar-Apr., 72-84.

Porter, M., (2001), Strategy and the Internet, Harvard Business Review, Mar., 63-78.

Teece, D. J. (2000), Managing intellectual capital: Organizational, strategic, and policy dimensions, Melbourne: Oxford University Press.