21717 International Management

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject encourages participants to: study how people in other countries go about conducting business and managing their enterprises; ascertain the reasons behind their various management practices; assess their effectiveness; and determine the implications for Australian managers. The subject helps develop an integrated world view to provide a better basis for decision making within the international business arena.

Subject objectives/outcomes

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

1. understand the influence of international management theories and behaviour on the people within organisations within a particular culture and country
2. understand the nature and importance of international relations as an influence on global business (and ebusiness) opportunities and trends
3. demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the cultural issues affecting managerial and employee behaviour in a number of countries studied during the subject
4. critique a broad knowledge of a range of organisational theories and management practices across a number of the countries reviewed during the course
5. apply the lessons of cross-cultural understanding to a range of international management situations.

Contribution to graduate profile

International Management explores many of the fascinating aspects of managing across cultures. The subject aims to help students develop a range of personal strategies to enhance their ability to understand how managers in different countries conduct business and manage their staff. The course also aims to develop students' appreciation of the reasons behind a variety of management practices and cross-cultural interactions. The subject also addresses ways in which managers operating in offshore organisations can develop their managerial effectiveness.

Students will have the opportunity to develop some specialised management knowledge of several cultural groups and nations and explore their impact upon the global economy. Students will gain a more integrated world view which will give them a better basis for decision making within the international business arena.

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject will be taught using a combination of lectures and seminars. The classes will use printed and electronic material. Students will be expected to read widely in the international press and journals, surf the internet and critically evaluate the sources in preparation of the assessments.

Content

• What is international management?
• Exploring the environment of international business
• Corporate social responsibility and managerial ethics in international business
• Managerial cultural differences: management values and their implications
• International management theory and practice for intercultural communication
• Managing diversity
• Cross-cultural negotiations: bridging the gap between business and government
• Motivation and its variations between different cultural groups
• Leadership in multinational organisations
• Management planning and organising
• Decision making and implementation of plans
• Managing the control process in international organisations
• Managing international teams.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Project (Group)

Assessment item 2: Class Quizzes (Individual)

Assessment item 3: Formal Exam (Individual)

Required text(s)

Pratt, J and Nikolova, N, 2006, International Management, 2nd edn, Pearson Education Australia (ISBN 0733984770).