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BUAD 104

LEARNING ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE

LINC PROGRAM

USC Marshall School of Business

Course Syllabus and Description

Spring, 2013

INTRODUCTION

Globalization has become an important force shaping businesses around the world. In anincreasingly global world, it is critical that business professionals learn about globalization

and international business practices. This course will provide an introduction toglobalization and international business and familiarize you with the skills needed to besuccessful 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 culturalenvironment in that country. In addition to the experiential education during theinternational field study trip, the course will consist of a set of class sessions leading up tothe trip, in which major themes related to international business and the businessenvironment of the country you will visit will be discussed. The course will conclude withan integration of the lessons learned about international business from both the classsessions and the experiential education during the international field study trip. This coursewill provide a learning experience that will expand and broaden your cultural horizons andhelp you gain an appreciation for how business is conducted across national boundaries.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1) To understand the impacts of globalization on business.2) To appreciate the challenges and opportunities of doing business internationally.3) To learn to assess the business environment in other countries, including

business practices, economic and financial structures, institutions andinstitutional voids, political and regulatory systems, and cultural and socialconditions.

4) To develop an international business perspective by understanding the

similarities and differences in the business environment across countries and howheterogeneity in the business environment across countries affects internationalbusiness practices and strategies.

5) To understand the ethical issues and corporate social responsibility issues thatarise in conducting international and global business.

6) To appreciate how to develop business strategies and make business decisions inthe international and global context.

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Marshall School of Business LINC Program 2013 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) thebusiness, economic, political, cultural, and institutional environment of the country you willbe visiting, and c) business and managerial practices in the country you will be visiting. Oneof the eight pre-trip sessions with be a common plenary session across all LINC sections onEthics in Global Business.

During this phase, you will prepare a set of individual memos related to the learning in theclass sessions and a group briefing paper related to one of the companies we will visitduring the international field study trip. Quizzes will also be given to assess your mastery ofthe course material. Attendance and active participation at the pre-trip class sessions ismandatory.

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 isconducted 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.Finally, you will be asked to work on experiential exercises as part of the in-countrylearning. Attendance and active participation at all of these visits and experientialexercises 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 thelearning from all of the components of the course. A final class session will take place forproject presentations and to discuss the lessons learned from the course. Attendance andactive participation at this final class session is mandatory.

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GRADING

The grading for LINC will be Credit/No Credit. In order to receive credit for the course, youmust pass each of the following requirements, as follows:

1) Class Participation and Attendance (Individual)

2) One-Page Memos and Quizzes (five total) (Individual)

3) Company Briefing Paper (Group)

4) Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip (Group)

5) Final Project (Group)

Given that this course is based on experiential learning, attendance and active participationat all sessions during all 3 phases of the LINC Program is expected. In order to receivecredit for the course, you must pass all of the above five components of the course

requirements. Failing to pass any one of these five components will result in receiving

No Credit for the course. For example, failing to pass the class participation andattendance 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 reputationof 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 UniversityStudent Conduct Code are in effect during the international field trip, from the time youarrive at LAX at the start of the trip until the end of the trip. The University Policy onAlcohol 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, including the University Student Conduct Code and theUniversity 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 thesepolicies will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards.

Pre-Trip Evaluation of Performance

Your performance in the class will be evaluated prior to the departure of the internationalfield study trip (by March 1 for March trips and April 20 for May trips. Those students whoare not passing the course based on the work completed by that time (such as Class

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3) Solid understanding, good insights, and good syntheses of the coursematerial as reflected in the One-Page Memos, Quizzes, and ClassDiscussions.

4) Solid understanding and good integration of the course material asreflected in the group assignments (i.e., the Company Briefing Paper,

Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip, and theFinal 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 or during the trip.

Low Pass

1) Attending all of the Pre-Trip Class Sessions and the International FieldTrip 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 One-Page

Memos, Quizzes, and Class Discussions.4) Basic understanding of the course material as reflected in the groupassignments (i.e., the Company Briefing Paper, Experiential ExercisesDuring International Field Study Trip, and the Final Project).

5) Acceptable levels of involvement in the group assignments, but lessinvolvement than other group members.

6) Professionalism manifested at all times in interactions with speakers andother contacts met in class sessions or 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 five components of

the grade (i.e., 1) class participation and attendance, 2) the memos andquizzes, 3) the company briefing paper, 4) the experiential exercises, and 5)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 forthe course.

3) Failing to demonstrate a basic understanding of the course material asreflected in memos, quizzes, class discussions, and group assignments willresult in receiving No Credit for the course.

4) Failing to contribute to the group assignments (i.e., the Company BriefingPaper, Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip, and theFinal Project) will result in receiving No Credit for the course.

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-tripclass sessions, you must be excused by your professor. In addition, you areresponsible for making sure you understand the material that was covered

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during the missed session and must prepare a one to two page papersummarizing the material covered and lessons learned during that session.

2) Missing any of the visits/activities during the International Field StudyTrip 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 session or visits/activities duringthe International Field Study Trip such as sleeping during sessions, beingdisruptive during sessions (e.g., arriving late, coming and going duringsessions), and failing to respond to questions and feedback will result inreceiving No Credit for the course.

5) Students who consistently come to class unprepared will receive NoCredit 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 andthe Marshall School. Therefore, you are expected to behave professionallyduring the trip. Inappropriate and unprofessional behavior during thetrip (e.g., rude behavior during company visits, drunkenness, etc.) will resultin receiving No Credit for the course. Violations ofSCampus policies,including the University Student Conduct Code and theUniversity

Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs, will result in receiving No Credit forthe course.

IMPORTANT DATES

Eight Pre-Trip Class Sessions

Check Your Countrys Schedule for the Dates of these Eight SessionsOne-Page Memos and Quizzes (five total)

Submit 1 Hardcopy of each Memo to Your ProfessorThe Pre-Trip Class Session on February 24 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 the Ethical Issues involved in International andGlobal Business will present during this session.Formal Business attire is required for this session.

Company Briefing Paper

For March Trips:Due on February 22 (Fri.) by Starting Time of Class

Submit 3 Hardcopies to Your ProfessorE-mail electronic version to [email protected]

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For May Trips:Due on April 13 (Fri.) by Starting Time of Class

Submit 3 Hardcopies to Your ProfessorE-mail electronic version to [email protected]

International Field Study Trip

For March Trips:Depart LAX on March 16 (Sat.) return on March 24 (Sun.)Company Visits, Experiential Exercises, and Cultural Activities

from March 11 (Sun.) through March 17 (Sat.)For May Trips:

Depart LAX on May 11 (Fri.) or 12 (Sat.) andReturn on May 20 (Sun.)

Company Visits, Experiential Exercises, and Cultural Activitiesfrom May 13 (Sun.) through May 19 (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 5 (Fri.)Final Project Due on February 22 (Fri.) by Beginning of Class

E-mail electronic version of Project to Your ProfessorE-mail electronic version of Project [email protected]

For May Trips:Final Session and Final Presentation on May 19 (Sat.)

Final Project Due on May 23 (Wed.) by 5:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Savings TimeE-mail electronic version of Project to Your ProfessorE-mail electronic version of Project [email protected]

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Class Participation and Attendance (Individual)

The learning from this course is largely experiential and participation-based. There will bemany opportunities to ask questions of speakers and faculty members and engage indiscussions with speakers, faculty members, and your fellow students. Those who

participate more actively will learn more from the experience. In addition, interactions withguest speakers and members of the business community reflect upon the reputation of USCand the Marshall School, and thus, professionalism and high quality participation inmeetings 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 indiscussions and quality of questions asked.

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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 thisclass comes largely from the activities that take place during the Class Sessions and theexperiences during the International Field Study Trip. Given the experiential andparticipation-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 theinternational field study trip, and the final class session) is mandatory. Showing up on timeand remaining for the full length of all sessions is expected. Attendance will be taken duringeach session. Missing more than 1 of the 8 Pre-Trip Class Sessions will result inreceiving 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 inboth the classroom sessions and during the visits/activities on the international field studytrip is expected of all students. Asking insightful questions of guest speakers, faculty, andfellow students is also expected. In order to participate actively in the course, it is expectedthat you will come to all sessions well prepared, having read and thought about assignedmaterial. The quality (not merely quantity) of your participation and questions asked is animportant part of your performance in this class.

One-Page Memos and Quizzes (five total) (Individual)

Your individual understanding and integration of the material from the class sessions will beassessed through one-page memos and quizzes. Quizzes will be given in certain classsessions to test your mastery of the course material. One-page memos will be submittedafter some of the pre-trip class sessions to assess your learning of the course material.

The one-page memos should focus on analyzing the key lessons and takeaways fromprevious class sessions. The memos may be of two types. One type of memo focuses onanalyzing and discussing the key lessons and takeaways from the previous class session.The second type of memo focuses on integrating and analyzing key issues, lessons, andtakeaways that cut across more than one class session. Do not just repeat what was said

during class sessions. Instead, you should process and integrate the learning from theprevious class sessions, discuss what lessons you learned during those sessions and whattakeaways you found meaningful, and why you found those lessons/takeaways particularlyimportant. Your own individual analysis and perspective on the issues, lessons, andtakeaways from previous class sessions should be emphasized.

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The body of the memos content can be in bullet points or in paragraphs or in somecombination of bullet points and paragraphs. It is due at the beginning of the class sessionand cannot be longer than one page. 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 visitduring the trip. This briefing paper will include your discussion and analysis of thecompanys situation as well as the industry in which the company competes. The briefingpapers from all of the groups will be assembled into a briefing book, which will bedistributed to all students in the class before the trip. It is expected that before the trip youwill read all of the company briefing papers contained in this briefing book. When we visiteach company, each of us will already have some basic knowledge about the company andits industry from the briefing book and, therefore, can ask more insightful questions of thespeakers. This paper should be approximately three pages, single-spaced (five pages is themaximum length).

Please see the section later in the syllabus that provides guidelines about how to prepare thecompany briefing paper. Also, please see Appendix II that provides a template for thecompany briefing paper.

Experiential Exercises During International Field Study Trip (Group)

During the International Field Study Trip, there will be two experiential exercises tocomplete.

Joint Learning Activity with Students from Another University: We will visit a major

university during the trip and meet with students from that university. During this visit, yourgroup will team up with a group from the local university and will be given some time toanalyze together a case study or engage in some other joint learning activity. Each cross-national team will then present their analyses and conclusions to the faculty and all of theother student teams. Additional guidelines related to this exercise will be distributed later.

Observational Exercise: You will be given some time during the trip to observe how peoplelive, work, or shop in another country. For example, you could visit shops, stores, and mallsin order to observe and analyze the retailing, sales, and marketing environment in anothercountry. Your group will then prepare a presentation with your observations and analyses ofhow 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 will deliver this presentation to thefaculty and other students during the trip. Additional guidelines related to this exercise willbe distributed later.

Final Project (Group)

After the International Field Study Trip, a final project is due. This project should analyzeand draw conclusions about the key lessons, takeaways, and insights that came out of the

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LINC program related to a) global/international business, b) thecultural/economic/historical/political/institutional environment of the country you visited,and c) doing business in the country you visited. The project should integrate boththeoretical and practical insights and should synthesize learning from both the Pre-TripClass 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 havingtaken it.

Please see the section later in the syllabus that provides guidelines about how to prepare thefinal project.

CSR AND ETHICS IN GLOBAL BUSINESS

Involvement in international and global business exposes individuals and companies toethical issues and raises questions about the social responsibility of corporations as theyengage in business across borders. Opportunities for learning about the ethical issues facing

international managers and understanding the social responsibility questions confrontinginternational companies will be integrated into LINC. There will be a plenary session onEthics in Global Business during one of the pre-trip class sessions. During the internationalfield trip, one of the visits will focus on issues pertaining to corporate citizenship andcorporate social responsibility.

SOURCES OF DATA

In completing the assignments for this course, you will need to do research about thecountry to which you will be traveling and the company and industry that you will analyzefor the company briefing paper. The USC library system has substantial amounts of online

and print reference material related to international business and various countries aroundthe world. The Marshall School Crocker Library has developed a set of InternationalResources specifically for LINC with references to relevant sources of data availablethrough the university. Please consult these International Resources, which can be accessedthrough the Crocker Library web site at http://www.marshall.usc.edu/library (the CrockerLibrary web site can also be found by going to the Marshall School home page and thenclicking on "Library" in the upper right corner). From the Crocker Library web site, click onResearch Guides, then click on International Resources under General BusinessTopics. On the International Resources page, please refer to both the LINC section andthe General International Resources section. The LINC section has sources ofinformation for each of the countries that are visited as part of the LINC Program. The

General International Resources section has sources of information for many countriesaround the world, including the LINC countries.

In addition to online and library sources of data, you will have opportunities during theInternational 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 travelingthrough the company visits, experiential exercises, and cultural activities that make up theInternational Field Study Trip.

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TECHNOLOGY USE IN THE CLASSROOM

Please note that communication devices, such as cell phones, smart phones, etc., capable ofsending and/or receiving electronic communication and all entertainment devices, such as

iPods or other MP3 players, are to be turned off and kept off throughout class sessions.Receiving or sending communication or entertainment during class disrupts the learningenvironment and is rude to those around you. Laptops or tablets cannot be used duringclass, unless the professor has given express permission to do so. Internet connections arealso prohibited unless otherwise stated by the professor.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academichonesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectationthat individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the

obligations both to protect ones own academic work from misuse by others as well as toavoid using anothers work as ones own. All students are expected to understand and abideby these principles. Violations of academic integrity standards will be treated seriously.SCampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the universitys academic integrity standardsand the University Student Conduct Code (see the University Governance section ofSCampus at http://scampus.usc.edu/university-student-conduct-code/).Students will bereferred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for furtherreview, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty (seehttp://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/).

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required toregister with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verificationfor approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter isdelivered to your instructor as early in the semester as possible. Your letter must be specificas to the nature of any accommodations granted. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open8:30AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday. The telephone number for DSP is 213-740-0776.

RETURNED COURSEWORK

Graded paperwork that is unclaimed by a student will be discarded after 4 weeks. Studentswho miss class sessions when paperwork is returned are responsible for arranging for anappointment to retrieve the material. Disputes over graded material should be brought to theprofessors attention as soon as possible.

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FINAL PROJECT

LINC 2013

Educational Objectives

1) To integrate the learning about global/international business that came from both the pre-trip classsessions and the international field study trip.

2) To synthesize the learning about the cultural/economic/historical/political/institutional environment of thecountry 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 internationalfield 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, March30, for March Trips, or on Saturday, May 19, for May trips.

One electronic copy of your Final Project should be e-mailed to your professor by the beginning of class onFriday, March 30, for March Trips, or by 5:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Savings Time on Wednesday, May 23,for May Trips. Another electronic copy should be e-mailed by the same time [email protected].

Format of Final Project

We encourage you to be creative in the format of your final project. Using multimedia for the final project isencouraged. For example, the final project can take the form of a video or slide show or other non-traditionalformat.

If you prefer to use a more traditional report format for the final project, the final project should consist of 3-5pages of text, single-spaced. It should be supplemented with photographs or other materials to illustrate theconclusions you discuss. For example, a lesson that contains an insight about marketing practices mightinclude illustrative photographs of advertisements you took during the trip. A conclusion about the effects ofrapid 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 inamount of work to the more traditional report format. We encourage you to use other formats for the finalproject and to be creative in how you approach this assignment. However, if you use another format for thefinal project, you should discuss this with your professor to obtain approval for the type of creative, non-

traditional approach you will use.

Description

The rationale for the final project is to allow you to reflect deeply upon the most important lessons learnedfrom the LINC program and draw conclusions about the most important insights or takeaways from theexperience. You should integrate learning from both the pre-trip class sessions and the international fieldstudy trip in analyzing and drawing your conclusions.

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Your group should analyze and draw conclusions about the lessons learned about global and internationalbusiness, 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 shouldanalyze 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 fieldstudy 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 shouldreflect on more inclusive lessons that cut across companies and industries. The lessons you include mightcontain insights that attempt to integrate different aspects of the country and international businessenvironment. For example, a lesson about the cultural environment in your target country might includeinsights about how the cultural environment affects competition, business practices, ethical issues confrontingmanagers, international business relationships, etc.

The lessons should integrate both theoretical and practical knowledge you have gained from this course. Thelessons you include might synthesize both the theoretical insights you learned and the practical insights andobservations 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 classsessions.

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 othercountries with which you are familiar. In addition, you might compare and contrast how business is done in thecountry you visited with how it is done in the United States or other countries with which you are familiar.

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Appendix I

PEER EVALUATIONS

LINC 2013

Please allocate 100 points among your team members, including yourself, to reflect each persons relativecontribution to your team. Write the name of each member of your team, including yourself, in the spacesbelow 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 ofthe peer evaluations, so please take the time to provide a thorough explanation. Peer evaluations that have agood explanation will be taken more seriously than those that do not. Please continue your explanation on theback of this form, if needed.

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Chile LINC 2013 Trip

Company Briefing Paper

Briefing prepared by

Business School StudentsMarshall School of Business

University of Southern California

February 22, 2013

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1. Description of Company and Industry

>

2. Major Challenges and Opportunities Facing Industry

3. Competitor and Company Strengths and Weaknesses>

4. Key Challenges and Opportunities Facing Company

5. Five Key Questions

>

6. Sources of Information

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BUAD 104

LEARNING ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE

LINC PROGRAM

CHILE (OR OTHER COUNTRY NAME)

USC Marshall School of Business

Spring, 2013

Professors: Michael Coombs, Ph.D.Office: BRI 303Phone: (213) 740-9290E-mail: [email protected] Hours: By appointment

Janet Vera Katie CrawfordBRI 104 BRI 104(213) 740-0690 (213) [email protected] [email protected]

COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULE FOR LINC CHILE

1/18 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 1: Issues of Globalization & Global Business Strategy

Preparation: Read Distance Still Matters in Course ReaderGo to Blackboard, find the Course Content folder,

Watch Disc # 1 of Commanding HeightsWatch Disc # 2 of Commanding HeightsWatch Disc # 3 of Commanding Heights

Performance: Quiz about Course Syllabus

1/25 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 2: The Political/Historical Environment of Chile

Strategy

Preparation: Read: Chile: The Latin American Tiger?Online: Download: Enterprise Surveys, Chile: Country Profile 2006Online: Download: The World Factbook-Chile

Performance: Quiz over readings/videos

2/1 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 3: The Political/Cultural Environment of Chile

Preparation: Read: The Economic Gains From TradeRead: Spotting Institutional Voids

Performance: Quiz over readings
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

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2/8 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 4: The Cultural/Social Environment of Chile

Preparation: Read: National Culture and ManagementOnline: Download cultural information from Blackboard

Performance: Quiz over readings/class activities

2/15 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 5: Doing Business in Chile IPreparation: Read: Codelco Copper MinesPerformance: Quiz over readings/activities

2/22 (Fri.) Company Briefing Paper Due

Due: Company Briefing Paper (By Starting Time of Class)Submit 3 Hardcopies to Your ProfessorE-mail Electronic Version to

[email protected]

2/22 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 6: Doing Business in Chile II

Preparation: Arauco (A): Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion?Performance: Quiz over readings

3/1 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 7: Ethical Issues in International Business

Formal Business Attire is Required for this sessionSpeaker: TBDLocation: TBD

3/8 (Fri.) Pre-Trip Session # 8: Cultural and Social Environment plus Trip-Talk

Preparation:Performance: Memo summarizing the ethics presentation

3/16 (Sat.) Depart from LAX for International Field Study Trip

LAN Flight 601, departs LAX at 12:25 pm

3/17 (Sun.) International Field Study Trip with Company Visits, Experiential

- 3/24 (Sat.) Exercises, and Cultural Activities

Performance: Experiential activities and company visits

3/24 (Sun.) Return to LAX from International Field Study Trip

4/5 (Fri.) Final Session and Final Presentation: Integration of Learning from Course

Performance: Final Presentation

4/5 (Fri.) Final Project Due

Performance: Final Project (By Beginning of Class)E-mail Electronic Version to Your ProfessorE-mail Electronic Version [email protected]

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WEEKLY PREPARATION & PERFORMANCE

1/18 Session 1: Issues of Globalization & Global Business Strategy

Bbd: Watch Discs 1 through 3 of The Commanding Heights DVD. (Each disc isapproximately 120 minutes each).

Read: Distance Still Matters: The Hard Reality of Global Expansion.

Companies routinely overestimate the attractiveness of foreign markets. Dazzled bythe sheer size of untapped markets, they lose sight of the difficulties of pioneeringnew, often very different territories. The problem is rooted in the analytical tools(the most prominent being country portfolio analysis, or CPA) that mangers use tojudge international investments. By focusing on national wealth, consumer income,

and peoples propensity to consume, CPA emphasizes potential sales, ignoring thecosts and risks of doing business in a new market. Most of these costs and risksresult from the barriers created by distance. Distance however, does not refer onlyto geography; its other dimensions can make foreign markets considerably more orless attractive. The CAGE framework of distance presented in this article considersfour 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?

1/25 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 tohttp://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ci.html and thenselect World Factbook in center of the screen and then country.


1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of regional trade agreements?
http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/documents/EnterpriseSurveys/Reports/CHILE.pdfhttp://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ci.htmlhttp://www.enterprisesurveys.org/documents/EnterpriseSurveys/Reports/CHILE.pdfhttp://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ci.html

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2. What are the differences between a free trade agreement (NAFTA) and a customs union(Mercosur)?

3. What are the factors which led Chile to make the decisions that they did regarding tradeagreements?

2/1 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 mostimportant questions in political economy. In the 170 years since David Ricardo formallydeveloped the theory of comparative advantage, it has become one of the principles mostwidely accepted among professional economists. Despite this wide acceptance in theprofessional community, the basics of international trade are still poorly understood bymany policy makers and commentators.


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 theireconomic activity around markets and to participate in free trade agreements, such as theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), European Union (EU), and North American Free

Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This reading addresses some important issues to considerwhen building a business in an emerging market.


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?

2/8 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 findand print out the pyramid charts for the following countries: 1) Chile, 2) TheUnited States, and 3) your own country, if you are not a U.S. citizen.
http://www.geert.hofstede.com/http://www.geert.hofstede.com/

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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. Atthe national level, when aggregate comparisons are made, considerable researchshows patterns which are thought to be typical of that culture. We will use this as astarting 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 andhow the culture is manifested in business settings. The charts provided at this website provide a cultural signature or fingerprint of the five dimensions.


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 Chiles cultural signature compare with that of the United States?4. If you are an international student, how does Chiles cultural signature compare with that

of your own country?5. What are the implications of these comparisons for doing business in different cultures?6. What else might we consider in making cultural comparisons?

2/15 Session 5: Doing Business in Chile - I

Read: Codelco Copper Mines.

Codelco is a Chilean copper mining company, widely considered to be one of themost professionally managed firms in South America in spite of the fact that it is

100% government owned. A $10.5 billion company in 2005, Codleco faced thechallenge of incorporating information technology into its production processes,which had historically been very manual in nature.


1. What is your conception of typical mining operations?2. How would you compare your conceptions with the story presented in this case?3. Why do you think Codelco is operating this business the way they do?4. To whom is this approach valuable?

2/22 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 over1.2 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)

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and is considering increasing its capacity, tying it with Brazilian competitor Aracruzas the worlds largest producer. The first phase of the project has been approved bythe board of directors and includes sawmill, plywood mill, and energy complexvalued at $120 million. Now Alejandro Perez, Araucos president and CEO, isseeking approval for the second phase of the project, which would include the

companys sixth market pulp plant at a cost of $1.2 billion. Perezs concerns aboutthe volatility of the market prices for the past three years led the company todiversify into wood products like panels, medium density fiberboard, and otherremanufactured wood products. These divisions are highly successful and currentlyaccount for approximately 50% of Aruacos revenues. Perez is debating whether thecompany and its shareholders would be better served by a forward integration intothe paper business instead of increasing the companys capacity in market pulp.


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 plantin Itata?

5. Do you recommend Arauco to integrate into the paper business? Why?

3/1 Session 7: Ethical Issues in International Business

Formal business attire is Required for this sessionSpeaker: TBDLocation: TBD

3/8 Session 8: Cultural & Social Environment plus Trip-Talk

Preparation:Performance: Memo summarizing the Ethics presentation

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Documents