Admission and Unit Information - Master of International Business

This unit is a foundation for students wishing to gain a better understanding of the international business environment. It provides practical guidance in how to develop and maintain competitive advantage in the international arena. Central questions are: How can an international business survive and thrive in a dynamic, often turbulent, international business environment? Can a level playing field be constructed for developed and transitional economies alike? As many issues in international business are complex, this unit will explore the pros and cons of economic theories, government policies, business issues and political and organisational structures. A thorough understanding of the international business environment is learned through a combination of conceptual learning and applying that learning to real life international business situations.

The general aim of this subject is to examine how financial and non-financial firms use key foreign exchange and interest rate products to manage the risk associated with their international investment and financing decisions. This subject compliments other aspects of managerial decision-making, including the marketing and production decisions of the international firm.

This unit covers activities pertinent to the planning and implementation of international business strategies. While structures and organisation of global businesses including human resource allocation are important the focus will be on risk management, governance and financial assessment of businesses. Further emphasis will be given to exporting and importing strategies and global production strategies.

This unit introduces students to the concept of international distribution networks and the value chains and their management. The unit explores the strategic issues of the role of building and managing international networks. Students will learn about how and why firms select and plan their entry into foreign markets, the management of intermediaries in the distribution channel (negotiation, power and type of relationships), and the methods of trade finance, insurance and logistics that companies use on a daily basis as they pursue success internationally. Emphasis will be given to contemporary channel structures such as Retail and eMarkets.

This unit examines the information requirement for effective marketing decisions. The unit explores approaches managers can use to identify information requirements and then to use different financial, environmental and market information. Topics include interpretation of business performance, preparation of marketing forecasts and budget allocations.

This unit provides students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained in previous sessions to solve a real-world business problem. This would be an action-learning project with the student working closely with a marketing organisation or business entity to undertake an assignment for the organisation (e.g. evaluation of a particular international business opportunity culminating in specific recommendations for future action). Marketing students will investigate a domestic business project while international business students will examine an international business case.

The Business Internship is designed for students who want to gain industry experience and further their studies through a 10-week business internship. This Business Internship unit is based on a project style unit which requires students to undertake a research project in their chosen field whilst attending an industry based internship. These highly sought after internships will be filled on a competitive basis and will be arranged by the UWS Careers and Cooperative Education Unit (CCEU).

This unit provides students with the opportunity to learn about the cultural orientations of different groups of people often indigenous cultures are ignored by multinational companies, this unit will, by using the Australian Indigenous culture as an exemplar, explore the issue of marketing to a number of diverse cultures within the one national boarder. The course is designed specifically to assist students in developing a genuine appreciation for other cultures apart from one's own. It is hoped that the end result will be the attainment of a level of empathy that may assist in one's adaptation to another culture.

International Law has been defined as that body of law which regulates States and which States feel bound to observe. It also seeks to order human affairs at the international level. As developments in technology and travel continue to shrink the distance between States, issues of International Law become increasingly important. The Unit lays the foundation for an understanding of various aspects of this system of law, particularly in its impact upon international business and the regulation of international transactions. It also deals with its relationship with domestic Australian law. It will challenge students to critically analyse the system and suggest ways in which the rules and principles can and should develop in the future in order to accommodate the changing needs and values of the international community of nations in its commercial dealings with one another.

This unit covers the nature of the social, economic, political and business environment in international markets; dynamic interrelationships between the environment, marketing strategies, and practices; global market opportunity assessment, alternative entry strategies, global marketing strategy formulation, problems and current issues affecting international marketing with emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.

The unit is designed to create an awareness of the requirements for using the Internet and other forms of E-business to create awareness, promote the offering and effect its distribution in international markets. The unit also explores the interaction between the internet and factors in the international business environment.

This unit aims to build upon the knowledge gained in the foundation marketing and business units by applying the knowledge gained in that unit to specific contemporary conceptual and empirical issues in international marketing. Topics include dealing with complexity and environmental turbulence, sustainability, corporate social responsibility as well as implications of changing economies.