MSc International Business and Strategy

This module aims to develop a good understanding of the international business environment. This is undertaken with reference to a critical assessment of globalisation and a subsequent focus on international trade. Students are introduced to the principal theories of international trade and political economy so as to better understand the international environment in which firms operate. The emphasis is placed on understanding the strategies of firms in an ever more globalised world economy. The material will be presented mostly from an applied perspective (i.e. with facts) to bring the economic theoretical apparatus into real-life situations.

This module is concerned with the critical choices that organisations face in order to survive and gain sustainable competitive advantage in an international environment with rapid economic, regulatory and technological changes. To understand and critically evaluate these choices and their strategic dimension requires analysis of the environment in which multinational enterprises operate as well as the creation of know-how value at a business and corporate level.

Cross border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an increasingly important force in shaping economies, restructuring industries and revitalising organisations. Accounting for trillions of dollars in spend and affecting various stakeholders (e.g., employees, customers. supplies, shareholders), it is important to consider the motivations, processes and impacts of cross border M&A.

Drawing upon concepts in International Business, Corporate Strategy, Business Analytics and Cross National Management, the main strategies for engaging in M&A, the practices involved in deal closure and the post acquisition integration process shall be examined across a variety of national contexts.

This module complements the academic content of the programme by helping students develop important career skills such as how to present themselves on the job market and business presentation skills. The ability to present complex data in a clear, concise and convincing way is an important skill for business graduates and in this module we offer students the opportunity to learn and practice presentation in a safe environment.

The module will provide foundations to develop entrepreneurial mind-set in the context of corporate level. In this regard, it entails various entrepreneurial activities on multiple levels including the individual, team, or organizational level. This module is a theory-led and practice-oriented. It provides you with knowledge useful for anyone aiming at working (or researching) in the field of corporate innovation and entrepreneurship or at pursuing an entrepreneurial career.

This is an innovative capstone module for the MSc International Business & Strategy (IB&S) programme. The module comprises a set of lectures and workshops in Term 2 and culminates in a simulated full-day ‘Strategy Summit’ in Term 3. The lecture syllabus will deal with advanced topics in strategy practice and process in multi-business, multi-national firms, and builds on the core strategy and international business modules delivered in Terms 1 and 2.

The Strategy Summit event simulates a corporate strategy process in a real-world multinational, multidivisional firm. The event creates an environment that calls on students to apply ideas developed in lectures and workshops and, importantly, to reflect on what they are doing in the process. Students work in teams, taking on the role of key actors in the process, e.g. top management team, middle managers, division or subsidiary managers, consultants, unions, regulators, shareholders, media actors, etc.

The module provides students the opportunity to integrate their learning on the programme and to develop a variety of professional and personal capabilities. Assessment comprises: interim group report; group presentation/performance at the Summit; individual reflective essay.

International Corporate Strategy and Structure complements the International Business Strategy core module. International Business Strategy exclusively focuses on ‘business-level strategy’ by providing the analytic scaffolding to conduct industry analysis, make appraisals of a firm's resources and capabilities and develop and assess strategic options for how a firm should be positioned in the market.

This module complements the academic content of the programme by helping students develop important career skills such as how to present themselves on the job market and business presentation skills. The ability to present complex data in a clear, concise and convincing way is an important skill for business graduates and in this module we offer students the opportunity to learn and practice presentation in a safe environment.

This module aims to provide a broad overview of qualitative and quantitative approaches as used in management research, together with an understanding of the different research paradigms. This module prepares you for the independent research you will undertake for your final research project.

This module consists of two components: research methods and dissertation. The research methods taught component is designed to equip you with the additional research techniques and analytical tools necessary to undertake your Dissertation which may be company based. The Dissertation component consists of an extended piece of supervised independent research of around 15,000 words on a topic relating to some aspect of International Business & Strategy. You choose your topic in the Lent Term under the direction of the Programme Director and often after discussion with MSc faculty. The focus of the Dissertation is normally on issues raised in the core modules but may tackle areas of interest revealed in the optional modules that you wish to investigate in further depth. There is also the opportunity to undertake a company-based project.

Most organisations invest vast amounts of resources in defining and redefining their identity. Occasionally, however, organisations lose their sense of identity and purpose. This module seeks to explore the influence of leadership on an organisation’s purpose. Purposes are seen to be focused on an orientation that provides value within the organisation and beyond. Students will be engaged in critically and reflectively examining the purpose and role(s) of values, leadership responsibilities, and stakeholders, sustainability and ethics.