International Business Strategy and Development

About

This module provides a concise theoretical and practical exploration of economic globalisation and the evolution of international business, tracing developments from Globalisation 1.0 to 3.0 and examining new dynamics shaping the post-Covid era. It integrates three core themes: international business, offering conceptual foundations in globalisation, internationalisation, and extroversion; strategy, focusing on when, where, and how strategic thinking should be applied globally; and business development, introducing practical models and frameworks for implementing international strategies.

Covering multinational corporations, SMEs, and start-ups, the module equips students to design, sustain, and grow international operations. Through lectures, seminars, workshops, and case studies—supported by guest speakers from leading institutions such as Airbus, Amazon, Google, the IMF, the European Commission, and the World Bank—students develop applied strategic skills. Individual and team assignments reinforce critical analysis, practical implementation, and reflective understanding of global business development.

Week one
Globalisation eras: history, drivers, and forces; Globalisation 1.0–3.0; theories of Friedman, Ghemawat, Krugman, Stiglitz
Multinational enterprises: types and characteristics; Integration–Responsiveness Framework
International landscape tools: GAGE, Uppsala Model, PEST/PESTEL, National Competitive Advantage, regional clusters
Human factors: international HRM, Hofstede, Company Democracy Model
Emerging markets: characteristics and hubs; EU, G7, E7, G8, BRICS, OECD, MSCI, Bloomberg; case studies

Week two
Industry drivers: Yip’s market drivers; micro and macro environmental factors
Technological drivers: AI, metaverse, digital twins, VR/AR, serious games, gamification, BI, interactive technologies
Entry modes: equity and non-equity strategies; barriers, influencing factors; OLI Framework
International strategies: AAA Global Strategy, Peng’s Tripod, Porter’s Five Forces
Product competitiveness: VRINE model and competitiveness evaluation
New product development: NPD process, stage-gate, localisation/globalisation, international synergies

Week three
M&A and partnerships: processes, downsizing, rightsizing, outsourcing, subcontracting
Knowledge-based competitiveness: Red/Blue/Purple/Green/Pink Ocean strategies; intellectual capital
Geo-entrepreneurship: selecting the right place, time, and opportunity
Techno-economic hubs: from Silicon Valley to Cairo Smart Village
Reverse innovation: cases and applications
International business synergies: Daimler–Chrysler, FIAT–Chrysler, Fujitsu–Siemens, Sony–Ericsson, Nokia–Microsoft, AOL–Time Warner
Future of global business: emerging-market challenges, cooperation vs. competition, knowledge-sharing systems, post-Covid prospects

Course leader

Dr Evangelos Markopoulos

Course aim

This module aims to:

- Understand the historical and theoretical development of globalisation, linking major eras and thinkers to current business practice.
- Identify and classify multinational enterprises, analysing their strategies using frameworks like Integration–Responsiveness.
- Apply global business analysis models (PESTLE, GAGE, Uppsala) to assess international environments and risks.
- Evaluate cultural and human dimensions of international business through models like Hofstede and global HR practices.
- Analyse emerging markets and global innovation hubs using economic indicators and rankings.
- Assess industry and market drivers of globalisation, applying Yip’s model and environmental scanning tools.
- Explore the impact of technology on international business, including AI, VR and digital innovation trends.
- Compare international market entry strategies, using frameworks such as OLI and analysing equity/non-equity modes.
- Evaluate international business strategies using models like AAA, Peng’s Tripod and Porter’s Five Forces.
- Apply models of product competitiveness such as VRINE and understand new product development in a global context.
- Understand global operations strategies, including M&As, outsourcing and partnerships.
- Explore future global business challenges and opportunities, including reverse innovation and post-Covid trends

Fee info