Overview
The rapid pace of globalization means that almost all businesses nowadays are subject to the influences from other parts of the world, as they have to liaise with business suppliers or customers overseas or manage workers from different ethnic backgrounds. The main challenge of doing business with other countries is to recognize and appreciate the different social/political/cultural and economic realities in order to adapt ones’ business plans, policies, and practices accordingly.
Countries in the Asia-Pacific Region have experienced substantial changes in recent years and are repositioning themselves on the global stage. Singapore, in particular, with its well established infrastructure, convenient location, pro-business policies, diverse and skilled workforce, and unique blend of the Eastern and Western culture, has not only emerged as a major financial centre in the region, but also as an important “gateway” for business access to China (which has been experiencing phenomenal growth) and other major Asia-Pacific countries. It is also worth noting that Singapore’s GDP (at purchasing power parity) per capita is amongst the highest in the world.
This course has two main focuses: providing a foundation in international business management, and on “Doing Business in Asia-Pacific” with the in-residence school to be held in Singapore. The in-residence school is part of a collaborative initiative with a Singapore partner of Athabasca University, The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Students will be challenged to learn and understand the environment and issues for managing a global business and then compare different aspects of the Singapore’s business environment in this global context. Through engaging activities, students will develop better business understanding and skills in a global context, especially relating to the Asia-Pacific countries.
Outline
Weeks 1-4: Foundations in International Business
During the first five weeks of the course, enrolled students are required to complete readings and participate in structured discussion forums.
Weeks 5-7: In-residence Preparation
During weeks five to seven of the course, enrolled students are required to complete readings and research, participate in group discussion databases, and prepare a team assignment for presentation during the in-residence week.
Week 8: In-residence
The in-residence week in Singapore will consist of lectures/presentations by academic experts and industry leaders, business visits, cultural tours, and a group project for student presentation.
Weeks 9-10: Final Assignment
A final individual assignment will be due two weeks after the in-residence week.
Objectives
As a result of this course students will:
- Gain academic background appreciation for different aspects of global business environments with specific interest in Singapore and some other Asia-Pacific countries.
- Learn about globalization and how it affects businesses and trade, even locally.
- Become familiar with resources and sources of information that will facilitate doing business internationally and their knowledge and understanding of countries.
- Study different modes of doing business internationally.
- Learn how culture plays a significant role in doing business internationally.
- Apply cultural frameworks to countries and understand how the differences affect business.
- Learn about international trade agreements and trading blocs, with a specific focus on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
- Understand some of the challenges of human resource management and marketing when engaged in international business.
- Learn about the enabling factors for business successes in Singapore
- Examine Singapore’s role and influence in the Asia-Pacific Region
- Appreciate Singapore’s cultural diversity and learn of effective ways of managing such a diverse workforce
- Gain experiential information from different business, government, and cultural site visits as well as from key speakers related to the Singapore or Asia-Pacific business models