Navigating the Complexities of International Management: Strategic, Ethical, and Cultural Challenges and Opportunities

2,500 words INDIVIDUAL ESSAY

“While many aspects of international management are fundamentally the same as domestic management, once managers are required to operate across national boundaries they face differing problems and opportunities.” Kelly, P. (2009) International Business and Management. Cengage.

Identify three ‘differing problems and opportunities’ faced by international managers from the areas we have studied (below) and evaluate their importance to the competitive advantage of an organisation. Choose your three topics from three different columns.

Throughout, you should demonstrate knowledge, application, analysis and evaluation. You should evidence wider reading and write in an appropriate academic style.

Choose 3 topics from column 1-4. Each of your chosen topics should be from a different column. Your analysis should focus on just one or two aspects of each topic.
1Strategic Planning	2Behavingresponsibly	3Designing the organisation OR Managing digital information and knowledge	4Culture & Leadership ORManaging Human resources You can also refer to your Week 6 Contemporary HRM notes for this column.
Key topic questions.
For international managers how is entering an overseas market different to entering a domestic market?	How/why might the ethical behaviour of international managers be different to domestic managers?	For international managers how might global organisational design differ from domestic organisational design?	In what ways might culture and leadership style differ forinternational and domestic managers?
			OR
		OR
			How might managing human resources differ

		For international	for international and
		managers how might	domestic managers?
		managing digital
		information and
		knowledge globally
		differ from doing so in
		just one home country?

For each of the three topics chosen you should

• identify areas of difference between the international and the domestic manager to show

content and demonstrate your knowledge

• analyse each identified area in terms of challenge or opportunity. This analysis should be supported by referenced academic theory/comment.
• support your analysis with relevant business examples (application)
• include a mini conclusion for each topic that answers the key question for that topic. In doing so you should demonstrate judgement (evaluate) as to why managing in these areas is different for an international manager. The overall conclusion for your essay should consider the impact of managing internationally in these areas to organisational competitive advantage.

Some suggested reading

Griffin, R.W., and Pustay, M. (2014) International Business Global Edition. Pearson. Kelly, P. (2009) International Business Management. Andover: Cengage Learning.

Cole, G.A. & Kelly, P. (2015) Management Theory and Practice. 8th edn. Andover: Cengage Learning.

Taylor, S. (2011) Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management. London: CIPD.

Additional reading – please also refer to the chapter references in both core texts

Journal : International Business Review WIDER READING

Luthans, F. & Doh, Jonathan, P. (2012) International Management, Culture, Strategy and Behaviour 8th ed. McGraw-Hill Irwin

Mead, R, & Andrews, T. G. (2009) International Management 4th ed. Wiley-Blackwell Peng, M, & Meyer, K. (2016) International Business. 2nd ed. Cengage

Porter, M. E. (1979) ‘How competitive forces shape strategy’, Harvard Business Review (March/April 1979) 57(2) 137-145

Don’t forget the additional sources included in the ’At a Glance’ schedule! LEARNING OUTCOMES being assessed

• Understand the need for a holistic approach to International management and leadership in a global business environment

• Recognise key aspects of management theory in an international context
• Develop an understanding of planning for international business and the need for responsible business behaviour around the world.
• Understand theories of change, and implementing and managing change in an international context
• Begin to evaluate management and leadership theories and concepts, and their relationship to international organisations, including a global leisure context.

UGT SEED Marking Criteria

Class	Range	Criteria
High First	> 86%	An exceptional performance in all of the criteria for a good first.
Good First	76 – 85%	Outstanding understanding of material with extensive references to relevant literature
		and examples including information and ideas not mentioned in lectures or on reading
		lists. Very well argued, written and structured, and highly stimulating. Shows a mastery of
		facts and concepts. Displays deep insight, logic, and considerable originality. Clear
		evidence of very extensive independent study and thinking.
		Excellent understanding of material with clear references to relevant literature and
First	70—75 %	examples, including information and ideas not mentioned in lectures or on reading lists.
		Well argued, well written and structured, and stimulating. Factually and conceptually
		accurate. Displays insight, logic, and originality. Extensive independent study and thinking.
Good Upper	65—69 %	Very good understanding of material with clear references to relevant literature and
Second		examples, including information not mentioned in lectures. Sound arguments, welldeveloped and detailed. Competently written with a clear structure. A good introduction
		and conclusion. Factually and conceptually sound. Displays some insight, logic, and
		originality. Clear signs of independent study and thinking.
Upper	60—64%
		Good understanding of material with references to relevant literature and examples,
Second		including some information not mentioned in lectures. Sound arguments, developed and
		detailed. Competently written and structured with sound introduction and conclusion.
		Factually and conceptually sound. Displays some insight, logic, and originality. Signs of
		independent study.
Good Lower	55—59 %	Good understanding of material with references to relevant literature and examples largely gleaned from information and ideas mentioned in lectures. Fair arguments showing
Second		some development and detail. Moderately well written with some structure. Fair grasp of
		facts and concepts. Displays occasional signs of insight, logic, originality, and
		independence of thought.
Lower	50—54%	Reasonable understanding of material with few references to relevant literature and
Second		examples largely gleaned from information and ideas mentioned in lectures. Argumentsshowing some development and detail. Adequately written with some structure. Fair
		grasp of facts and concepts. Displays occasional signs of insight and logic.
Third	40—49%	Basic understanding of material acceptable at honours degree standard with some
		knowledge of relevant information and ideas gleaned almost entirely from lectures.
		Limited development of arguments and little detail. Writing and structure basic. Limited
		grasp of facts and concepts.

Compensate Fail	30—39%	Inadequate factual and conceptual understanding. Arguments very weak. Poorly written and structured. Poor spelling and grammar. Little knowledge of relevant material.
Fail	20—29%	Erroneous, irrelevant and muddled approach that fails to argue a case. Very poorly written and structured. Poor spelling and grammar. Virtually no knowledge of relevant material. Factually and conceptually very weak.
	10—19 %
Fail		The same shortcomings as 20-29% criteria but also seriously deficient in quantity.

First Class: Such answers fully answer the question in a coherent manner and can be expected to show excellence with respect to the following criteria:

• insight and depth of understanding of the material;

• the exercise of critical judgement along with clarity of analysis and of the expression;
• knowledge of the relevant literature.

Upper-second class: Such answers are highly competent and provide a complete and generally well- structured answer to the question and can be expected to indicate the following qualities:

• good understanding of, and insight into, the material;
• clarity of analysis, of argument and of expression;
• knowledge of the relevant literature.

Lower-second class: Such answers indicate some understanding of the issue and provide an adequate answer to the question. They can be expected to show most of the following features:

• a basic understanding of the material;
• clear analysis and argument even if limited in extent;
• some awareness of the relevant literature.

Third Class: Such answers indicate only a rudimentary understanding of the issues and do not provide a full answer to the question. They can be expected to show a number of the following features:

• sparse coverage of the material with key topics missing;
• unsupported assertions and little clear analysis or argument;
• lack of clarity with important errors and inaccuracies.

Compensatable Fail: Such answers fail to deal with the question in any way that suggests more than a fragmented and shallow acquaintance with the subject. They are generally short, error-prone and lack coherency.

Uncompensatable Fail: Such answers fail to demonstrate any ability to engage with the question.