Information about the University of London
External Programme
International Management programme:
MBA - MSc - Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate
Certificate
Syllabus
Course outlines: core
courses
Philosophy of management
This course provides the student with an understanding of how the
philosophy of management underlies all other MBA/MSc courses taught on the
programme. The course will be an introduction to the way in which a firm
can develop its managerial thinking, mission and strategy. It will enable
students to evaluate and analyse a firm’s management philosophy, to
understand the impact this philosophy has on the organisation and
operation of the business, and to understand how and why the thinking of
some of the key Western philosophical thinkers are
relevant to management.
International
accounting and finance
This course gives a fundamental understanding of accounting and finance
techniques and practices. It will also provide an awareness of the impact
of contexts – different countries, industries, markets, and regulatory
regimes - on the accounting and finance. It will enable students to focus
on the analytical usefulness of accounting and finance data, but in a
manner which emphasises the importance of a wider business understanding
for such analysis and the limitations as well as the strengths of the
data.
International human resource management
This course introduces students to the key concepts and policies
underlying international human resource management (HRM) in organisations.
With the growth of ‘knowledge work’ and what some see as a ‘knowledge
economy’, human resources have increased in importance for the firm, and
therefore appropriate strategies for managing these resources have become
critical to competition between companies. As firms internationalise and
integrate their production and services across national borders, they find
that they need to coordinate workforces that are accustomed to contrasting
management styles, and with skills and competences that have been
differently constructed. The course examines knowledge work and more
mobility within labour markets as firms internationalise and globalise
their operations. This course will also examine the impact of labour
markets and other factors on the changing nature of human resource
management over recent years, focussing on the core HR issues that firms
have to deal with in a globalising economy. Furthermore, the course
explores HRM in multinational corporations and discusses the issue of
‘transfer’ of HRM practices from one country setting to another.
Leadership and behaviour in
organisations
This course will enable students to develop an advanced understanding of
the processes of leadership - its scope and limitations - in different
social and organizational contexts. It draws on the students’ own
experiences as leaders and followers to enable them to understand a wide
range of organizational phenomena, including motivation, teamwork, culture
and change management. The course will give an understanding of the
relationship between leadership, management and administration;
transactional and transforming leadership, leadership and the management
of culture and meaning and dysfunctional forms of leadership. It will also
explore organizational politics, business ethics, morality and
sustainability as well as the management of diversity and difference.
International operations
management
The course will introduce students to some of the main topics in the
important field of operations management – the activities which produce
the goods and/or deliver the services required by customers. These
activities are at the core of any organisation and typically involve the
management of the vast majority of its assets, employees and expenditure.
The success of any organisation depends on its ability to manage its
operations efficiently – to make best use of its resources, and
effectively – to satisfy its customers. In today’s globalised economy,
more and more organisations operate internationally, increasing the
complexity and importance of operations management decision making. The
consequences are felt not merely in operations but throughout the whole
organisation. These decisions usually involve significant sums of money
and affect the competitive position of the organisation for many years.
This course will consider the strategic impact of these issues as the
organisations engaged in international operations.
Information systems
This course examines key information systems (IS) issues faced by
organisations in today’s global business environment. Starting with the
use of information systems for attaining competitive advantage, the course
will address organisational and managerial concerns in the development,
implementation and effective management of information systems. Particular
emphasis will be placed on using a variety of case studies to make
explicit the problems involved in the management of technological change
in organisations as well as the impact of information systems on
organisational culture and context. Through the course students should be
able to develop a critical understanding of the strategic issues in IS and
ways in which organisations might strengthen their competitive position
through the use of such systems. It will also address the concept of an IS
strategy, the most common approaches to IS development, implementation and
evaluation, the opportunities and challenges posed by outsourcing of IS as
well as the critical success factors involved in developing and
implementing electronic business strategies.
International business
economics
This course introduces students to the economics of business enterprise
through a strategic framework that incorporates both traditional and
modern approaches to the firm. Combining real-world examples with economic
methodology, it will explore decision-making within a competitive context
and will enable students to demonstrate an understanding of economic
analysis and reasoning relevant within a business context. Using the
theory of the firm, the course will display an appreciation of the
economic underpinnings of business strategy. It will also evaluate how
various models of competitive analysis can be used to assess strategic
behaviour. Students will learn how to formulate and respond to different
competitive scenarios at the firm level and apply presentation and
analytical skills to develop argument and evidence to support evaluation.
International strategy
This course provides the student with an understanding of how Corporate
and Business Strategy fits into the organisation and running of a company
or multi-company corporation. It will introduce students to the way in
which a firm can achieve sustainable competitive advantage and develop the
corporation internationally. It will enable students to evaluate the
factors that need to be considered in analysing a firm’s external
environment as well as the internal core competences of a firm. Students
will learn how to formulate strategy for a firm and will understand the
nature of corporate and international strategy.
International marketing
This course aims to develop an advanced understanding of the managerial
marketing vocabulary of concepts, maxims and normative models within an
international context drawing on issues in differing domains of practice
including the public sector. The baseline for the module is the
influential US normative tradition of applied marketing principles.
Alongside this, the course encourages a critical engagement from students
supported by reference to traditions of marketing scholarship which seek
not to advance organisational effectiveness but to study the evolution,
production and communication of marketing thought itself. Students
successfully completing this module will understand something of
managerial marketing thought’s historical development from its roots in
classical economics in the USA to the normative tradition promoted by
academic consultants such as Drucker, Levitt and Kotler. Students would
furthermore demonstrate an understanding of popular normative marketing
concepts such as the Mix and STP through application in practical case
scenarios, learn to appreciate the scope of marketing activity in diverse
sectors including non-profit and develop an awareness of some of the work
that critiques the practical and theoretical assumptions of the managerial
marketing tradition and which explores the idea of marketing as an
intellectual domain.
International
sustainability management
This course provides the student with an understanding of how Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) fits into a programme of Sustainable
Development for an organisation. The aim is to introduce the student to
the tensions and trade-offs involved in the adoption of CSR by a firm in a
competitive economy. The students will also learn to understand the role
of central, regional and local government in providing a facilitating
framework for CSR and encouraging its adoption. The students will also
learn to understand the problems involved in implementing a CSR programme
and the culture change necessary to achieve a successful CSR firm strategy
for companies previously concerned only with shareholder value. It will
enable students to evaluate the factors that need to be considered by
politicians in encouraging the adoption of CSR, the factors that need to
be considered by corporate strategists in developing a business and
corporate strategy including CSR and to evaluate the economic and cultural
factors involved in the adoption of CSR by firms. It identifies the
implications for a firm in terms of risk and competitiveness of the
adoption of a CSR agenda when other firms in its markets may not have done
so and enables student to understand the implications of CSR for capital
markets as well as the implications of implementing and embedding CSR in a
corporation.
International human
resource management and organisational behaviour
This course combines the key principles and analytical frameworks from
the two separate courses: International human resource management and
Leadership and behaviour in organizations (see above). They are taught
as an integrated course for the MSc in International Management. They
have selectively brought the two together not to create an over ambitious
course, but in order to give a comprehensive account of the nature of
work within the modern corporation. The operative word here is selective.
University of London has chosen what they see as the key issues and
dimensions of managing people at work, namely: selecting and recruiting
staff from external and internal labour markets, rewarding and motivating
them, fitting them into an organisational structure and culture, and
seeing how they cope with organisational change, much of it driven by
the internationalisation of business in the modern world. Overall, they
have utilised what could be called a macro, sociological or organisational
approach to the subject of people at work.
Information systems
and operations management
This course combines the key principles and analytical frameworks from the
two separate courses: International Operations management and Information
systems (see above). They are taught as an integrated course for the MSc
in International Management. This course will introduce students to some
of the main topics in the important field of operations management – the
activities which produce the goods and/or deliver the services required by
customers. In today’s globalised economy, more and more organisations
operate internationally, increasing the complexity and importance of
operations management decision making. The course will also focus on the
key information systems (IS) issues faced by organisations in today’s
global business environment and will address the important organisational
and managerial concerns in the development, implementation and effective
management of information systems.
International marketing and
strategy
This course combines the key principles and analytical frameworks from the
two separate courses: International marketing and International strategy
(see above). They are taught as an integrated course for the MSc in
International Management. This course will provide students with an
understanding of how Corporate and Business Strategy fits into the
organisation and running of a company or multi-company corporation and
will introduce students to the way in which a firm can achieve sustainable
competitive advantage and develop the corporation internationally. The
course will also enable students to develop an advanced understanding of
the managerial marketing vocabulary of concepts, maxims and normative
models within an international context drawing on issues in differing
domains of practice including the public sector.
Advanced international human resource management
and organisational behaviour
The subject matter of the two modules in
International human resource management and Leadership and Organisations
are combined to provide an in-depth study of these two fields. The
advanced module goes further in extending the reach of this combined
subject matter. We have brought these two subjects together in order to
give a comprehensive account of the nature of work within the modern
corporation. In these modules we have chosen what we see as the key
dimensions of managing people at work, namely: selecting and recruiting
staff from external and internal labour markets, rewarding and motivating
them, fitting them into an organisational structure and culture, and
seeing how they cope with organisational change, much of it driven by the
internationalisation of business in the modern world. Overall, we have
utilised what could be called a macro, sociological or organisational
approach to the subject of people at work.
Advanced information systems and
operations management
The subject matter of the two modules in
Operations management and Information systems are combined to provide an
in-depth study of these two fields. The advanced module goes further in
extending the reach of this combined subject matter. These modules will
facilitate the study of topics in the important field of operations
management – the activities which produce the goods and/or deliver the
services required by customers. In today’s globalised economy, more and
more organisations operate internationally, increasing the complexity and
importance of operations management decision-making. The modules will also
cover the topical field of information systems and will address the
important organisational and managerial concerns in the development,
implementation and effective management of information systems.
Advanced international
marketing and strategy
The subject matter of the two modules in
International marketing and International strategy are combined to provide
an in-depth study of these two fields. The advanced module goes further in
extending the reach of this combined subject matter. These modules will
provide students with an understanding of how Corporate and Business
Strategy fits into the organisation and running of a company or
multi-company corporation and will introduce students to the way in which
a firm can achieve sustainable competitive advantage and develop the
corporation internationally. They will also enable students to develop an
advanced understanding of the managerial marketing vocabulary of concepts,
maxims and normative models within an international context drawing on
issues in differing domains of practice including the public sector.
International human resource
management and organisational behaviour AND Advanced international human
resource management and organisational behaviour
For the MSc in International Management, the subject matter of the two
modules in International human resource management and Leadership and
behaviour in organisations are combined in order to create standard
and advanced elements of this integrated material. The first module
(International human resource management and organisational behaviour)
covers the key principles and analytical frameworks of these subjects
while the advanced module (Advanced international human resource management
and organisational behaviour) goes further in extending the reach of
this combined subject matter. University of London have brought these
two subjects together in order to give a comprehensive account of the
nature of work within the modern corporation. In these modules they
have chosen what they see as the key dimensions of managing people at
work, namely: selecting and recruiting staff from external and internal
labour markets, rewarding and motivating them, fitting them into an
organisational structure and culture, and seeing how they cope with
organisational change, much of it driven by the internationalisation
of business in the modern world. Overall, they have utilised what could
be called a macro, sociological or organisational approach to the subject
of people at work.
Information systems and
operations management AND Advanced information systems and operations
management
For the MSc in International Management, the subject matter of the two
modules in Operations management and Information systems are combined in
order to create standard and advanced elements of this integrated
material. The first module (Operations management and information systems)
covers the key principles and analytical frameworks of these subjects
while the advanced module (Advanced operations management and information
systems) goes further in extending the reach of this combined subject
matter. These modules will facilitate the study of topics in the important
field of operations management - the activities which produce the goods
and/or deliver the services required by customers. In today’s globalised
economy, more and more organisations operate internationally, increasing
the complexity and importance of operations management decision making.
The modules will also cover the topical field of information systems and
will address the important organisational and managerial concerns in the
development, implementation and effective management of information
systems.
International marketing and strategy AND Advanced international marketing
and strategy
For the MSc in International Management, the subject matter of the two
modules in International marketing and International strategy is combined
in order to create standard and advanced elements of this integrated
material. The first module (International marketing and strategy) covers
the key principles and analytical frameworks of these subjects while the
advanced module (Advanced international marketing and strategy) goes
further in extending the reach of this combined subject matter. These
modules will provide students with an understanding of how Corporate and
Business Strategy fits into the organisation and running of a company or
multi-company corporation and will introduce students to the way in which
a firm can achieve sustainable competitive advantage and develop the
corporation internationally. They will also enable students to develop an
advanced understanding of the managerial marketing vocabulary of concepts,
maxims and normative models within an international context drawing on
issues in differing domains of practice including the public sector.
Course outlines:
electives
China and the international economy
This course will explore China’s role in the integration of the Asia
Pacific region, and the nature of diplomatic and economic relations. It
will specifically analyse the role of FDI and overseas and Asian MNEs in
China, and assess the causes of economic growth and reform in China, and
the nature of business organisation and management. The role of
entrepreneurship and the growth of Chinese corporations and their global
strategies will be discussed. The impact of the financial crisis of 1997
and the implications of China’s accession to the World Trade Organization
on Chinese business will be explored. Attention will also be paid to the
role of the state, personal connections, and the Communist Party. Students
will learn about the practical realities of business and management in
China, and the relationship between indigenous practice and international
influences.
Advertising and
promotional communication
This course will provide students with an advanced strategic perspective
on contemporary marketing communication management within an international
context. It will develop an integrated approach within a strategic and
international marketing communication perspective, and offer a
theoretically and practically robust basis for further postgraduate
study/research and/or careers in marketing and advertising. The course
will draw on the research-based expertise in the marketing group in
advertising and promotional communication within the School of Management.
Cooperative strategy
Many companies today engage in cooperative strategies. A cooperative
strategy is an attempt by a firm to realize its objectives through
cooperation with other firms, in alliances, rather than competition with
them. This course focuses on the benefits that can be gained through
cooperation and how to manage the cooperation so as to realize them. It
will examine how a cooperative strategy can offer significant advantages
for companies that are lacking particular competencies or resources to
secure these through links to others possessing complementary skills or
assets; this course will also examine how cooperative strategy may also
offer easier access to new markets, and opportunities for mutual synergy
and learning.
International business analysis
This course analyses corporate management by examining two interconnected
themes: (a) literature and debates, and (b) the macro and meso background.
The first theme presents a form of business analysis that draws on three
sources. First, it outlines relevant management/strategy literatures.
Second, it introduces political economy debates, which help us to
understand the changing structural context around firms and industry.
Third, it demonstrates how market, financial and productive analysis can
be used to develop empirically based stories about strategies and their
outcomes. The second theme contains two features: first, economic/product
market context; second, use of business analysis methods to allow case
study work.
Corporate social responsibility
This course will provide students with more in-depth knowledge of CSR
issues in the business world. The aim is to introduce the student to the
tensions and trade-offs involved in the adoption of CSR by a firm in a
competitive economy. Students will also learn to understand the role of
central, regional and local government in providing a facilitating
framework for CSR and encouraging its adoption. It will provide students
with an understanding of the problems involved in implementing a CSR
programme and the culture change necessary to achieve a successful CSR
firm strategy for companies previously concerned only with shareholder
value.
Management of Japanese
multinationals
This course analyses the business strategies, organization and operations
of leading Japanese multinational companies, by reviewing and comparing
case-studies. The course will develop insight into the approaches and
methods of leading Japanese executives, and the practical realities of
multinational management. It will consider the influence of national and
organizational cultures on the operations of multinationals, and analyze
the organizational capabilities of Japanese multinationals in relation to
their competitors. Student will be able to evaluate relevant literature
and theory on the multinational enterprise and Japanese business with
contemporary practice, and to utilize research skills in the investigation
of individual Japanese multinationals. A key feature of this course is the
opportunity to confer with leading business executives and officials, and
extend the personal skills and experiences of students.
Multinational enterprise
and the global economy
This course will provide an overview of the development and current
position and role of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) as key agents on the
international economic stage. Attention is placed on the growth and
development of MNEs, the emergence of a ‘global’ economy, trends in
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and more strategic issues such as the
foreign market entry decision, co-operative structures and strategies and
ethical concerns. Therefore, the course attempts to interrogate the
importance of MNEs as key agents of integration across the international
economy. The course also addresses the implications of ‘globalization’ for
the organization and operation of multinational firms.
Investment management
The course will provide students with a comprehensive overview of
portfolio management in theory and practice. It will develop an
understanding of the pricing of bonds, equities and derivatives and their
risk/return characteristics and evaluate the relative merits of active and
passive management from both a domestic and international perspective.
Recent changes in international fund management and their implications
will also be examined. The main valuation models for bonds and equities
will be critically analysed, and the problems of international investment
strategy and the relative merits of different approaches will be examined
in detail. The current state of financial markets will be analysed with a
view to devising a relevant portfolio strategy.
Corporate finance
This course will provide an overview of corporate finance in both a
domestic and an international setting. It will explain the valuation of
real investments and their financing as well as the dividend decision. By
developing an understanding of international capital markets, the course
will identify the main trends in mergers and acquisition activity.
Students will be able to apply the main principles of financial theory to
contemporary commercial problems and understand the problems of investment
appraisal and the relative merits of different approaches. This will
enable them also to evaluate the consequences of a proposed takeover or
merger, and to analyse the current state of financial
markets.
Knowledge management
This course will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of
contemporary theories and practices of knowledge management (KM) by
examining the theoretical understanding of knowledge management to real
life situations and by integrating different dimensions of knowledge
management arising from human resource management, information systems and
strategic management. The course will explain the concept of `intellectual
capital’ and how it is managed and exploited in organisations. The course
will demonstrate a critical understanding of knowledge management policies
and strategies in organisations that enhance effectiveness. Students will
be able to apply a range of transferable skills including literature
search, analytical skills, application of theory to real life situations,
teamwork, motivation and interpersonal skills.
International business law
This course provides an understanding of the essential elements of
international business law. It will focus on the main issues relating to
Contract Law, Commercial Law, Business Regulation, Employment Law, Company
Law, Commercial Arbitration Law (theory and practice) and Business Ethics
(theory and practice). It is intended to give students a comprehensive and
coherent appreciation of the main legal aspects of the subject as well as
exploring ethical issues within the international business context. The
course will give a grounding in the legal issues of international
business, and provide an understanding of the national and international
legal practice relating to international business law.
Global financial markets
Global financial markets is concerned with the nature of the capital
securities which are traded on the international money and capital markets
and with the operation of those markets themselves. Over the last 20 years
there has been an explosion in the variety of securities and tradable
assets, fuelled by deregulation and paralleled by an equally explosive
growth in the technical and academic development of the discipline of
finance. This development came about because of a number of important
theoretical advances: the development of the theory of risk, the formal
development of the concept of arbitrage and, of equal importance, the
development of sophisticated information processing systems.
International entrepreneurship
This course will provide students with the intellectual and practical
background to equip would-be entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge
to set up their own international companies successfully. Students will
gain an understanding of the key differences between large companies and
SMEs and learn to appreciate the role of start-up and entrepreneurial
activity in the hi-tech and Bio-pharma sectors. It will also provide
students with an understanding of the financing options available to
start-up and developing companies.
Students who have completed all core courses are eligible to attend the
scheduled plenary sessions. Sessions 1 and 2 can be attended back-to-back
in the same year if this is convenient, or one per year but all 10 core
exams have to have been attempted.
Plenary group work
The group work forms an important part of the MBA and MSc schedule and
experience. It comprises two group presentations and one written group
report. The presentations and report focus on relevant management issues,
functions, and organisational outcomes. The group work draws on practical
application of theory gained from the study of the core subjects on the
MBA and MSc.
The course aims to:
1. To assist students in understanding the linkages between the various
core management functions – Accounting and finance, Human resources
management, Organisational behaviour, Strategy, Operations management,
Information Systems, and Marketing.
2. To provide a forum in which to discuss the practical elements of
leadership and group working.
3. To provide an environment in which distance learning students can
experience the networking aspects so important in an MBA and MSc
programme.
The
project material is case study based, with each group being given a case
study on which to base their presentations and report. The first part of
the project focuses on literature review and problem identification, and
the second part focuses on case study analysis and interpretation. In both
portions of the project students are expected to gather further
information from library and web sources, evaluate this information and
use it to inform their approach to the case study assigned. There is also
a strong emphasis on group dynamics.
Business research methods
This is an innovative course designed as a step-by-step guide on how to
write your dissertation. It is based on many years of experience of
helping students to successfully complete a research project. Unlike all
other courses in the MBA and MSc, there is no examination, but the course
is assessed through the submission of a 12,000 word dissertation.
Course
outline
Starting your dissertation: developing and choosing a research
topic; routes to pursue a research issue; how soon should I write?;
designing your research project – research purpose, research strategy;
unit of analysis; time dimension; study setting.
Progress of your report: typical route; road blocks to making
progress on your project; when to stop writing; the 65 per cent rule;
limits and objectives of the literature review; structuring your
literature review; falsification theory and the structure of a literature
review.
Theory building:how do we think?; scientific understanding and
method;
deduction and induction; lateral thinking; fuzzy thinking; theory
building; variables; hypotheses; what are theories for?; do theories have
to make sense?; simplification; structure of a theory chapter.
Methodology:components and structure of a methodology chapter;
methodology diary; common methodological problems; qualitative versus
quantitative research; qualitative data collection; six characteristics
of qualitative data collection; methods for collecting qualitative data;
methods for collecting quantitative data; complementarity of qualitative
and quantitative research; sampling and survey design; advantages of
sampling; representativeness and randomness; reliability and validity;
populations and sampling frames; sampling designs.
Coping with data: statistics are beautiful; the power of
statistics; six common statistical fallacies; when is data information?;
introduction to statistical techniques; data analysis; decision framework
for data analysis; statistical tools for data analysis; use of SPSS.
Concluding chapters: bringing data back to theory; how not to
write a conclusion; common problems of style; basic rules of writing; the
expectations of examiners.
Dissertation
The dissertation is an excellent opportunity to analyse a business or
management issue in depth as an independent research project. The
dissertation could be carried out in conjunction with a ‘blue chip’
business or you could use your experience and knowledge to study a topic
of relevance to your own professional or national background. You will be
assigned a supervisor who will be able to offer advice and suggestions
about your chosen filed of inquiry, your methods and analysis. The
supervisor will also provide support and encouragement to assist you in
completing this challenging and final component of the MBA course.
