CURRICULUM

Students are required to enroll in the three credit hour Summer IBE class (BAD 60095 for graduate students; BUS 40195 for undergraduates) by permission. Registration forms are available from the instructor or from advisors (for fees and details of how to register, see How To Register on the Payment Schedule page).  To ensure eligibility and to determine how this course will work into their degree  program, interested graduate students are encouraged to speak with Felicia Urbanek, Graduate Programs Coordinator in the Grad Office (furbanek@kent.edu ; 330-672-1236)  and undergraduate students should talk with Theresa Wallace in the Undergraduate Programs Office (twallace@kent.edu; 330-672-1292)

The class will meet several times (at a time to be determined) during the Spring semester to discuss details of the trip and to provide orientation information and reading materials. Students will be be assigned a briefing  to do on an organization or business which will be presented to the class during the trip.  This briefing should be a 5 to 7 minute overview of the organization.  In addition, the briefing should include 7 to 10 questions which can be asked at the visit. Good questions could cover some aspect of strategic planning and/or some interesting topic culled from current news about the organization.  It is helpful to bring copies of the briefing to hand out to the class members.  The course also requires that students attend all meetings during the trip and complete and turn in a report about the trip.  This course does use the plus/minus grading system.

For students needing or interested in additional course credit, it may be possible to arrange for an individual investigation, in advance, with a professor at Kent State.

Note: This course may satisfy the MBA International Business elective.

Instructor:       Lawrence J. Marks, Associate Professor of Marketing
                      (lmarks@.kent.edu) 330-672-1266.

Course Objective:  The purpose of this course is to provide students with firsthand exposure to international business and organizations and to motivate thinking about the impact that culture and cultural differences have on global business.

Course Description:  The course involves pre-trip orientation sessions; in-class lectures; visits to international businesses and organizations; and opportunities for cultural activities in Switzerland and France.

Requirements:  

1.  Students must attend pre-departure meetings.

2.  Students must attend all of the mandatory classes, briefings, seminars, and other activities as described in the class daily itinerary (which will be provided approximately two weeks prior to departure). Students are expected to actively participate in class discussion and during visits to businesses and organizations. 

3.  Students will be assigned a briefings on an organization or business which will be presented during the trip.  This briefing should be a 5 to 7 minute overview of the organization.  In addition, the briefing should include 7 to 10 questions which can be asked at the visit.  Good questions could cover some aspect of strategic planning and/or some interesting topic culled from current news about the organization.  It is helpful to bring copies of the briefing to hand out to the class members.  

4.  The course requires that students a complete and turn in a report about the trip, which will be graded for writing style, content, and clarity of presentation.

This course uses the plus/minus grading system.

The paper will:  

(a) report on each business/organization visit and provide a detailed summary of the important points made by the presenter(s).  The paper cannot simply make use of information available from other sources (e.g., the internet) although such sources should be used to supplement the paper (with appropriate citations); 

(b) provide the student's general observations about the impact of culture and cultural differences on the perspectives and policies of the international business/organizations; 

(c) give a summary of the student's observations of the cultural visits.  

(d) In addition, the student will select one example of a business or organization visit/briefing to analyze in-depth. The in-depth analysis will describe the international operations of the entity and will discuss international/cultural elements as they affect the business/organization.  The in-depth paper will require the use of additional sources (beyond the student's trip) and proper citation of those sources.

(e) Finally, the student will provide an assessment of the IBE as a learning experience and observations as to ways in which the class/trip affected their personal view of the world/global business.  SEE THE DETAILS BELOW.

An Outline of the paper should look like this:

A.  Introduction and Overview

B.  Detailed Summary of Key Issues 

    i.  Summary of Business Briefings

   ii.  Summary of Organizational Briefings

C.  General Observations about the impact of culture on international organizations

D.  Summary of Cultural Visits

D.  In-depth Analysis of [insert business/organization name here]

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