Master 2020/2021

Global Management and Asian Values

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Compulsory course (Economics, Politics, and Business in Asia)

Area of studies: Foreign Regional Studies

Delivered by: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

Where: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

When: 1 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Instructors: Sergei Shaposhnikov

Master’s programme: Экономика, политика и бизнес в Азии

Language: English

ECTS credits: 5

Contact hours: 60

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The Global Management and Asian Values course focuses on opportunities and challenges created by globalization. Special attention is placed upon different tools and analytic competences available to the different specialized managerial roles when competing internationally. With integrated real-world examples, research, and practical applications, students understand how to adjust, adapt, and navigate the changing global business landscape and respond to global challenges-making it a market-leader. It examines cross-cultural and management issues related to management in an international marketplace with emphasis on Asian countries. The Asian managerial practices and systems (i.e., China, Japan, and South Korea) have been influenced to different degrees by Confucianism and have been developed under very different social and historical environments. Although these societies share a common East Asian culture with each other, each of them maintains a unique business culture. Studying and comparing cultural value systems and management among the Asian societies will expand the knowledge base of students and develop their critical thinking because the development of management systems of a country can be affected by its historical and political background, people’s cultural values as well as the globalization of management systems. The study of different cultural values and management systems shall also enhance students’ understanding of their own business culture and develop sensitivity toward and an appreciation of diversity in today’s globalized business environments.

Learning Objectives

• The central objective of this course is to explore the unique opportunities and problems that confront international managers as they navigate the company through the extremely complex and ever-changing global economic, political, legal, technological and cultural environment. This course will particularly focus on people, values and culture in Asia. As a result of undertaking this study you will be better equipped to undertake an international career and to work within organizations with a culturally diverse workforce.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• An enhanced understanding of what determines the success and failure of companies around the globe and in Asia;
• An understanding of the cultural/societal values (i.e. Confucian values) and management systems of China, Japan and South Korea;
• An understanding of the impact of cultural/societal values on managerial practices in Asia;
• An awareness of and interest in how institutions—formal and informal ones—impact business decisions;
• An in-depth knowledge of analytical frameworks used in the screening of national markets (defining the key factors in the firm’s internationalization process by evaluating the international business environment, stressing particularly the economic and cultural dimensions);
• An ability to invoke different management theories (e.g., resource-based view, stakeholder theory, and institutional theory) to understand what is behind different firm performances around the world;
• A disposition to consider ethical and social responsibility issues in the development and implementation of an international management strategy in Asia;
• An ability to recognize the similarities and differences reflected in cultural/societal values and management systems between Asia and Russia;
• Demonstrate critical writing and presentation skills.

Course Contents

• Environmental Foundation- Globalization and International Linkages; the Political, Legal, and Technological Environment; Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability.
  The specific objectives of these sessions are: • to assess the implications of globalization for countries, industries, firms, and communities; • to review the major trends in global and regional integration; • to examine the changing balance of global economic power and trade and investment flows among countries; • to analyze the major economic systems and recent developments among countries that reflect those systems; • to introduce the basic political systems that characterize regions and countries around the world and offer brief examples of each and their implications for international management; • to present an overview of the legal and regulatory environment in which MNCs operate worldwide, and highlight differences in approach to legal and regulatory issues in different jurisdictions; • to review key technological developments, including the growth of e-commerce, and discuss their impact on MNCs now and in the future; • to examine ethics in international management and some of the major ethical issues and problems confronting MNCs; • to explain some of the initiatives to bring greater accountability to corporate conduct and limit the impact of corruption around the world.
• The Role of Culture- the Meanings and Dimensions of Culture; Managing Across Cultures; Organizational Cultures and Diversity; Cross-Cultural and Negotiation
  The specific objectives of these sessions are: • to define the term culture, and discuss some of the comparative ways of differentiating cultures; • to describe the concept of cultural values, and relate some of the international differences, similarities, and changes occurring in terms of both work and managerial values; • to identify the major dimensions of culture relevant to work settings, and discuss their effects on behavior in an international environment; • to examine the strategic dispositions that characterize responses to different cultures; • to review cultural differences in select countries and regions, and note some of the important strategic guidelines for doing business in each. • to define exactly what is meant by organizational culture, and discuss the interaction of national and MNC cultures; • to identify the four most common categories of organizational culture that have been found through research, and discuss the characteristics of each; • to provide an overview of the nature and degree of multiculturalism and diversity in today’s MNCs; • to define the term communication, examine some examples of verbal communication styles, and explain the importance of message interpretation; • to examine the language, perception, and culture of communication and nonverbal barriers to effective international communications; • to present the steps that can be taken to overcome international communication problems; • to develop approaches to international negotiations that respond to differences in culture; • to review different negotiating and bargaining behaviors that may improve negotiations and outcomes.
• Global Strategic Management- Strategy Formulation and Implementation; Entry Strategies and Organizational Structures; Managing Political Risk, Government Relations, and Alliances; Management Decision and Control
  The specific objectives of these sessions are: • to discuss the meaning, needs, benefits, and approaches of the strategic planning process for today’s MNCs; • to understand the tension between pressures for global integration and national responsiveness and the four basic options for international strategies • to identify the basic steps in strategic planning, including environmental scanning, internal resource analysis of the MNC’s strengths and weaknesses, and goal formulation; • to describe how an MNC implements the strategic plan, such as how it chooses a site for overseas operations; • to explain specialized strategies appropriate for emerging markets and international new ventures; • to describe how an mnc develops and implements entry strategies and ownership structures • to examine the major types of entry strategies and organizational structures used in handling international operations; • to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each type of organizational structure, including the conditions that make one preferable to others; • to explain how organizational characteristics such as formalization, specialization, and centralization influence how the organization is structured and functions; • to examine how MNCs evaluate political risk; • to present some common methods used for managing and reducing political risk; • to describe challenges to and strategies for effectively managing alliances. • to provide comparative examples of decision making in different countries; • to compare and contrast direct controls with indirect controls; • to describe some of the major differences in the ways that MNCs control operations.
• Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management- Motivation across Cultures; Leadership across Cultures; Human Resource Selection and Development across Cultures
  The specific objectives of these sessions are: • to define motivation, and explain it as a psychological process; • to examine the value of process theories in motivating employees worldwide; • to understand the importance of job design, work centrality, and rewards in motivating employees in an international context; • to describe the basic philosophic foundation and styles of managerial leadership; • to review leadership approaches in different countries; • to discuss the relationship of culture clusters and leader behavior on effective leadership practices, including increasing calls for more responsible global leadership; • to identify the basic sources that mncs can tap when filling management vacancies in overseas operations in addition to options of subcontracting and outsourcing; • to describe the selection criteria and procedures used by organizations and individual managers when making final decisions; • to describe the training process, the most common reasons for training, and the types of training that often are provided; • to explain how cultural assimilators work and why they are so highly regarded.
• Asian Values- Basic Economic History;; Cultural/Societal Values; Confucianism; Managerial Practices and Systems
  The specific objectives of these sessions are: • to provide an introduction to economic history (China, South Korea, Japan); • to describe business context and business management; • to overview the economic, political and business environment; • to identify specifics of culture: religion, beliefs, cultural values etc.; • to discuss the corporate organization and culture; • to review management and working styles; • to examine communication styles; • to discuss the production management; • to discuss the specifics of marketing; • to present human resource management; • to explain global strategy of Asian business; • to identify challenges and solutions for doing business in Asia; • to discuss key drivers and motivators of Asian business counterparts; • to identify strategies for doing business more effectively with counterparts; • to understanding of issues and solutions involved in establishing or doing business in Asia; • to present strategy, practical steps and logic to establish a business presence in Asia.

Assessment Elements

• Attendance
• Discussion participation
  to be tracked in the Microsoft Teams platform
• Essays
  a written paper to be sent by email
• Group project
  students submit their reports (by email) and make puplic presentation via the Microsoft Teams platform
• Final exam
  will be done via the Microsoft Teams platform

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (2 module)
  0.1 * Attendance + 0.1 * Discussion participation + 0.2 * Essays + 0.4 * Final exam + 0.2 * Group project

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Bartlett, C. A., & Ghoshal, S. (1998). Managing Across Borders : The Transnational Solution: Vol. 2nd ed. Harvard Business School Press.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Abdul-Rahman, S., & Rowley, C. (2008). The Changing Face of Management in South East Asia. Routledge.
• Chang, C., & Chang, N. J. (1994). The Korean Management System: Cultural, Political, Economic Foundations : Cultural, Political, Economic Foundations. Praeger.
• Ghemawat, P. (2007). Redefining Global Strategy : Crossing Borders in a World Where Differences Still Matter. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Ghemawat, P. (2011). World 3.0 : Global Prosperity and How to Achieve It. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Jackson, K., & Tomioka, M. (2004). The Changing Face of Japanese Management. London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=105973
• John H. Dunning, & Sarianna M. Lundan. (2008). Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy, Second Edition. Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.b.elg.eebook.3215
• Jones, G. (2004). Multinationals and Global Capitalism: From the Nineteenth to the Twenty First Century. Oxford University Press.
• Peng, M. W. (2012). Global business. South-Western.
• Verbeke, A. (2009). International Business Strategy : Rethinking the Foundations of Global Corporate Success. Cambridge eText.