3 good reasons to study International Business at Salford
- Develop an appreciation of international influences on business
- Enhance your employability with practical skills and knowledge
- Explore the international activities of business organisations
This course is aimed at students with a background in business or business-related studies, who wish to further their knowledge of international business. Each module emphasises the global nature of business, so you can gain a greater appreciation of cultural, social, political, legal and sustainability factors affecting business.
This is reinforced through a one-week overseas residential study, embedded into the ‘International Business in Practice’ module, which will provide you with insights into aspects of the political, socio-cultural and economic environments of various industries in an international context.
The programme is highly industry-focussed and culminates in the Industry Collaboration Project. You will choose one of four options to look at a real industry problem and provide researched solutions, helping you put your learning into practice.
During your time with us, you’ll develop an integrated and critically-aware understanding of the international activities of business organisations, at both the strategic and operational level. This understanding is necessary if you want to effectively develop and execute international business strategy and operations.
You will also develop your personal skills for example in team-working; collecting and evaluating information; and developing and implementing strategies.
Duration
MSc (Minimum 12 months, maximum three years)
Course Details
Copyright University of Salford. All rights reserved. For personal use for prospective students only do not copy or distribute.
Human Resource Management and Development in a Global Context
This module is designed to prepare you to undertake the role of a HR manager in an international context. To enable you to do this, you will examine the changing nature of organisations in a global context, and the debates around whether HR policy and practice is becoming truly global or whether national and cultural sensibilities prevent this. You will also be equipped with the skills needed to apply theoretical concepts relating to organisation design and development in practice.
Indicative Syllabus Outline
- Globalisation, multinational companies and international HRM
- The impact of institutions and culture on international HRM policy and practice
- Convergence and divergence of IHRM systems
- International training and development
- International pay and reward
- Global career management
- Creating and designing organisational structures
- Culture, image and the purpose of organisations
- The evolution of organisational development as an area of HR practice
- Schools of thought on organisational change
- Fostering a ‘learning’ organisation
- International forms of employee engagement and participation
International Relationship Management
Central to modern international business is the development and maintenance of relationships with key stakeholders such as customers and suppliers. This module will develop your awareness of culture in international marketing communications and business-to-business relationships. In addition to traditional communications such as advertising, you will also look at how social media can be used to engage with consumers from different cultural backgrounds. You will also learn how global supply chains across a range of organisations and sectors can be managed responsibly and sustainably.
Indicative Syllabus Outline
- Relationships with a variety of international stakeholders
- Culture as a basis for international marketing communications and business relationship development in the business-to-business sector
- The role of social media communications to develop relationships in the business-to-consumer sector
- Global supply chain management and its application across a range of organisations and sectors internationally
- Responsible and sustainable approaches to supply chain management.
International Strategic Management
In this era of globalisation it is essential for companies to understand the different international environments of the markets in which they may operate, and how these influence value-adding activities and decision-making. This module will develop your understanding of these different international environments in terms of the opportunities and threats that they present and show you how they can underpin a sustained competitive advantage in the international arena.
Indicative Syllabus Outline
- The context of international strategy (the current extent of globalisation, the importance of international activity today, and the reasons why firms compete across national borders)
- The macro-environment of international business and how it influences the value-adding activities and decision-making of firms
- Comparative evaluation of the relative attractiveness of potential foreign markets to enter
- The strategic analysis of the internal and industrial environments of firms
- Modes of entry available to firms seeking to expand into new foreign markets.
International Business in Practice
This module will allow you to understand the theory of cross-cultural interaction and different cultural identities and to see the ways in which these influence management practice in the areas of ethics, leadership, decision-making, communication and negotiation. The module includes a one-week overseas residential study period, during which you will visit a number of companies in different industry sectors and will have the opportunity to speak to practitioners about how they run their organisations and have internationalised their operations.
Indicative Syllabus Outline
- Theory, concepts and models of cross-cultural interaction
- Cultural identities and their impact upon business practice in the areas of leadership, decision making, communication and negotiation
- Ethical challenges faced by managers when working in a multicultural environment
- Overseas residential study and potential problem identification in further internationalisation of host organisations.
Business Innovation Project
Dissertation: a conventional dissertation of 12,000 to 15,000 words, consisting of research question, aims and objectives, rationale for undertaking the study, literature review, research methodology, analysis of findings, conclusions and recommendations