Course coordinator
Dr Tao Bai
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Business School
This course will provide students with skills to determine and make recommendations on the full suite of modes of entry and operation available for internationalisation into markets overseas. Increasingly, innovative firms, both small and large, are selecting modes of operation that make full use of market exchange rather than the hierarchical forms and these choices are evidenced in the disaggregation of global value chains and the relocation of value creation away from the home country. A complete understanding of the full suite of modes of entry and operation will equip students with an invaluable capability to make recommendations on the manner in which firms practice their international business operations, and to advise these firms on how the various modes are put into practice.
Foreign operation methods refer to ‘a company’s way of operating in foreign markets, or the ‘how’ part of foreign operations, which has been considered as basic to any discussions about companies’ international business strategies and performance. The course aims to provide a comprehensive analysis and comparison about all common foreign operation methods that a company can use to conduct international business activities, including franchising, licensing, management contracts, international outsourcing, project operations, exporting, alliances, and foreign direct investment.ﾠ
At the strategy level, the course explains the choice, development, combination and change among all foreign operation modes; at the implementation level, the course provides the detailed information about the use and management of each foreign operation method. Through combining international business theories and practical insights, this course provides a skill set for conducting and managing foreign operations.ﾠ
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
IBUS2301 + 4 units of International Business major courses
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Tao Bai
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Please note: Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email business.mytimetable@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details:
- Full Name
- Student ID
- Course Code
Aims and outcomes
The aim of the course is to develop skills and knowledge about how to conduct foreign operations. After taking this course, students will be able to understand the strengths and limitations of each foreign operation mode, including franchising, licensing, management contracts, international outsourcing, project operations, exporting, alliances, and foreign direct investment, and to make decisions on the mode choice accordingly based on the internal and external situations. Moreover, this course helps students to master the skills of managing the chosen foreign operation mode efficiently. Lastly, this course will also provide a strategic view of managing foreign operations, that beyond the initial operation mode choice, how to further develop, combine and change operation mode.ﾠStudents will work in teams to solve a course topic related case study and work individually to critically analyse an international firm's foreign operatons.ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand and apply the basic theories and perspectives in foreign operations
LO2.
Understand the concepts of the available foreign operation modes
LO3.
Appreciate the differences of all foreign operation modes
LO4.
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of all foreign operation modes and be able to determine the foreign operation mode choice accordingly and able to make revisions and changes of foreign operation modes when necessary
LO5.
In teams be able to solve the specific operation issues from an assigned case study relating to an organisations' foreign operation
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation |
Case Study Presentation
|
30% |
Week 3 - Week 13
Each team will be allocated a week to present during their tutorial |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Company analysis | 40% |
25/10/2024 4:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Take Home Assessment
|
30% |
4/11/2024 - 11/11/2024
This assessment will be scheduled by the school and run for 48 hours during the examination period. |
Assessment details
Case Study Presentation
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
Week 3 - Week 13
Each team will be allocated a week to present during their tutorial
- Other conditions
- Peer assessed.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04, L05
Task description
Students will be placed in to teams. Each team will be allocated a week to present a case study during their tutorial.
The assigned case study will be made available in the week prior to the team presentation and the case study is based on the previous weeks lecture topic.
Students are required to work together in their team to solve the case and answer any assigned case questions. Students in their presentation will provide a brief overview of the case and apply key course concepts and theory to assist with solving the case/answering the questions. Teams need to engage their audience with their delivery and relevant questions/activities. Presentation slides must be submitted prior to the time of the presentation date.
Please Note: The presentation will be recorded for marking purposes per UQ policy.
Full assessment task description is available on the course blackboard site in the Assessment section.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Teams will present case study during their tutorial and submit the presentation slides via the online submission link on the course Blackboard site in the same week as their assigned presentation.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Company analysis
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
25/10/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Students will write and submit a business report. Students are expected to conduct a real-business case analysis on foreign operation method. Students select an international firm, then critically analyze, discuss, and evaluate the chosen firm's foreign operation methods in multiple countries, and provide recommendations on how the firm can further improve their foreign operations from strategy and implementation levels by applying course concepts and secondary research.
A minimum of 10 authoritative, relevant references must be included.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Take Home Assessment
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
4/11/2024 - 11/11/2024
This assessment will be scheduled by the school and run for 48 hours during the examination period.
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
The take home assessment will be available for download from the course Blackboard site at the exam start time and must be completed and submitted by the finish due date. The short essay style questions focus on testing your understanding and insights to date in this course. Apply critical thinking and use of illustrative examples where possible. Each question will require an essay-style response. Responses provided in bullet points without the appropriate detail will be awarded only partial marks.
Students will only receive the take home assessment item once the link has been made available at the assessment start time, and submissions will be due within 48 hours. If students fail to submit by the submission deadline, a late penalty is applied. The assessment questions will be based on all course content covered this semester. More details about the exam will be posted to the course Blackboard site.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Blackboard
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be allocated according to University-wide standards of criterion-based assessment.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 |
Lecture |
Course Overview and fundamental theories Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 2 |
Tutorial |
Franchising
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Franchising Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 3 |
Tutorial |
Licensing
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Licensing Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 4 |
Tutorial |
Management contracts
Royal Queensland Show Public Holiday - Wednesday 14 Aug 2024 - Check Blackboard for announcements about affected classes. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Management contracts Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 5 |
Tutorial |
International outsourcing
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
International outsourcing Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 6 |
Tutorial |
Project operations
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Project operations Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 7 |
Tutorial |
Briefing and discussion on company case analysis
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Lecture |
Foreign Operation Modes in Digital World Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 8 |
Tutorial |
Exporting Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Exporting
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
|
Week 9 |
Tutorial |
Alliance Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Lecture |
Alliances
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
|
Mid Sem break |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
In-Semester break |
Week 10 |
Tutorial |
Foreign direct investment
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Foreign direct investment Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 11 |
Tutorial |
Mode switching and stretching strategies
King's Birthday Public Holiday - Monday 7 Oct 2024 - Check Blackboard for announcements about affected classes. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Mode switching and stretching strategies Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 12 |
Tutorial |
Mode combination and mode flexibility
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Mode combination and mode flexibility Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
|
Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Revision of course content Revision of all topics Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Revision of course content Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Additional learning activity information
Sustainable Development Goals
This course integrates the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through lectures and assessment.
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.