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Prof Leslie Willcocks NAB 3.23 and Dr Susan Scott NAB 3.12

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Management of Information Systems and Digital Innovation. This course is available on the Global MSc in Management, Global MSc in Management (CEMS MiM) and Global MSc in Management (MBA Exchange). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

A basic understanding of business strategy and management and a basic knowledge of information and communication technologies. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of the challenges of implementing and managing information systems in organisations.

The objective of this core course on the MSc MISDI programme is to address how organizations formulate global strategy and manage its execution in a rapidly digitizing business world. Whether organizations operate globally, regionally or nationally they are highly dependent on digital innovations produced by information and communication technologies for fulfilling their missions. This course reviews the foundations of global business management and examines key insights about the emerging roles of ICTs and digital innovation in contemporary organizations operating internationally. To manage effectively it is important to recognize the varieties of management practices across regions and the different approaches involved in international business management. On this course we examine how the interrelationship between international strategy, digitization and global operations plays out in dynamic global, regional and national contexts. Having reviewed distinctive global business management strategies and market entry approaches, we identify contemporary issues of critical importance for information systems management including: the relative importance of culture versus institutions in conducting international digital business; the need to identify practices that enable us to manage across boundaries; the challenge of corruption and role that CSR/stakeholding play in sustainable business ethics; the effects of information security breaches; the decisions points in formulating robust sourcing operational sub-strategies; and how international project management can support learning in organizations. The course provides a strategic overview of the management of information systems and innovation. We review frameworks and approaches used in practice and consider them alongside the academic literature on processes of globalization, information systems strategy, organization studies and institutional theory. Students studying this course will gain an understanding of how trends in strategy and operations are entangled with current processes of digitization and what these conditions of possibility mean going forward for globalizing.

At the end of the course participants will be able to:

1. Understand global, business and digital issues in strategy formulation

2. Analyse business environments at competitive, country, regional and global/societal levels

3. Understand  and analyse regional differences and how regional and international trade is conducted

4. Use analytical frameworks for arriving at business and digital strategy

5. Recognise and make recommendations on the strategic potential and impact of information systems and digital innovation in different organizational contexts.

6. Decide how organizations can best enter and evolve in new international markets.

7. Analyse  international management issues in operational areas of human resources, marketing, logistics, sourcing,  R&D, and project management

8. Apply ethical standards to issues of corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and digital security and privacy.

9. Participate in managing culture, difference, diversity, across borders.

15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the MT. 1 hour and 30 minutes of lectures in the ST.

A reading week will take place in W6. There will be no teaching on MG472 during this week.

Classes are based around reading and discussing selected journal articles from the course reading list. Formative feedback is provided on class participation. A mock examination, with questions from MG472, MG481 and MG487 will be held.

Indicative Reading:

• Chaffey, D.  - Digital Business and E-Commmerce Management (Pearson: London)
• Galliers, R. and Leidner, D. (eds.) (2009) Strategic Information Management. Routledge, London.
• Ghemawat, P. (2007) Redefining Global Strategy. Harvard Business School Press, Boston.
• Hill, C. (2011) International Business: Competing in The Global Marketplace. McGraw Hill, New York, 8th edition Chapters 1, 5, 6 ,9, 10, 11
• Rugman, A. and Collinson, S. (2012) International Business. FT Prentice Hall, London. 6th edition. Note that each chapter has substantial bibliographies that can be referred to for sources.
• Willcocks, L. (2014/16) Global Business Management Foundations. Brookes Publishing, Stratford, Second/Third edition (Kindle, White Plume publishing and Steve Brookes Publishing versions

Essential Readings to be done on a weekly basis to build up general knowledge:

• The Economist – weekly news and regular relevant special studies.
• The Financial Times – daily world commentary, regular regional/ theme special issues and archive.
• The Wall Street Journal – detailed daily world commentary.

The main journals that students may wish to search for additional articles on globalisation, business strategy, management and digital business are:

• Academy of Management Executive
• Academy of Management Review
• Strategic Management Journal
• Long Range Planning
• Journal of Management Studies
• Journal of International Business Studies
• Journal of Management
• Management Information Systems Quarterly
• Executive
• Journal of Strategic Information Systems
• Organization Science
• Management International Review
• Harvard Business Review
• Sloan Management Review
• California Management Review

Exam (90%, duration: 2 hours) in the summer exam period.
Coursework (10%) in the MT.

The individual course assessment will be made based on two pieces of individual course work:

1. An in-class presentation of a key course reading. The student will be assessed on the presentation, the Powerpoint slides and a two page summary of the reading submitted in advance of the presentation.

2. An in-class presentation of a key class case study. The student will be assessed on the presentation, the Powerpoint slides and a two page summary of the case study submitted in advance of the presentation.