International Management MGT5317

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: Adam Smith Business School
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course equips students with a critical understanding of corporate internationalisation, focusing on the strategic ambitions, organisational challenges and societal implications of international business expansion.

 

The course covers topics such as the rationales and methods of internationalisation, international strategy and the complexities multinationals face when organising global operations across diverse cultural and institutional landscapes. Additionally, the course critically examines the ways in which multinationals shape societies, both positively and, at times, in ways that raise ethical and societal concerns. A critical aspect of the course is examining the grand challenge of global North-South inequalities, exploring the role of multinationals in perpetuating these inequalities and potential solutions.

 

The course combines lectures with group-based/collaborative learning activities. It also has a significant international angle, incorporating global viewpoints, examples and approaches into course content, teaching methods and learning activities. The teaching materials and examples are inclusive, drawing from a variety of countries and regions, not just from the UK or Western contexts, and the course also encourages students to appreciate the influence of culture and institutions on knowledge and practice. Ultimately, students will acquire the knowledge and analytical skills necessary to navigate the complexities of international business and its impact on society.

 

The course helps students develop to build upon their graduate attributes with a focus on research skills, ethical business practice and developing an international perspective within management.

Timetable

This course is delivered through 7 x 2 hour lectures and 3 x 2 hour tutorials.

Requirements of Entry

Please refer to the current postgraduate prospectus at: http://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/

Students must be registered on one of the associated programmes listed in this course specification.

 

Excluded Courses

None

Assessment

ILOs

Assessment

Weighting

Length/Duration

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ develop students' understanding of corporate internationalisation by examining the strategic ambitions and organisational challenges faced by multinational corporations as they expand across nations.

■ evaluate the societal implications of international expansion, particularly its effects on global North-South relations and fosters critical thinking about multinational corporations as both business organisations and socio-political actors.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Evaluate the concept of corporate internationalisation, including the strategic ambitions of multinational corporations and the organisational challenges they face as they grow across various societal contexts.

 

2. Critically evaluate the societal implications of international business practices, particularly concerning global North-South relations.

 

3. Apply interdisciplinary theoretical insights from international business and the wider social sciences to analyse the organisational challenges faced by multinationals and the role of these organisations as socio-political actors shaping global socio-economic landscapes.

 

4. Draw on and integrate key concepts and perspectives from course materials, readings and learning activities to develop a well-rounded understanding of corporate internationalisation.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.