BSc Fashion Buying and Merchandising / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
International Business

Course unit fact file
Unit code MATS22302
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 5
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Offered by Department of Materials
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The unit will introduce the cultural, economic, political environment of international business; internationalisation strategies and the management of international business.

Aims

This handbook should be read in conjunction with the School of Materials Undergraduate Programme Handbook which can be found on the Undergraduate Virtual Common Room on Blackboard

The unit is designed to give students a fundamental understanding of the environment in which international business operates and of the business practices required to compete successfully in global markets. This unit aims to give an overview of challenges and opportunities of competing in the global marketplace. The unit will help students develop the decision-making skills associated with managing different aspects of international business.

 

 

Learning outcomes

A greater depth of the learning outcomes will be covered in the following sections:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Intellectual skills
  • Practical skills
  • Transferable skills and personal qualities

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures will be used to introduce the concepts, principles and practices in global environment. Seminars will provide opportunities for students to become fluent in the concepts and principles developed in lectures; and to develop competence in the application of these to a broad range of examples and case studies.

The unit is supported through the use of the Blackboard learning environment which will include formative assessment tasks.

 

 

Knowledge and understanding

Contributing to developing programme learning outcomes and the assessment of:

  • Identify how cultural variables and environmental factors affecting international activities
  • Discuss the management of business functional operations in an international context
    • Systematically describe, analyse and appraise the structure of global fashion, textiles and related industries, with focus on the emerging issues of markets, services, consumer expectations within the macro-environment.
    • Confidently distinguish the key elements of contemporary challenges and issues in fashion and textiles and use these systematically in strategic planning of operational responses.
    • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of key aspects of management theory in relation to management of organisations for example people management and information systems.

Intellectual skills

2.1       Analyse international situations and evaluate contemporary issues in international business

2.2       Discuss challenges of conducting business in global context

Contributing to developing programme learning outcomes and the assessment of:

  • Identify and conceptualise appropriate theories, applying them to the fashion and textile industry.
  • Synthesise, assess and evaluate information and data from appropriate sources and use these to make informed, independent judgments and decision making in relation to technical product and/or business contexts.
  • Exercise original thinking and independent learning to design and execute a project to evaluate and analyse a business concept or a technical aspect of garment or textiles products.

Practical skills

3.1       Review how international business adjusts management practices in global context

Contributing to developing programme learning outcome and the assessment of:

  • Act Autonomously with limited supervision or direction within negotiated guidelines, individually and as part of a team.
  • Identify and employ appropriate sources of information.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • 4.1       Identify and evaluate relevant issues and information to generate possible solutions to the problems based on well-reasoned rationales

    Contributing to developing programme learning outcome and the assessment of:

  • An ability to act ethically and communicate appropriately in a variety of complex and unpredictable contexts.

  • An ability to plan, manage and evaluate the investigation into and acquisition of new knowledge.

  • Clear and effective communication, using a range of styles and employing various media appropriate to the context.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 100%

Feedback methods

Written and verbal - Summative feedback will be available upon request after the appropriate Exam Board has ratified results. 

 

Recommended reading

  • Collinson, S., Narula, R., Qamar, A., & Rugman, A. M. (2020). International business (8th Edition.). Pearson.

    Daniels, J., Radebaugh, L., & Sullivan, D. (2018). International Business, Global Edition (16th ed.). Pearson.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 12
Independent study hours
Independent study 88

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Hsin-Ju Tsai Unit coordinator

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