Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 128

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

International Business
Overview

International Business at Keele combines insights
from a broad range of subject areas to develop
your understanding of business operations in an
increasingly interconnected society. The programme
has a distinctive approach to teaching and research,
believing that the most productive way of studying
the subject is to take a critical perspective on the
global business environment, along with a thorough
exploration of the ‘nuts and bolts’ of both large and
small organisations in established and emerging
economies. On this programme you will think about
and debate not just technical issues of economics
and foreign direct investment, but also social trends,
cross-cultural communication and ethical issues.
You will engage critically with the work of seminal
thinkers, advice from practitioners and cases of world
famous companies and industries.

Course content

This programme is designed to be combined
with another subject inside or outside of Keele
Management School. The programme of study listed
below indicates what modules you will study as part
of the International Business programme.
First year
The first year provides you with an introduction
to the key concepts in international business and
management, and is delivered through a combination
of classroom time and guided independent study.
Specific time in class is spent developing skills
and confidence in independent study to support
your studies in subsequent years, but there is also
plenty of unscheduled time for you to find your own
effective working pattern and to meet with module
tutors, personal tutors and support staff to address
your particular issues on a one to one basis.

128

Global Business Environment focuses on exploring
the operations of international businesses and the
global market framework in which they operate.
Elective modules include:
• Foundations of Human Resource Management
• Marketing Principles
• Markets and Hierarchies
• Business Law
• British and Global Economy
• Quantitative Methods 1 and 2
• Accounting Principles
• Financial and Management Accounting
Second year
The second year builds on your core knowledge
and develops your expertise further across a range
of subjects. This year will focus on both exam
and coursework assessment, emphasising class
participation and independent preparation.
You with study the following core modules:
Managing the Multinational Corporation highlights
the key skills and competencies required in managing
these sorts of organisations, exploring the many
cultural as well as operational complexities of
joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions as well as
knowledge transfer within and between large scale
organisations.
International Supply Chain Management explores
both the operational and strategic relations of
supply chain networks from an international
perspective, identifying different types of modelling
these relations and considering the impacts of
different factors.
Elective modules include:

You will take the following core modules:

• Organisational Behaviour

Management in Context introduces the concepts of
management and organisations, and places them in
a historical, political and economic context.

• Social Theory at Work

Introduction to International Business discusses
the key theories and debates in international business
and introduces you to a range of perspectives
including the historical and ecological as well as
the political and economic.

• Critical Perspectives on Management Research

• Operations and Quality Management
• Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility