Sample Syllabus | Willamette MBA Study Abroad

GSM 7261: Management Abroad: India

PROFESSORS

Gary Knight, Ph.D.
Professor of Global Management
Atkinson Graduate School of Management
Willamette University

Office: Salem Campus Annex A204
Office Hours: Always after class, by appointment, or by phone
Email: gknight@willamette.edu

Ashley Nixon, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior
Atkinson Graduate School of Management

Office: Portland Center Suite 101
Email: anixon@willamette.edu

Course Description

Our trip to India is the centerpiece of this course. The trip includes visits to numerous companies, organizations, and cultural sites in the country’s two leading cities. New Delhi is the nation’s capital and part of the megacity, Delhi. Mumbai is the largest city, and one of the world's major centers in commerce, finance, entertainment, and the movie industry.

India is the world's most populous country, with 1.4 billion people. Culturally diverse, it is home to 15 official languages across the nation’s 29 states. India’s history is extremely rich, dating back several thousand years. The country has developed rapidly in the past twenty years, from an isolated socialist state to a relatively free-market, active participant in the world economy. India’s middle class has surpassed 350 million people, more than the population of the United States. The country’s top trading partners are China, the United States, and Saudi Arabia.

The United States comprises just 5% and 18% of the world's population and economy, respectively. A very large proportion of business is conducted outside the USA. Intel and Nike, for example, obtain most of their revenues abroad. Operating internationally requires considering a broad range of variables and relationships. In this course we study and experience the environment, market, institutions, challenges, strategy, and operations of companies and other organizations operating in India. We examine associated challenges posed for the competitiveness of the modern enterprise, as well as capabilities and strategies appropriate for international business success in India.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

Understand essential aspects of international management, including:
- Market entry
- International operations
- Marketing implications
- Management practices
- Human resource management practices
- Gain familiarity with the cultural, institutions, systems, infrastructure, history, and other environmental characteristics of the host country
- Understand basic managerial requirements for the successful performance of organizations in the host country
- Develop an international trip agenda by implementing aspects of project management
- Establish a professional international network
- Deploy effective team management and collaboration skill sets

Required Readings & Videos

TBD

Class Tools

Itinerary & GANTT Chart: Google Sheet

Canvas Site: N/A

Zoom: Join URL

Evaluation

Student performance will be evaluated based on the following criteria (1-credit student assignments in bold):

15% - Participation and professionalism in required classes and all trip visits
20% - International business project
20% - Cross-cultural management project
15% - Organizational visit arrangements and updates
15% - Organization executive summary
10% - Journal
10% - Final report & presentation

Grading Scale

95-100 = A
92-94 = A-
89-91 = B+
86-88 = B
82-85 = B-
78-81 = C

Participation and Professionalism

We expect high-quality participation and professionalism consistently throughout class meetings, project work, and professional visits and activities. This class will be considerably more interesting, enjoyable, and rewarding if we share our experiences and insights, learning from each other. It is our role, as facilitators, to set and maintain a tone for class that is candid, relaxed, collegial, and challenging.

During our trip, and particularly during organizational visits, professional behavior appropriate for the cultural norms of the destination country and hosts will be required. Our hosts are generously meeting with us to advance your education and career. We want to extend every professional courtesy to show our appreciation.

While the environment will change, the quality of participation and professionalism should remain high. High quality participation and professionalism means that you should:

Attend all classes and all organizational visits
Demonstrate that you are prepared (via research on organizations and individuals, class readings and projects)
Show respect and consideration for others
Give full, courteous attention to speakers and presentations
Ask useful questions of speakers that support learning
Wear appropriate dress – business attire – for all organizational visits
Refrain from disruptive or inappropriate behavior abroad that might harm Willamette University or its reputation
Follow the Willamette University’s Student Code of Conduct. Failure to comply with the Willamette University Student Code of Conduct may result in a failing grade, dismissal from the program, or other disciplinary action.
If you miss a class, you must attend a make-up class -- one of Gary Knight’s regular classes in global management.

International Business Project (Team)

In teams, you will research and provide an analysis of an industry/sector of interest that is assigned to your team. These industries/sector can include:

Agriculture and Food Processing (e.g., Taste'L Fine Food, Devesh Foods)
Financial Services (e.g., HDFC, Power Finance)
Management Consulting (e.g., Tata Consultancy, Deloitte)
Education (e.g., UpGrad, Jaro Education)
Healthcare (e.g., Abbott, Labcorp)
Information Technology and Digital (e.g., Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra)
Media and Film (e.g., Meraki, Yash Raj Studios)
Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals (e.g., Sun Pharmaceutical, GE Healthcare)
Renewable Energy (e.g., Adani Green Energy, Nayara)
Steel industry (e.g., Tata Steel, JSW Steel)
Retail and E-commerce (e.g., Amazon, D-Mart)
Sports and Sporting Goods (e.g., Cosco, Six5six)
Textiles and Apparel (e.g., Alok Industries, Aarvee Denims)
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) (e.g., Azim Premji, Akshaya Patra Foundation)
Public Organization (e.g., State Bank of India, U.S. Embassy)

The project will entail comprehensive research detailing the major organizations operating in that industry within the country that we will visit, the impact of the industry on GDP, and the global impact of that industry and the organizations in it.

Industry Overview
Key Players
Industry Statistics
Industry Trends (e.g., market, regulatory, technological)
Industry SWOT or PESTLE Analysis
References

Your team will submit one approximately 5-page, double-spaced report (you have flexibility regarding the length) on each industry. Your team will present your findings in a 10-minute presentation.

Cross-Cultural Management Project (Team)

In teams, you will research and provide a report outlining how local culture impacts the industry you are investigating. This cultural report will link cultural elements, including basic assumptions, values and norms, and artifacts to historical human resource implications (i.e., past and current norms around employee contract, unions), future human resource challenges (i.e., population growth, immigration policies), and the impact these have on managerial practices and roles (i.e., relationships, feedback) compared to typical US customs. HR practices examined could include:

Recruiting or hiring nationally or internationally
Workplace safety regulations and practices
Performance management practices
Termination regulation and processes
Benefits
Compensation regulations and norms
Training regulations and practices
Work-life balance regulations and practices
HRM practice changes post-covid

Your team will submit one approximately 5-page, double-spaced report (you have flexibility regarding the length). Your team will present your findings in a 10-minute presentation.

As part of this project, you will identify significant cultural artifacts (i.e., sites, foods, customs, activities) and as a class, you will select experiences to schedule during our visit. Teams will arrange visits decided upon by the class.

Organizational Visit Arrangement

After you have identified relevant organizations, your team will network to make connections at these organizations and arrange a visit. This involves systematic outreach through various channels (networking via contacts, LinkedIn, company sites, and other resources). Networking often entails being declined or ignored... a lot. Success comes from a combination of consistent effort and luck. Consequently, you can earn your grade through consistent effort, luck, or both. Outreach efforts will be tracked through regular updates via our class project management tool on Google Sheets.

A = Visit arranged and confirmed prior to December 7 OR evidence of at least 6 new, high quality outreach efforts per week.
A- = Visit arranged after December 7 OR evidence of at least 6 new outreach efforts per week.
B = No visit arranged AND evidence of between 3 and 5 new outreach efforts per week.
C = No visit arranged AND evidence of less than 3 new outreach efforts per week.
F = No visit arranged AND no evidence of regular outreach efforts.

Class Bonus: If the trip agenda is completed by December 7 (i.e., 6-8 high quality visits arranged and confirmed), the entire class will receive an ‘A’ for the portion of the grade.

Networking guides:

Executive Summary and Company Presentation (Team)

When you have identified relevant organizations, your team will network to make connections at these organizations and arrange a visit. Your team should (i) write an Executive Summary, and (ii) make an oral Presentation (NO slides), on one of the companies we will visit in the host country. You will give your presentation just prior to visiting the company. Please limit your Executive Summary to no more than 2 pages, single-spaced, so that it can be photocopied and distributed easily just prior to the meeting with the company overseas. Submit your Executive Summary to the Assignments site at Canvas or via email to Gary Knight prior to departing for the country. We will assign teams and companies during class. In the host country, you will provide an executive summary and a 3–5-minute presentation about your industry and organization to facilitate a high quality visit.

Suggested Outline for Company Executive Summary and Presentation

Industry Background (including state of the industry in the country)
Company Overview
Products and Operations (e.g., competitive advantages, strategies)
Financial Condition (e.g., sales, income, stock performance, other details)
Company Current Situation (including notable problems and opportunities)
References

Note: Occasionally a company does not have a significant, understandable web presence, or you may be unable to find specific information on the company. If that arises, please focus your executive summary and presentation on the relevant industry.

Journal (Individually)

During our trip, you will keep an electronic journal in which you provide your reflections on the readings for the class and the study abroad program. Specifically, you are to write a minimum of seven single-spaced pages of reflection (about one page per day of the program trip) that expresses your comments and insights about the readings, lectures, and especially the trip itself, particularly material you found helpful or interesting. A good approach is to take notes at our meetings in the country and incorporate them into the journal. Emphasize your perceptions and insights on the material and the trip. Be substantive. It may help to focus on material and experiences that hold meaning to your job or career goals.

There are several benefits to keeping a journal. It encourages you to think about class material in a substantive way; it helps develop writing skills; it fosters learning in a substantive way; it serves as a personal memoir of the trip. We especially value journals that provide evidence of reading and learning from the material and the trip. In the past, many have included photos in their Journal.

Final Report & Presentation (Individually)

After we have returned, you will give a brief oral presentation in class and write a short report, based on your experiences in the host country. The exercise, to be completed individually, requires you to address dimensions of the business environment, the organizations that we visited, the business methods, management or human resource practices, career aspects, and/or your personal insights, on the host country. You will write a maximum 5-page report and give a brief (10-minute) oral presentation that addresses a subset of the above dimensions, in our final class.

Administrative Notes

Attendance: Class attendance and interactive participation (through Q&A, exercises, etc.) are essential components of learning in this course.

Class Preparation: For optimal learning and class participation, you are expected to have read the required readings and cases prior to attending class.

Submission of Deliverables: Please submit all class deliverables via the Assignments link at the course Canvas site.

Course Website: Please see the course website on Canvas for important class documents such as the syllabus, learning objectives, class lectures, vignettes, cases, and optional readings.

Classroom Technology: Laptop computers provide a useful note-taking vehicle. Wireless connection to the Internet also affords us a useful way to check on the current status of various organizations that we consider such as in reading, discussion, or in case analyses. We encourage both uses. However, the in-class use of laptops, cell phones, PDAs, Blackberries, iPads, etc. in activities unrelated to the course will not be tolerated.

Professional Emails: Our e-mail address issued by Willamette University (xxxx@willamette.edu) will be the one used regarding this course. Each of us is responsible for information sent to that address. Additionally, all email correspondence for this course should be conducted professionally (including a salutation, correct grammar and punctuation, closing, and signature).

Reasonable Accommodations: Students with disabilities who require accommodation should notify the instructor of the nature of accommodation in the first week of class. Additional support is available from the Willamette University Accessible Education Services Office, telephone 503-370-6737.

Student Conduct: Every student is expected at all times to abide by the Willamette University Atkinson Graduate School of Management Honor Code and Application to Academic Honesty as detailed in the current student handbook.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Refer to page 8 of the file linked at the top right to view the learning outcomes table.

Course Schedule

Refer to page 9 of the file linked at the top right to view the course schedule table.