Course Title: Political Economy of Global Business

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Political Economy of Global Business

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
BUSM4689	City Campus	Undergraduate	630H Management	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2018, Sem 1 2019, Sem 2 2019, Sem 1 2020, Sem 2 2020, Sem 1 2021, Sem 2 2021, Sem 1 2022, Sem 2 2022, Sem 1 2023, Sem 2 2023, Sem 1 2024
BUSM4694	Singapore Inst of Management	Undergraduate	630H Management	Face-to-Face	Offsh1 19, Offsh3 19, Offsh1 20, Offsh3 20, Offsh1 21, Offsh3 21, Offsh1 22, Offsh3 22, Offsh1 23, Offsh3 23, Offsh1 24
BUSM4696	RMIT University Vietnam	Undergraduate	630H Management	Face-to-Face	Viet3 2018, Viet1 2019, Viet2 2019, Viet3 2019, Viet1 2020, Viet2 2020, Viet3 2020, Viet1 2021, Viet2 2021, Viet3 2021, Viet1 2022, Viet2 2022, Viet3 2022, Viet1 2023, Viet2 2023, Viet3 2023, Viet1 2024
BUSM4720	RMIT Vietnam Hanoi Campus	Undergraduate	630H Management	Face-to-Face	Viet3 2019, Viet2 2020, Viet3 2020, Viet2 2021, Viet3 2022, Viet1 2023, Viet2 2023, Viet3 2023, Viet1 2024

Course Coordinator: Dr Sam Wilkins

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 9260

Course Coordinator Email: sam.wilkins@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 80.08.68

Course Coordinator Availability: via email

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

This course is a capstone course in the Bachelor of Business (International Business) program. What this means is that we draw together all the previous knowledge that you have accumulated over your degree and focus on applying that knowledge in appropriate and creative ways. It also means that it is your responsibility to make those connections between the theory we teach in this course and your previous learning. We won't tell you when to draw upon your previous knowledge and experience, you are expected to be independent learners.

That's why this course is inappropriate for students who are not at the end of their program sequence. We strongly encourage you to delay enrolment in this course and to take it in your final year when you have more appropriate experience and a chance to accumulate the kind of knowledge required to enable you to do well.

 

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to consolidate and deepen student understandings of global business and the political, economic, and social environment in which it operates. Students will study the material, ideological, financial, geopolitical, and environmental dimensions of this environment, noting how they have changed significantly over time, and the ways in which they continue to do so. The culmination of this will be a conceptualisation of global business which is just as dynamic as that context. Students will build on their prior knowledge of global business to learn about industrial structures and networks common in today’s global economy, including global value chains, global production networks, platform businesses, and intangible capital. The course will also look at trends in labour practices, trade policy, environmental practices, financialisation, and offshoring common in the global economy today. Current firm practices in these areas will be studied in their real-world context, with a critical analysis of both their role in constituting today’s international political economy, and their prospects of survival within it going forward. The course’s activities and assignments are designed to facilitate rounded theory application and peer learning in a friendly, open atmosphere. Assessments include both individual written research tasks, and authentic group presentations in a simulated work environments. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

-

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

CLO1. Articulate and apply the core concepts and theories in the political economy of global business.

CLO2. Integrate the key historical developments in international political economy so as to contextualise and respond to current issues and problems in global business.

CLO3. Critically analyse and synthesise your conceptual knowledge of how global business and organisations impact on politics, culture and economics.

CLO4. Develop independent and critical research skills to synthesise theoretical and empirical data relating to the real-world issues of international political economy and the role of global business therein.

CLO5. Effectively collaborate with peers while addressing key questions relating to the political economy of global business.

CLO6. Communicate and present business data and concepts of international political economy in different professional formats.

Overview of Learning Activities

You will be encouraged to act as an active learner and engage in a variety of learning activities including, but not limited to: reading; watching multi-media materials; discussing/debating ideas; analysing case studies; conducting research; problem solving; working in a team; giving presentations; and reflecting on your own learning.

 

This course is offered at multiple locations employing different learning modes. This means that the nature of the learning activities may vary depending on where you are enrolled. You may participate in face to face lectures, workshops, seminars, online discussions and collaborative activities. 

 

To develop and test your professional problem solving capability you will be undertaking projects negotiated with industry or community organisations and benefit from representatives’ briefing and feedback on your work.

Overview of Learning Resources

Various learning resources are available online through MyRMIT Studies\Canvas. The lecture notes and workshop notes are posted on Canvas.

Resources are also available online through RMIT Library databases and other facilities. Visit the RMIT library website for further details. Assistance is available online via our chat and email services, face to face at our campus libraries or via the telephone on (03) 9925 2020.

Additional resources and/or sources to assist your learning will be identified by your course coordinator and will be made available to you as required during the teaching period. 

  

Overview of Assessment

The table below aligns the assessment tasks against the learning outcomes.

Assessment Overview

Assessment Task	Weighting (%)	Linked     CLOs
Assessment Task 1	30%	CLO 1,2,3,4
Assessment Task 2	40%	CLO 1,2,3,4
Assessment Task 3	30%	CLO 1,2,3,4,5,6