Course Title: Sustainable International Business Futures

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Sustainable International Business Futures

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
BUSM4388	City Campus	Postgraduate	630H Management	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2015, Sem 2 2015, Sem 1 2016, Summer2017, Sem 1 2017, Sem 1 2018, Sem 2 2018, Sem 1 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, Sem 2 2024
BUSM4489	RMIT University Vietnam	Postgraduate	630H Management	Face-to-Face	Viet1 2018, Viet2 2018, Viet1 2019, Viet3 2019, Viet1 2021, Viet2 2021, Viet1 2022, Viet3 2022, Viet2 2023, Viet1 2024

Course Coordinator: Dr Charlie Huang

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1648

Course Coordinator Email: charlie.huang@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 80 Level 09

Course Coordinator Availability: Email for appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None.

Course Description

There is a wide array of issues that influence, and are influenced by international business (IB) activities. These include socio-economic conditions, the natural environment, technological systems, political structures, and legal and regulatory frameworks. Until very recently, the focus of IB activity and study was on profit generation through market growth by multinational corporations (MNCs). Recently, however, there has been growing interest in and critical engagement with other aspects of IB. These include: MNCs’ production activities in ‘less developed countries’ (LDCs); resource extraction and ecological degradation; tax avoidance and evasion; trade in illegal goods; people trafficking; and the international business of war.
The question, therefore, arises – how sustainable are IB activities in the face of these increasingly complex and intensifying challenges?

This course is designed to provide you with knowledge and skills to understand and critique existing IB practices and to develop options for IB futures with a focus on social, economic and ecological sustainability.

This course also provides you with a capstone experience, which will give you the opportunity to integrate, critically reflect on and consolidate what you have learnt in your program.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

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

CLO1. Analyse and integrate the various socio-political, ethical, regulatory, technological and environmental issues affecting the operations of multinational corporations in the global marketplace and reflect on the impact of international business on sustainability from a historical perspective.   CLO2. Critically evaluate and synthesise and the concepts, principles, theories, methods and contemporary practices of international business and sustainable development and appraise the complexities and ambiguities affecting the various stakeholders in international business and management.   CLO3: Collaboratively develop and implement sophisticated sustainability-related strategies and governance for organisations operating in the global context.   CLO4. Research and apply an advanced and integrated body of knowledge and skills ethically and professionally to managing sustainable international business practices for multinational enterprises.

Overview of Learning Activities

In addition to the twelve topics of deliberation on various international business concepts - including models and frameworks related to sustainable futures - a range of learning activities are incorporated into this course (e.g. case study, discussions, individual and group work). You are required to undertake these learning activities in order to help you achieve the learning outcomes.

Overview of Learning Resources

Various learning resources are available online through myRMIT/Canvas. In addition to topic notes; assessment details and a study schedule you may also be provided with links to relevant online information; readings; audio and video clips and communication tools to facilitate collaboration with your peers and to share information.

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 will be made available to you as required during the teaching period.

Overview of Assessment

The assessment tasks, their weighting and the course learning outcomes to which they are aligned are as follows:

Assessment Task 1: 30%, Linked CLOs 1,4

Assessment Task 2: 40%, Linked CLOs 1,2,3

Assessment Task 3: 30% Linked CLOs 1,2,3, 4

Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or in online forums through individual and group feedback on practical exercises and by individual consultation.