ENT 3380: Global Perspectives on New Ventures
Fall Semester, 2022
Fred Loa, MBA, PhD
Office: Foster 210.11
Office Hours: 3:00 – 4:30 TR
Office Phone: TBA
E-mail: Fred_Loa@baylor.edu
Required Texts: Summary notes on countries to be studied during the semester will be provided through Canvas. These notes offer very useful profiles of major countries of the world that will provide important insights into business conditions that exist in those nations.
Colin Flahive, Great Leaps: Finding Home in a Changing China (free authorized pdf access to be provided). This book is a firsthand account of the startup experiences of the American author and his friend who launched a coffee shop and restaurant operation in Dalian, China. Flahive’s descriptions highlight the extreme challenges and extraordinary rewards of being an international entrepreneur.
Access to The Wall Street Journal, which is available to students free of charge (in online-only form) at the following link: https://partner.wsj.com/partner/bayloruniversity. This business periodical will be used to inform in-class discussions of current international business and entrepreneurship developments.
World Bank Group, Doing Business 2020 (which is accessible free of charge at the following link: www.doingbusiness.org/en/reports/global-reports/doing-business-2020). This annual report is a very useful source of data and analysis on startup and general business conditions in all countries of the world and will be a valuable reference for country analyses to be completed as part of the course.
Other Assigned Readings (TBA).
Objectives: The overriding mission of this course is to encourage and to challenge you to think about the world as an arena of opportunity, while developing an awareness of the potential threats associated with doing business abroad. You will be encouraged to think as the entrepreneur of an international enterprise through readings and discussions.
The primary objectives of the course are as follows:
Learn what makes an international venture successful
Grasp the importance of cultural differences and their related frameworks
Develop ability to identify international issues and reason carefully about strategic options
Build analytical skills for a variety of national, industrial, and competitive situations
Learn international business concepts & analytical methods that explain strategic issues
Integrate knowledge from other business courses as they apply to international ventures
Gain insight into geopolitical trends that affect the management of international enterprises
Develop in-depth expertise from studying pressing international business issues
Acquire a detailed understanding of doing business in the major regions of the world
Learn about business conditions in specific, important country contexts
Course Requirements
Exams: Three exams are scheduled during the semester. These will cover conceptual content and country information presented in class, as well as assigned readings (specifically, provided country profiles). All exams will include three kinds of questions: True/False, Multiple Choice, and Essay. Each exam will be weighted at 200 points in total.
Book Analysis: Students will read Colin Flahive, Great Leaps: Finding Home in a Changing China, and submit their observations from the book (format to be described later). This analysis will be weighted 100 points and will count as the comprehensive component of the final exam (as per AACSB requirement). It is due early in the final-exam window and must be submitted on that date, though it can be completed early.
Participation: The success of this course depends on classroom participation, and each student’s contribution to discussion will be assessed based upon the quality and quantity of that involvement. High quality participation in class cannot be achieved without preparedness before class sessions, regular reading of The Wall Street Journal, and attentiveness and active contribution during class. This part of the grade will also factor in other dimensions of classroom participation, including group work outside of class, leadership of or active involvement in country discussions conducted in class, and attendance at any required on-campus lectures (TBA). Participation accounts for 200 points in the final course grade.
Country Profiles: Students will study a number of country profiles during the semester and will need to be prepared to learn more about these in class, as scheduled (see “Course Schedule” in this syllabus). The primary discussion will be led by the professor, but students will be assigned to teams that will lead 5-10 minute follow-on Country Development Discussions that will expand/update the country profile with outside reading—specifically, from reporting in The Wall Street Journal and the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2020. These contributions will be reflected as part of the class participation grade.
Film Analyses: Four films have been selected for in-class viewing during the semester. The assignment related to this exercise has two parts: (1) a bullet list of observations from the film (refer to the PESTEL Analysis handout which provides a framework for such an analysis. Look for it under Files on Canvas), and observations about common business practices in the film, and (2) a two-page, 12-pt font, double-spaced (per team member) reflection summary based on the implications of observations listed in Part 1 for startups in the countries depicted. Each analysis will count for 25 points (per team member) and will be due as per Canvas deadlines. Students will compile and submit a group report, as a result of the group film discussion scheduled the day after each film is shown. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Films may not be viewed for credit outside of class (exception: when viewed in the office by arrangement with the professor) for reasons that will be explained in class.
Grading Plan:
Grading Scale:
Exam #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
200 points
920-1000 points = A
Exam #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
200 points
900-919 points = A-
Exam #3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
200 points
880-899 points = B+
Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
200 points
820-879 points = B
Film Analyses. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
100 points
800-819 points = B-
Book Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
100 points
780-799 points = C+
720-779 points = C
Total Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1000 points
700-719 points = C-
600-699 points = D
599 and below = F