Fundamentals of International Business

Studying international business is essential for everyone who wants to be a well-rounded modern individual. Understanding the main features of the international business environment, mechanisms of cross-border business activities, and motivations to engage in these activities, will help you to make sense of contemporary business context and navigate yourself in our complex world. This MOOC provides essential knowledge about international business, its key actors and recent trends. It combines relevant theoretical frameworks with contemporary business cases and practitioner-oriented learning materials. Students will be able to familiarise themselves with such concepts as globalization, internationalisation, multinationals and institutions, and see how they relate to each other, as well as draw implications to current business practices.

• Globalisation
• This week introduces the subject of international business, the key terms that we will use throughout this MOOC and the topics that will be discussed each week. It also provides an overview of one of the main concepts in international business – globalisation.
• Internationalisation process
• This week discusses how and why firms internationalise. We will look at one of the main manifestations of globalisation -- foreign direct investment (FDI) and compare it with other methods of internationalisation.
• Institutions
• This week introduces the concept of institutions and how they influence cross-border activities. It offers insights into the main differences in political, and cultural systems across the globe.
• Multinational enterprises
• The purpose of this week is to deepen your knowledge of multinational enterprises. It will provide more insights regarding the context of their operations, main choices faced by multinationals, and the main impacts they have on the society and environment.