MMM159-Culture and Competition

Module Provider: International Business and Strategy
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr Denise Tsang
Email: d.tsang@henley.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Despite its profound effect on competition, business culture continues to be an elusive concept for managers. This module focuses upon the impact of business culture on competition. It comprises an inter-disciplinary approach with perspectives from strategic management, human resource management, general social sciences and the humanities. It aims to introduce the business culture concepts at both macro and micro levels and gives students some first hand experience in understanding the values of nations, industries and firms. After introducing students with frameworks that can be used to identify business values, it will explain the patterns of competition in relation to elements of business culture.

Aims:

To enable students to understand the main theoretical frameworks in relation to business culture and to ensure they can critically compare the differences across national firms attempting to develop global competitiveness.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the Module students should be able to: 

• Identify and explain the principal relationships between different competitive advantages and different cultural systems; 


• Appraise and develop practical solutions concerning challenges arising from different business cultures; 


• Locate and assemble information on the subject through their own work; 


• Appraise critically the principal interpretations of the development of international management; 


• Organise their material and articulate their arguments effectively in writing, both under timed conditions and in assessed essays. 

 

Intended learning outcomes:  

By the end of the Module students should be able to: 

• Describe the principal variations in business culture; 


• Develop a cognitive framework to appreciate the impact of business culture on business strategy and competition; 


• Develop cognitive skills to operate in different cultural environments; 


• Identify and explain the principal relationships between different competitive advantages and different cultural systems; 


• Appraise and develop practical solutions concerning challenges arising from different business cultures; 

Additional outcomes:

Students will learn to work independently under pressure of time, and to organise diverse empirical material.

Outline content:

Lectures will introduce an intellectual framework that allows description and understanding of culture and competition in leading developed and emerging economies. The module will then introduce real-world case studies that highlight contextual variations of cultures and their impacts on the intensity of competition among firms. Topics may include: • The Culture and Values of Competition • Business Culture and International Expansion • Research based competition among US technology clusters • Can Bollywood go global • National heritage and French luxury goods • Creativity and the intellectual property based British business • New world wine as new competitors • Guanxi and the growth of Chinese family firms.

Global context:

Global competitive dynamics.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	10
Seminars	2
Guided independent study:
Wider reading (independent)	33
Wider reading (directed)	15
Peer assisted learning	5
Advance preparation for classes	5
Preparation for presentations	1
Preparation for seminars	2
Revision and preparation	4
Carry-out research project	10
Essay preparation	10
Reflection	3
Total hours by term	100	0	0
Total hours for module	100

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	75
Class test administered by School	25

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

1 essay of 2,500 words to be submitted in January.

1 essay test to be take place in week 7 of term. 

Formative assessment methods:

Feed forward on essay. 

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy “Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes”, which can be found here: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf
The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

The pass mark is 50%+.

Reassessment arrangements:

Reassessment is an individual essay of 2,500 words to be submitted on 1 August. The mark is capped at 50. 

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Last updated: 30 March 2023