Course Number: 90-749

The Global Economy: A User's Guide

Units: 12

In the early years of the 21st Century, nations are more economically integrated than at any other point in human history. This presents business leaders and consumers with unprecedented opportunities and challenges. This course seeks to equip students to exploit these opportunities and cope with these challenges. The course will accomplish that goal by providing students with a systematic understanding of the fundamental aspects of the global business environment that influence business decisions and behavior. Managers must understand the structural economic factors that determine locational advantages, the way government policies both promote and restrain the integration of national economies with the global economy, and the impact of volatility in the global macroeconomic environment on international business strategy. These issues will be studied using the analytical tools and concepts of international economics, and case studies will be used to relate these concepts to actual business problems. We will also invite international business managers to share their practical experience and insight at several points over the course of the semester.

Faculty:
Lee Branstetter