International Business

This course is designed in a way to provide students further understanding of international business with an emphasis on multinational corporations (MNCs), companies that in the process of accelerated globalization play a key role in shaping the socio-economic life of many countries. These organizations are "responsible" for a large part of the world trade and growing share in economic performance. Multinational corporations are significantly different than domestic firms, especially in terms of taking control of industrial activities beyond the borders of their country. Coming out on the international stage, multinational corporations are exposed to the complex political environment of interstate relations, where the risks are high, but the potential for gaining power out of the market is significant. In this context, the ultimate goal of this subject is to enable students to understand the complexities of international markets that firms with an international orientation are facing.

Upon successful completion of this subject, students will be able to: 1. define and explain the multinational corporations and foreign direct investments (FDI); 2. clarify the role of multinational corporations of international business in the international economy in general; 3. analyze the political challenges that multinational corporations and FDI are facing; 4. identify and confidently discuss the advantages and disadvantages of multinational corporations and FDI.

Definition of FDI and multinational corporations; accelerated expansion of multinational corporations; different types of multinational corporations and their positioning; The conquest of space: geography of FDI; Multinational corporations and the developing world; multinational corporations and international trade; MNCs: out of control? The ideological views of multinational corporations; Cases and arguments for FDI and MNCs; Cases and arguments against the foreign direct investments and multinational corporations.

Oral presentation, conversation and discussion, test method and exercise method. Teaching modalities incorporate: a case study, project tasks, reports from the roundtables, essay questions, written exercises, homework assignments, texts, tutorials and video presentations.

Colloquium I (0-20 points); Colloquium II (0-20 points); Final exam (0-50 points); Attendance (2point); Class activities (seminar papers, discussions, case studies) (0-8 points)

Krugman, P.; Obstfeld, M. (2009). International Economics. Belgrade: Data status; Salvatore, D. (2009). International Economics. Belgrade: CID (Centre for Publishing); Cohen, S. (2006). Multinational Corporations and Foreign Direct Investment: Avoiding Simplicity, Embracing Complexity. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Daniels, J. D .; Radebaugh, L. H. (2001). International Business: Environment and Operation. (9th edition). New Jersey: Prince Hall Publishing; Ateljevic, J. Ed. (2009). The Business Environment: Text and Cases. Harlow, UK: Pearson Custom publication.