BUS399 Syllabus

COURSE

BUS 399 (4 credit hours), Winter 2007-08
Business and Cultural Environment of Emerging Asian Powerhouses
(Vietnam, Cambodia, and China)
Winter program website: http://www.sba.muohio.edu/asiaep/

SECTION

Farmer School of Business South East Asia Winter Program 2008-2009

CLASS MEETS

Varied times, see schedule

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Sooun Lee
and 1-2 more faculty members

OFFICE

305B Upham Hall and where the group is at.

EMAIL/Web

Dr. Lee: lees@muohio.edu

PHONE

9-4826 (MIS department office)
9-2715 (Dr. Lee)

OFFICE HOURS

TBA

TEXTBOOKS

BUS 399 Course Booklet consisting of many current articles about economic, business, political, and cultural issues in Vietnam and Cambodia. This reading packet will be available at the Oxford copy center in late Fall. Other readings can be downloaded and printed from our library databases, e.g. Business Source Complete.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students will learn about international business and the culture and business environments of Vietnam and Cambodia. Major emphasis will be placed on Vietnam.
Students will learn through readings, class discussion, company visits, and more importantly, actual cross-cultural experiences through e-mail exchanges with Vietnamese students. This e-mail exchange project will start from the fall semester and students will meet and travel with partner students later in Vietnam. The close interaction with Vietnamese students will increase the students’ exposure to racial diversity and the global business environment.

TOPICS (these topics will be covered during the fall classes and the trip time. Major emphasis will be placed on Vietnam.)

Globalization/International Business:
Trends in Globalization
Trade barriers/Free trade zones/Asian trade blocks
Doing Business in Vietnam

Culture:
Habitat (Geography, living environment, and weather)
History of Southeast Asia
Religions and their impact on society and business practices
Asian life (family/food/transportation/living conditions/leisure)

Economic Environment:
Current economic conditions
Exchange rates
Business Environment:
Business practices/etiquette
Selected FDI (foreign direct investment) issues
Selected marketing practices

Political /Legal environment:
Political systems
Copyright/Intellectual property rights

Other important international issues in the region:
US expatriates in Asia
Population Issues
Pollution Issues

Places to visit
(Dec. 26-Jan.10)

Click here for tentative itinerary

STUDENT
EVALUATION

Your active preparation for and participation in each of the pre-trip classes and all of the classes and field trips during the trip will count towards your grade. In addition, your attitude/behavior during the trip will be graded; in particular your success in conforming/cooperating with the cultural expectations for which earlier phases of the course prepared you. Cooperating with organizational expectations of the program, including punctuality and curfews (if any) will be a part of this grade also.
Grading criteria and/or standards for participation and conduct include:

Is punctual in all activities
Cooperates with flexible, mature attitudes about conforming personal behavior to group norms
Is well-prepared for all activities
Listens attentively and participates willingly
Asks questions that display proper preparation for and careful attention to presentations
Displays sensitivity to cultural norms, including appropriate use of courtesies in local language, conformity to local cultural expectations about dress and demeanor, and other forms of proper business etiquette
Displays professional attitude and behavior in all situations

A second dimension of your grade will be based on exams, discussions, & writings. Writing assignments include reflective essays on cultural/business difference and host family experiences, and a report about the e-mail exchange project with Vietnamese students based on a case study. Grading criteria and/or standards for the second part, other than exam scores, include:

Major points addressed/summarized in the reflective essays
Quality of cultural learning in the reflective essays
Organization and quality of writing/presentation assignments

Graded components (will be curved)

Grade Items	%
E-mail Case Project Report -due after the trip	20%
Travel Journal-due after the trip	25%
Participation, Conformity, Conduct, etc. (criteria above)	30%
History/Culture/Society	20%
Chopsticks (2%)/Survival Phrases (3%)	5%
Total	100%

Plus/Minus Grading Grades for the section are based on the following scale: points/GPA
A+ 97.5-100/4.3       B+ 87.5-89.49/3.3      C+ 77.5-79.49/2.3     D+ 67.5-69.49/1.3
A   92.5-97.49/4.0    B   82.5-87.49/3.0      C   72.5-77.49/2.0      D   62.5-67.49/1.0
A- 89.5-92.49/3.7   B- 79.5-82.49/2.7      C- 69.5-72.49/1.7     D- 59.5-62.49/0.7
F : <59/0.0

CULTURAL EXCHANGES

E-mail exchange project with:
Vietnam National U. students, Saigon and Hanoi* (a case study project)

MAKE-UPS

We will provide a make-up test/quiz in the case of serious illness or other comparable official situation. You must notify instructors, or the MIS office 311 Upham, in advance and fill out an excused absence form prior to the make-up. All assignments are due at the beginning of a class on a due date.

CLASS & TEST PREPARATION

For each class it is our expectation that you will read the assigned material and complete any related homework assignments. By doing this you will be prepared for the in-class quizzes and the hands-on exercises (if any).

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

No form of academic dishonesty will be tolerated and any incident will be dealt with according to the Miami Student Handbook.

ATTENDANCE

Class Meetings: You are required to attend all class meetings. If you miss a meeting, it is your responsibility to obtain notes from a fellow student. Class attendance is useful to the student as a means of acquiring knowledge and clarification, and is a prerequisite for class participation. Class participation is the active engagement in questions and answers, and contribution of comments in class sessions.

COVER PAGE

A student’s and a team’s (if it involves a team work) identity should appear on the cover page of every assignment. Student’s name, team’s ID, course and section number, project number, and due date should be clearly indicated on the cover page of assignments for full credit. Multiple pages should be stapled.

NOTE

No attempt is made to discuss all the reading material during class lectures. No INCOMPLETE (I) will be given for this class.
This syllabus is subject to changes.