BMGT30280 Ireland’s International Business Environment

Academic Year 2024/2025

The purpose of this module is to provide a background context to your summer internship in Ireland. To this end this module will examine Ireland from a cultural and historical perspective, an economic and business perspective and multinationals, the European Unions and Ireland’s role therein, and guest speakers who will expand on these themes.

The reality of being an Island, adjacency to the island of Britain, the Nordic countries, France, and Spain, have all influenced the historical and cultural development of Ireland. Waves of migration over millennia have left their imprint in terms of cultural artifacts with reference to the role of Celtic era tribes and their western expansion. Vikings, Normans, and Anglo Saxons have had a profound influence on the island. Most notable is our close familial link with Scotland, Wales, and England.

Ireland is a small but highly globalized economy with respect to trade, investment, and migration. It is a member of the European Union (28 member states and 507 million population) and the Eurozone (19 member states and 334 million population). Ireland has proven an attractive location for multinationals not least American with respect to accessing the EU market. The domestic enterprise system is dynamic and, by dint of necessity, very internationalised. The balance of payments tells the story of how internationalised all aspects of Ireland enterprise system is.

Membership of the European Union has had many positives and some negatives. There is no gainsaying the economic positive of having access to one of the largest and most advanced markets in the world. Diminution of sovereignty might be perceived as a negative which has been seen as the sacrificial lamb to further economic wealth.

We will have guest speakers who will provide a historical and cultural context, an understanding of the multinational sector, the role of the European Union in general and with specific reference to Ireland.

Nevertheless, clouds on the horizon are the ever-present danger of Euro crises, waves from potential changes in the US and China, and its impact on the international trading environment. Finally, the impact of sanctions on the global economy is ever-present, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the China Taiwan standoff, and the Israel-Palestine war.

This is a 5-credit module. The assessment criteria are as follows: an individual pre-arrival introductory paper (20%); a group project (40%); an individual learning journal (30%); and individual class participation / attendance (10%).

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students are expected to be able to:
• Develop critical thinking about international business and integrate prior knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes to develop a broader understanding of doing business internationally.
• Develop skills and experience in the identification, analysis, processing of organisational and institutional factors that influence doing business internationally and specifically in Ireland.
• Broaden their cultural empathy and communication skills to function effectively in the global world of work developed through their daily life and through a learning journal reflection assignment.
• Internalise and apply all the above through class participation, the completion of a group project on an international business in Ireland and an assignment essay.

Indicative Module Content:

This module is an elective International Management & Business module with the geographical focus being Ireland. It provides contextual information on the History and Culture of Ireland, its business and economic environment, on Ireland as a successful location for international business, internationalising dimensions of Irish SMEs, and the role of the EU. The key factors pertaining to international business in Ireland will be examined: political economy, institutional capacities, culture and ethics; the Irish economy and enterprise system; cross-border trade and investment; and the international monetary system and the Euro. Moreover, given that the students will be living abroad for a period of time, there is also a strong acculturation dimension which is explored through a learning journal assignment.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

20
Lectures

25
Placement/Work Experience

80
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students are expected to be able to:
• Develop critical thinking about international business and integrate prior knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes to develop a broader understanding of doing business internationally.
• Develop skills and experience in the identification, analysis, processing of organisational and institutional factors that influence doing business internationally and specifically in Ireland.
• Broaden their cultural empathy and communication skills to function effectively in the global world of work developed through their daily life and through a learning journal reflection assignment.
• Internalise and apply all the above through class participation, the completion of a group project on an international business in Ireland and an assignment essay.

Skills & Competencies
A key goal of this module is the inculcation of an international business perspective on ‘Doing Business in Ireland’. The key skills and competencies that are promoted within this module are:
• Effective oral and written communication.
• The development of fundamental student abilities with respect to reflective, critical, analytical, and evaluative thinking in an international context.
• The development of Cross-Cultural Intelligence through acculturation to the Irish business and social environment.
These will be attained through:
• A group project (team-work and written assignment).
• Class participation (oral).
• Pre-assignment and Individual Essays (written).

Learning Goals
Above all, from a pedagogical perspective, the key Learning Goals of this ‘Ireland’s International Business Environment’ module are to:
• Engender effective communication – oral and written.
• Promote strategic thinking among students.
• Develop students’ analytical skills – weigh up pros and cons.
• Equip students for the world of work with appropriate job skills.
• Foster students’ reflective learning.

Course Requirements
• Successful completion of all assignments.
• 100% attendance at all lectures, presentations, and site visits in Dublin during the academic program.
• Active participation in class discussions and cases.

Module Prerequisites
This is an applied International Management module with a strong cultural component but also incorporating macro-International Business perspectives. Students are expected to be pursuing a business degree with first- and second-year business modules behind them.

 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Pre-Arrival Assignment 1500 words Week 1 Graded Yes

20

 Yes
Group Work Assignment: See Course Outline Week 7 Graded Yes

30

 Yes
Reflective Assignment: Acculturation Learning Journal Week 9 Graded Yes

30

 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: Class vocal participation Week 1, Week 2 Graded Yes

20

 Yes

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat (CFP) Within Three Semesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual feedback for individual assignments and group feedback for group assignments.

Name Role
Dr Elena Sannikova Lecturer / Co-Lecturer