Eth­ics in In­ter­na­tioanl Busi­ness

The multinational enterprises play a pivotal role within the global economy. However, in their ambition to explore overseas markets, they face various ethical dilemmas. On the one hand the multinational enterprise can - through its resources and engagement in the host countries in which they operate - address and contribute to solving grand challenges of society such as climate change, digitalization or social issues. On the other hand, through its behavior, it might exacerbate these challenges. The aim of this course is to provide students with an integrated understanding of the multinational enterprise’s cross-border activities in a global business environment highlighting the ethical challenges it faces and discuss approaches to address them. To this end, we will focus on strategies of responsible management, the role of leadership and governance, the dilemmas of subsidiaries and their relationship to headquarters and host country stakeholders. In terms of host countries, and emphasis will be on emerging markets, and in this light, emphasis is also on the geopolitical risks. By the end of the course, students should have developed their ability to understand, apply and critically reflect on terms, theories and models explaining firms’ different options to engage in ethical challenges of international business. Students should also be prepared to formulate and execute strategies in relation to ethical dilemmas and be able to succeed in international business ventures such as headquarters and subsidiaries. Both theory and cases are included in the curriculum, with much of the empirical material drawn from recent examples of ethical issues in the field of international business. The case studies will demonstrate real-world applications of ethical dilemmas in international business. After taking this course, students have acquired the following: