BUS 200: Global Environment of Business Master Syllabus
Course Instructor:
Office Number:
Office Hours:
Email:
Course Meeting Times:
Required Course Materials:
- Required Textbook and Materials
- Note that your course materials will be delivered through Revel by Pearson. Revel includes access to the eTextbook and interactive assessments.
- Title: Revel International Business, 10th edition
- Authors: John J. Wild, Kenneth L. Wild
- How to Register for Revel through Canvas
- Step-by-Step instructions: Register for Revel or eText from Canvas (pearson.com)
- Video instructions: How to register for Revel or eText from an LMS (pearson.com)
- Support: If you have questions visit AskPearson. For 24/7 technical support go to Contact Support (pearson.com).
- Students are also required to subscribe to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times though the George Mason University library. All of these subscriptions are free.
- Other readings may be assigned throughout the semester and posted on Canvas.
Course Website:
- Canvas will be used for this course. Login and click on the “Dashboard” tab. You will see BUS 200-001. NOTE: Username and passwords are the same as your Mason email account. You must have consistent access to an internet connection in order to complete the assignments in this course through Canvas.
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce students to the ever-changing global business environment. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, business serves as a core institution that mediates relations between individuals across national boundaries. The global environment shapes business as much as business shapes the environment. The course will provide an overview of the global environment of business through the study of the political economy, international institutions and theories of international trade, and cooperation around issues such as sustainability, natural resources, labor, human rights, distribution of income, and the environment. The course will address the implications of these topics for business.
This course meets the Global Contexts requirement of the Mason Core, and has also been designated a Green Leaf Course.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
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Evaluate global challenges using sustainability, ethics and corporate social responsibility frameworks.
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Explain global phenomena in terms of concepts from global finance, international trade, and theories behind diffusion of technology and innovation.
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Apply an analytical framework (e.g. PESTLE) to foreign markets.
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Synthesize knowledge of business, nations and culture into a global perspective.
Mason Core Global Contexts Learning Outcomes
- Identify and explain how patterns of global connections across nations and/or cultures have shaped societies to create interdependence and inequality.
- Use a disciplinary lens to demonstrate knowledge of how at least one nation and/or culture participates in or is affected by global contexts.
- Apply an understanding of one’s own positionality within a globally interdependent and unequal world to analyze solutions to global problems.
School of Business undergraduate program learning goals
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of the social, global, ethical, and legal contexts of business and will be able to reflect on the role of the individual in business.
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of and the ability to apply knowledge of professional skills necessary for success in business including effective business writing.
- Our students will demonstrate technical and analytic skills appropriate for success in business.
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of and the ability to apply knowledge of core business disciplines including accounting, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and operations management.
- Our students will demonstrate knowledge and skills appropriate for specialization in their majors.
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of how research in the business disciplines contributes to knowledge and how such research is conducted.
Course Methodology
This course will rely on assigned readings, lectures and video lectures, group activities, group and individual projects, quizzes, assignments and exams to facilitate learning.
Computer Requirements
All students are expected to be able to comply with technology requirements for on-schedule completion of the course material. The technology requirements may be found at the Mason Online website.
Basic Device Specs
- Operating System: Windows Operating System 10 or newer is required. Mac users are required to install a Windows partition on the hard drive to run the Windows operating system.
- It is the responsibility of Mac users to install and create this Windows partition as business courses require the usage of software that runs on Windows (partition may slow laptop performance)
- Examples of partitions that can be used are VMware Fusion or Bootcamp
Memory: 8 GB (recommend 10GB or higher)
- Video/audio streaming capability: Students must have an operative video camera and microphone that feed or stream audio and video in real time to or through the internet. Instructors may ask students to activate the camera and microphone for class activities.
- Hard drive free space: at least 120 GB free space (recommend 250 GB free space or higher)
- Network Capability: wireless capability required (recommend wired network capability also).
Exams may utilize the Honorlock system for virtual proctoring. All students are required to download the Chrome browser extension for Honorlock prior to the mid-term exam. Instructions and download links are available on the ITS Knowledge Base.
Note to Students
If you are using an employer-provided computer or corporate office for class attendance, please verify with your systems administrators that you will be able to install the necessary applications and that system or corporate firewalls do not block access to any sites or media types.
Course Policies, Expectations, and Resources
Academic Integrity & Inclusivity
This course embodies the perspective that we all have differing perspectives and ideas and we each deserve the opportunity to share our thoughts. Therefore, we will conduct our discussions with respect for those differences. That means, we each have the freedom to express our ideas, but we should also do so keeping in mind that our colleagues deserve to hear differing thoughts in a respectful manner, i.e. we may disagree without being disagreeable. For more information please visit the Office of Academic Integrity.
Business Library Liaison
Kayla Gourlay, Business and Economics Liaison Librarian
Fenwick Library Fairfax Campus
Cheating Policy
Any form of cheating on an activity, project, or exam will result in zero points earned. “Cheating” includes, but is not limited to, the following: reviewing others’ exam papers, using ANY resources on a quiz, test, or exam when not allowed, collaborating with another student during an individual assignment.
Cheating also includes plagiarism, the use of other’s work without appropriate attribution. This includes text and data that comes from books, articles, blogs, generative AI or other forms of automated information retrieval, or other sources. If you have questions about when the contributions of others to your work must be acknowledged and appropriate ways to cite those contributions, please talk with the professor or utilize the George Mason University writing center.
Counseling Center
George Mason University has a counseling center that can provide assistance for students who find themselves overwhelmed, want training in academic or life skills, or the like. More information is available at the Counseling and Psychological Services website.
E-Mail Policy
University rules preclude instructors from communicating with students through private email addresses. As such, all communications will take place through Canvas or George Mason email addresses.
Mason uses electronic mail to provide official information to students. Examples include notices from the library, notices about academic standing, financial aid information, class materials, assignments, questions, and instructor feedback.
Students are responsible for the content of university communication sent to their Mason e-mail account and are required to activate that account and check it regularly. Students are also expected to maintain an active and accurate mailing address in order to receive communications sent through the United States Postal Service.
Email System: masonlive.gmu.edu
From University Policy Statement 1315 – Approved March 21, 2017
Expectations Regarding Your Conduct and Work
In correspondence/communication/behavior students will be expected to:
- Be professional and respectful in person and in correspondence
- Demonstrate professional courtesy to peers/classmates in all interactions
- Make reasonable requests of the instructor. I will be happy to clarify course material and answer legitimate questions; however, please exhaust other information sources (e.g., syllabus, Canvas) for answering your question before contacting me and remember, ‘Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency for me.’
In regards to course deliverables:
- Expect to work 15-20 hours per week on readings and assignments for this course.
- Prepare to do all of the reading in advance of class meetings
- Submit all assignments/deliverables prior to their due date/time. All due dates are shown in the Course Calendar in Canvas as well as in this syllabus.
- For the purposes of this course, a week is defined as beginning at 12:01:00 AM each Monday ET, and ending at 11:59:00 PM on the following Sunday ET.
George Mason University Add/Drop Policy
The last day to drop this class without any penalty is provided on the George Mason University academic calendar webpage. It is the student’s responsibility to check to verify that they are properly enrolled as no credit will be awarded to students who are not.
Individuals with Disabilities
Students with documented disabilities should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) (703) 993-2474 to learn more about accommodations that may be available to them.
There will be no accommodations provided for students who do not have ODS documentation.
Mason Academic Standards
As members of the George Mason University community, we are committed to fostering an environment of trust, respect, and scholarly excellence. Our academic standards are the foundation of this commitment, guiding our behavior and interactions within this academic community. The practices for implementing these standards adapt to modern practices, disciplinary contexts, and technological advancements. Our standards are embodied in our courses, policies, and scholarship, and are upheld in the following principles:
- Honesty: Providing accurate information in all academic endeavors, including communications, assignments, and examinations.
- Acknowledgement: Giving proper credit for all contributions to one’s work. This involves the use of accurate citations and references for any ideas, words, or materials created by others in the style appropriate to the discipline. It also includes acknowledging shared authorship in group projects, co-authored pieces, and project reports.
- Uniqueness of Work: Ensuring that all submitted work is the result of one’s own effort and is original, including free from self-plagiarism. This principle extends to written assignments, code, presentations, exams, and all other forms of academic work.
Violations of these standards—including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication, and cheating—are taken seriously and will be addressed in accordance with university policies. The process for reporting, investigating, and adjudicating violations is outlined in the university’s procedures. Consequences of violations may include academic sanctions, disciplinary actions, and other measures necessary to uphold the integrity of our academic community.
| Finding/Designation | Sanction |
| Level 1 |
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| Level 2 |
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See complete information on the George Mason Academic Standards Codes webpage.
Notice of Mandatory Reporting
As a faculty member, I am designated as a “Non-Confidential Employee,” and must report all disclosures of sexual assault, sexual harassment, interpersonal violence, and stalking to Mason’s Title IX Coordinator per University Policy 1202. If you wish to speak with someone confidentially, please contact one of George Mason’s confidential resources, such as Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) at (703) 380-1434 or Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at (703) 993-2380. You may also seek assistance or support measures from George Mason’s Title IX Coordinator by calling (703) 993-8730, or emailing titleix@gmu.edu.
Participation
Learning can only happen when you are playing an active role. It is important to place more emphasis on developing your insights and skills, than on transmitting information. Understanding is more important than facts and definitions. It is a way of looking at the world, an ability to interpret and organize future information. An active learning approach will more likely result in long-term retention and better integration of the information you are learning.
Although an active role can look differently for various individuals, it is expected in this class that you will work to explore issues and ideas under the guidance of the professor and your peers. You can do this by reflecting on the content and activities of this course, asking questions, striving for answers, interpreting observations, and discussing issues with your peers.
Plagiarism and the Internet
Copyright rules also apply to users of the Internet who cite from Internet sources. Information and graphics accessed electronically must also be cited, giving credit to the sources.
This material includes but is not limited to e-mail (don't cite or forward someone else's e-mail without permission), newsgroup material, information from Web sites, including graphics. Even if you give credit, you must get permission from the original source to put any graphic that you did not create on your web page. Shareware graphics are not free. Freeware clipart is available for you to freely use. If the material does not say "free," assume it is not.
Putting someone else's Internet material on your web page is stealing intellectual property. Making links to a site is, at this time, okay, but getting permission is strongly advised, since many Web sites have their own requirements for linking to their material.
The use of ChatGPT and other AI (large language models) tools must be cited in the same manner as any other source when used in course assignments. You are prohibited from using these tools with any exam or assignment that requires Honorlock.
Religious Observance
Students who will miss class for religious reasons should inform their instructor of anticipated absences as far in advance as possible.
Student Privacy Policy
George Mason University strives to fully comply with FERPA by protecting the privacy of student records and judiciously evaluating requests for release of information from those records. Please see George Mason University’s FERPA compliance policy.
Technical Issues
ALL technical issues – Internet connectivity, MS Office 365, Canvas, e-mail, your laptop, etc. – are the sole responsibilities of the student. The student – NOT the professor – is solely responsible to resolve ALL technical issues themselves by contacting the appropriate technical support, Mason ITS, or Internet provider. Furthermore, the student is solely responsible and assumes all risk for submitting the deliverables on-time according to the stated submission instructions; the student is liable for the consequences of their failure to do so.
Writing Guidelines
Unless otherwise specified, all writing assignments should be formatted as follows: doublespaced, Times New Roman or Arial, 11-point font, and 1-inch margins. To cite and reference professional or academic sources, please use APA style. Specific instructions for in-text citations and referencing are found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th or 7th Edition or at The Purdue Owl.
To help manage citations and seamlessly create reference lists, Mason supports free software called Zotero. This program offers: centralized bibliography management, ability to sync across computers, ability for teams to combine contributions to the references, and Word plug-in that allows citation management within Microsoft Word. George Mason University has a writing center that can help you improve your English writing skills.
Course Grading and Assignments
Course Schema
| A | 93.00 – 100% |
| A- | 89.50 – 92.99% |
| B+ | 87.00 – 89.49% |
| B | 83.00 – 86.99% |
| B- | 80.00 – 82.99% |
| C+ | 77.00 – 79.99% |
| C | 73.00 – 76.99% |
| C- | 70.00 – 72.99% |
| D | 60.00 – 69.99% |
| F | 0 – 59.99% |
Course Assignments
REVEL Quizzes
Students will complete a multiple short comprehension quizzes that are embedded in the course e-textbook. Each quiz will consist of 2-5 multiple choice questions. All quizzes are due at 23:59:00 hrs. on the Sunday that the reading assignment is due. Students can submit the quiz late but a 50% deduction in points is levied for late submissions.
Group PESTLE Project
Working in groups, students will conduct a PESTLE analysis on two different countries as potential expansion markets for a specific company (or a specific product type). Students will complete the project in several stages:
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Company Overview, PESTLE Factor Ranking, and Bibliography
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Final Project Report
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Group Presentation – Delivered by all group members and using a slide deck
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Individual Reflection
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Peer evaluation
Globalization Case Study Assignment
Students will read a short case study on a topic related to interconnections and interdependence in the global economy and then write an essay addressing specific prompts related to the case study.
Ecology/Circular Economy Project
Students will complete a three-day review of their consumption behavior related to specific product categories. Upon completion of this review they will write a short essay focused on how they can change one aspect of their consumption to be more sustainable/circular.
Participation
Students will be expected to both attend class and actively participate in class discussions and activities. These will include Q&A sessions, group discussions, short written assignments, and quizzes.
Exams Students will complete a midterm, and final exam. Each exam will be cumulative. Exams will consist of multiple choice, short-answer, and long-answer questions. Exams will cover all assigned material including lectures, readings, discussion forums, videos, and other media.
Exams
Students will complete a midterm, and final exam. Each exam will be cumulative. Exams will consist of multiple choice, short-answer, and long-answer questions. Exams will cover all assigned material including lectures, readings, discussion forums, videos, and other media.
| Assignment | Percentage (rounded) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| REVEL Quizzes | 20 | 200 |
| Essay 1 - Globalization | 5 | 50 |
| Essay 2 - Circular Economy | 5 | 50 |
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Group PESTLE Project
|
25 | 250 |
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Exams
|
25 | 250 |
| Participation | 20 | 200 |
| Total | 100% | 1000 |
Course Schedule
| Module | Subject | Assignments |
| Module 1 | Introduction, Globalization Today |
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| Module 2 | Global Market Analysis |
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| Module 3 | Cross-Cultural Business |
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| Module 4 | Political, Economic, and Legal Systems |
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| Module 5 | Economic Development of Nations |
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| Module 6 | Technology and Innovation, FDI |
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| Module 7 |
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| Spring Break |
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| Module 8 | International Trade Theory |
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| Module 9 | Governments and Trade |
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| Module 10 | PESTLE Presentations and Report |
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| Module 11 | International Financial Markets |
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| Module 12 | International Monetary System |
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| Module 13 | Ecology and Climate Change |
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| Module 14 | Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability |
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| Module 15 | Review for final exam |
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| Final Exam |
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