Global Business Strategy and Sustainability

This module will provide students with fundamental knowledge and tools as well as opportunities to develop their skills needed for understanding and practicing management in the 21st century. The module will look at contemporary issues of globalisation, strategy and sustainability, and how firms navigate through uncertain times, and in diverse markets.

The module has been designed to give insights of global issues through the lens of both business and wider society.

Who is this module open to?

Credit bearing:

Open to all non-WBS intermediate level (second year) students at Warwick.

Open to students from partner institutions.

IB2C6-15 - Intermediate, for 15 CATS credit in current year (2025/26)

Key dates

This module will take place 2-20 June 2025.

Prep week: 2-6 June 2025
Teaching: 9-20 June 2025
Final assessment deadline: 7 July 2025 (tbc)

Costs

No costs have been identified for this module.

What's special about our modules?

This programme will challenge your thinking, develop your confidence and open up a world of new opportunities. You’ll consider new ideas, apply theory to real world issues working in teams and individually, and develop new networks, connections and friendships. This will provide you strong analytical and research methods skills which also enhance your employability profile for a globalised world of work, derived from a transformative blend of online learning and intercultural engagement.

Access to Intercultural Training will provide further enhancement of your skills.

The intensive nature of our programme lets you focus purely on your chosen modules.

You should expect around two weeks of daily face-to-face sessions (on location) and possibly one week of preparatory online activities. The aim is to work in groups consisting of incoming students (from partner institutions) and Warwick students during the module. Assessments will consist of a mix of group and individual activities.

There are no additional programme fees for Warwick students to take our modules.

Where will you be taught?

Our intensive modules are taught in various ways: mostly face-to-face (combing some online learning and face-to-face teaching). Modules will be based at Warwick central campus, or our overseas residentials will be based at selected European locations relevant to module content. Our modules are designed to be taught in an intensive way, combining physical teaching, and online activities.

All participants will be expected to attend all lectures and group work activities in real time; this might include some online activities in the prep week (where listed in Key dates). As modules are intensive there is not expected to be free time during the teaching period for you to undertake other activities; there will be limited time available during the teaching period to explore the surrounding area.

Students are responsible for checking their own visa requirements and all associated applications and costs.

For overseas modules students are responsible for identifying and booking their own accommodation.

Christiane Bellucci

Christiane holds a PhD and a Master's in Business and Management from the University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Trade from the University of Itajaí Valley (UNIVALI), in Brazil. Her PhD research was focused on analysing the accelerated process of internationalisation from the perspective of Open Strategising in emerging and developed home country contexts.

Christiane's research interests are Open Strategy, Strategy as Practice and Process and Internationalisation of companies. She has professional and academic experience in Strategy and International Business.

Module aims

To develop a critical understanding of the global megatrends and grand challenges and issues facing business in the
21st century
To acquire fundamental knowledge and strategic tools to practice business management in the 21st century
To develop a variety of transferable core skills

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Economic growth vs. sustainable development
Doing business in emerging and developed countries
Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Ecological, and Legal Environment of Business
Cultural competence in global business
The UN Sustainable Development Goals
Global megatrends and mega challenges
Strategic implementation of the UN SDGs
Strategic thinking and planning – skills and tools
Stakeholder engagement
Embedding sustainability in strategy

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Appreciate the importance and impact of socioeconomic, political, technological and ecological factors on the
global business environment of the 21st century
Understand the nature and significance of global megatrends and grand challenges for business
Engage with the Agenda 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals as an international framework for
action
Apply the strategic tools and frameworks to analyse international challenges in business
Work effectively in teams and build interpersonal relations
Demonstrate project management, teamwork and leadership skills
Demonstrate written and oral skills for business presentation and communication
Demonstrate skills of creativity and curiosity
Manage time and prioritise work
Demonstrate argumentation skills
Practice critical thinking and informed judgement

Indicative reading list

As this is a fast-evolving subject there is no core text. A Talis Reading List has been created which includes a wide range of reports, datasets, books and articles on the key themes and issues of relevance to this module.

The following texts are indicative recommendations only and may be subject to change:

Brooks, I., Weatherston, J., & Wilkinson, G., MBA. (2011). The international business environment: Challengesand changes (2nd ed.). Financial Times/Prentice Hall
Business & Sustainable Development Commission (2017). Better Business - Better World. The report of the Business & Sustainable Development Commission. January 2017. http://report.businesscommission.org/Link opens in a new window
Hamilton, L., & Webster, P. (2015). The international business environment (Third ed.). Oxford University Press.Hill, C. W. L. (2021). International business: Competing in the global marketplace (Internationalstudent;Thirteenth; ed.). McGraw Hill
House, R., Javidan, M., Hanges, P. & Dorfman. (2002). Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theoriesacross the globe: and introduction to project GLOBE. Journal of World Business, 37, 3-10
Kirkman, B.L., Lowe, K.B., & Gibson, C. (2017). A retrospective on "Culture´s Consequences": the 35-year journey.Journal of International Business Studies, 48(1), 12-29
Ritzer, G. (2015). Globalization: A basic text (Second ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Sustainable Development Solutions Network, 2019: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustainabledevelopment.report/2019/2019_sustainable_development_report.pdfLink opens in a new window
The Oxford Handbook of International Business Strategy (2021). In Meyer K., Narula R., Surdu I. and Verbeke A.(Eds.), . Oxford University Press USA - OSO
UN Global Compact & Accenture, 2019: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/news/4481-09-24-2019Link opens in a new window
Verbeke, A. & Lee, I. 2022, International business strategy: rethinking the foundations of global corporatesuccess, Third edn, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Lecture slides also include a variety of references and links for further reading. Readings include a wide range of reports and assessments provided by consultancies, government agencies, think tanks, and other sources. These are further complemented by topical news articles and other media reports posted live on the module forum page.

Interdisciplinary

The module is designed to provide the students with an understanding of relationships between the different disciplinary areas within business and management, particularly strategic thinking. It also invites to the students to make connections with other disciplinary areas covered in their main study programme. It provides the students with a critical understanding of dominant traditions and methodologies associated with the main phenomena covered in the module and enables the students to transcend disciplinary boundaries. The interdisciplinary course cohort provides contact opportunities and learning to see from different perspectives is a core aspect of the learning experience.

International

The module draws on cases from different contexts, including different geopolitical areas, professional environments and linguistic contexts. The content and assessment invite the students to reflect on the societal relevance in different environments of the phenomena covered in the module. The assessment involves students working in groups with academic and ideally non-academic stakeholders which (will) allow for a global and local outlook to be built into the module’s work. The international and diverse course cohort provides contact opportunities and learning to see from different perspectives is a core aspect of the learning experience.

Subject specific skills

Carry out desk research, analyse and integrate information
Combine and compare interdisciplinary knowledge
Develop strategic thinking skills
Be aware of and accept responsibility for the importance and impact of global ecological and social factors shaping the business environment of the 21st century

Transferable skills

Strategic thinking - appreciate the difference between strategic thinking and strategy implementation
Work effectively with others in group tasks and in teams
Plan and manage time in projects
Develop strong analytical skills
Find, evaluate and use previous research at a level appropriate for an intermediate year module
Use a range of tools and resources effectively in the preparation of course work
Use appropriate analytic methods to analyse research data on corporate sustainability
Read academic papers effectively in the context of an intensive programme
Communicate clearly and effectively in discussions
Communicate ideas effectively in writing

Study time

Type	Required
*Lectures*	10 sessions of 2 hours (13%)
Practical classes	10 sessions of 1 hour (7%)
Private study	48 hours (32%) Private study
Assessment	72 hours (48%)
Total	150 hours

Assessment

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

	Weighting	Study time
Individual assignment	70%	50 hours
	2,500 words essay
Group project	30%	22 hours
	3,000 words

Feedback on assessment

Feedback will be provided via my.wbs

Before you apply

You can take a maximum of two WIISP modules, and cannot take them at the same time. This module runs at the same time as the following modules, so you cannot choose these as a second module:

The preparatory reading week for the following module overlaps with this module:

A Sustainable Serenissima: Water and the Future of VeniceLink opens in a new window

Please note

Warwick students will need to check with their department before applying to take a WIISP module
Students from partner institutions will need to apply via their home institution
You are expected to fully engage and participate in the module, including in any group activities, if not your registration will be cancelled
Module details provided on these pages are supplementary to module details in the module catalogueLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window. Subsequently individual module pages (moodle/my.wbs) will provide live details
All modules require minimum numbers to run. This is set by each module leader.

How to apply

If you want to make an enquiry before applying, please contact the WIISP team at WIISP at warwick dot ac dot uk

Apply - Warwick students