Management and Leadership in Global Affairs

Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are a large and influential factor in the global economy. As a global footprint MNEs contribute nearly 1/4 of global GDP, 1/3 of global trade and just the top 100 MNE employ over 15 million people worldwide. MNEs, their management and employees face not only the traditional challenges of the domestic environment but must overlay the additional challenges of political risk, different cultures, legal and regulatory systems, and the potential for arbitrary adverse actions by nation-state authorities. Cross-border managers must deal with a wider range of social and cultural differences where home country perspective may not only be inadequate but potentially detrimental to the success of MNE in its new environment. This course takes the student on an excursion beyond our borders to understand the challenges faced by corporations, managers, and leaders as they expand beyond their home borders. We'll look at why they expand, what baggage they carry with them, how cross border investment supports their corporate strategy and if their organizations are ready for such a leap.