Syllabus for Course on "Globalization and the Transnational Enterprise"

(Pix © Larry Catá Backer 2019)

I have been developing a course on transnational (or multinational; I use the terms interchangeably) enterprises.  That project inevitably now requires consideration of economic (and now more comprehensive systems of) globalization, with which the multinational enterprise is now inextricably interlinked. Getting an alignment between the developing ideologies of globalization (as well as the ideologies of those opposing globalization) and those of the multinational enterprise (and those who view that enterprise with suspicion, has proven to be a challenge.  An even greater challenge has been to avoid an academic silo approach to the materials.  It is an easy trap to teach MNEs as creatures of law, or of politics, or of economics, etc., and in the process strip the engagement of much of its richness.  There is value in such "siloing"--technical expertise, more granular study, etc.  But in the process, and especially for students encountering the MNE for the first time, such narrow approaches run the danger of reducing the MNE to caricature.  On the other hand, one acquires a comprehensive picture of the MNE in the aspect studied (MNE as a legal construct; MNE as an economic vehicle; MNE as a social ecology, etc.).

So, I chose to try for a broader approach to the introduction of the MNE in globalization.  It is aimed for graduate students in international affairs, business, law and the social sciences. This year it will be taught out of the School of International Affairs (last year I tried a more law oriented version taught for the law school). It remains very much a work in progress.  A number of challenges remain: (1) course organization (I chose to divide the materials into 5 broad sections focused on MNE management and self-regulation); (2) course materials (facing the hard choices among a growing body of excellent materials against the realities of student study time and their ability to effectively absorb material); and (3) pedagogy (I chose to avoid the lecture-exam model in favor of a more student centered model built around the application of the teaching materials to the real life experience of an assigned MNE).  I will report on results as the semester progresses. 

This post includes the syllabus and a short description of the problem of the MNE in globalization as the basis for their study.  The syllabus may be downloaded HERE: MNCLawSyllSpr2020. 

The course philosophy may be found at pp. 13-16; the course description is set ut at pp. 1-2. While the syllabus was designed for a semester length course,  it can also be taught in short course forms, either as a 2 week bare bones course, or a longer 4 week intro course.  As this is still vey much a work in progress, suggestions and comments most welcome!