Oxford Diploma in Global Business
"Managing multiple stakeholders in an international environment is complex and organisations which operate across cultures increasingly need to understand how to manage risk and reputation. Whether in business, government or the not-for-profit sector, this programme will give you the knowledge and strategic insights you need."
Mari Sako, Academic Director
The Diploma in Global Business is based on four modules of teaching in the areas of global strategy, risk and reputation, corporate diplomacy in a global context and the challenges of working with emerging economies. Participants must attend all four modules.
Module 1: Global Strategy
Appreciation of the global context is a pre-requisite for managing and leading at a strategic level in any sector. This module develops understanding of the critical trends in global business, and the factors which underlie these trends. Despite advances in global economic integration, differences between national markets remain critically important. Participants will evaluate the opportunities and risks of international expansion in this semi-globalized world, and the tools available to implement global strategy.
Topics covered include:
- Market and non-market strategies
- Managing the global value chain
- Global value creation: adding value scorecard
- Strategies for capturing global value: aggregation, adaptation, arbitrage
Module 2: Risk and Reputation
The focus of this module will be the challenges of managing international business in situations of high organisational risk. This module examines foreign direct investment (including M&A), strategies and the rules of engagement at both national and local levels in order to give participants an overview of the dynamics of global business management. The importance of understanding internal and external stakeholder pressures is emphasised. We also provide frameworks, grounded in anthropology and psychology, to consider how to adapt to, and use, cultural values to work effectively in multi-cultural business contexts of the global firm.
Topics covered include:
- How to globalise: aligning organisational structures and strategies for global expansion
- Managing the dynamics of the global firm
- The challenges of cross-border mergers and acquisitions
- Power and influence in cross cultural management
- Managing knowledge intensive professional service organisations globally
- Innovation in the multinational enterprise: globalization of R&D
- Stakeholder interaction and engagement
Module 3: Corporate Diplomacy in a Global Context
The relationship between corporations, states, and Non-Governmental Organisations will be the focus of this module and participants will gain a deeper understanding of the political complexity of global management.We will study the role of lobbyists, and the political system and policy making processes which frame business-state relations. Institutional and corporate attitudes towards corporate social responsibility will also be examined, and an analysis of the strategies for responding to issues such as sustainability, terrorism, and various types of risk (political, financial and reputational) will be discussed including crisis management.
Topics covered include:
- Business relations with states and NGOs
- Corporate diplomacy: business as a political actor
- Measuring and mitigating risks
- Corporate social responsibility as risk management strategy
- Crisis management and the news media
Module 4: Business Challenges in the BRIC Economies
The economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) represent the most rapidly growing and dynamic markets in the world today. The size of their domestic markets makes them a magnet for foreign businesses. Yet, they have proven to be immensely difficult places in which to do business, not least because the business landscape is in a constant state of flux, with radical political, legal, social and technological transformation. Understanding and anticipating the challenges of these business environments and the management needs of executives operating within them is essential for anyone wishing to establish a foothold in these markets.
Topics include:
- Russia: managing institutional voids and corruption
- China: dealing with weak intellectual property regimes and intense competition
- India: challenges of Indian companies going global
- Brazil: navigating between domestic and global markets
- Future scenarios for the global economic order
Assessment
Examinations
Participants will need to attend each of the four modules and pass assessments on each as well as successfully completing the project report to receive the Diploma. Please note modules 1-3 will be assessed by examination during the subsequent module and module 4 will be assessed by assignment.
Project report
The Project Report will be based on specific strategic, global or organisational issues taking place within the participant's own organisation or sector. Consisting of no more than 10,000 words, it provides the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned on the programme. Participants will be allocated a faculty member in their field of interest to work with where possible.
Important documentation for this programme
Click here for the Programme Specification for the Oxford Diploma in Global Business
Click here for the Statement of Provision for the Oxford Diploma in Global Business
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