You should choose to complete a 3,000 word essay on ONE on the following five topics:
1) Is globalisation finished? Justify your answer by drawing on a specific theoretical approach
to globalisation.
Guidance – Essays should not simply seek to answer the question but give substantive reasons
for the answer given. These should draw on a specific theoretical approach to globalisation,
such as the ones discussed in lectures and the recommended reading for the course. A strong
essay is likely to offer contemporary evidence to support the theoretical argument.
2) Map the global production network (GPN) of a specific good or service. Use this to show
who creates value in the GPN and who benefits most from this creation of value.
Guidance – Essays should draw on the literature on GPNs to map the GPN of a particular
branded good or service. You may find it useful to discuss your choice of good or service with
a member of the teaching staff before attempting the essay. A good answer to this question
will draw on theoretical approaches to value creation and appropriation within global value
chains to explore who gains most from forms of production that span multiple countries.
3) US president Donald Trump Tweeted in 2018 that “trade wars are good and easy to win”.
Assess this claim in light of the US-China trade war.
Guidance – Essays should draw on literature about global and regional trade regimes in order
to address the question. A strong essay is likely to consider the ways in which production and
consumption in China and the US are connected, for instance through global production
networks and through financial flows between the two countries, and the potential losses and
gains experienced in each country as a result of disruption to trade.
4) Does a multinational company’s country of origin still affect the way it manages people?
Guidance – Essays should explain and critically assess the notion of “country of origin” effects
in multinationals, drawing on analysis of the relevant literature. They should draw on research
evidence on organisational policies in multinationals, which should generally include
comparing different multinationals from at least two different countries. Credit will be given
to answers that provide analysis of whether “country of origin effects” have become stronger
or weaker in recent years, in the context of a more integrated global economy.
5) Under what circumstances are multinational companies likely to differentiate their
organisational policies across different national subsidiaries, rather than seeking to follow
uniform policies worldwide?
Guidance – Essays should identify, perhaps with empirical examples, a range of factors which
are likely to lead multinationals to tend towards an emphasis on differentiation as opposed to
uniformity. Good answers are likely to feature critical analysis of conceptual frameworks
within the international management literature which tackle the concepts of uniformity,
differentiation, and associated concepts such as global integration and local responsiveness.
References
You should use the Harvard style of referencing and include a properly presented Reference List.
For assistance on how to properly reference your sources please check the following link:
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/harvard/content/contents
Assessment weighting 100%
Word limit: 3,000 words. (+/- 10%)