POLT06006 2021 European Business Environment
Europe presents a complex but an always increasing opportunity network for business activity. In this module students will acquire the skill to do a PESTEL/ PESTELE analysis to analyse a business and the European environment in which it operates. They will learn about the relationship between business and the political institutions, policies and regulations of the European Union and the challenges of the post BREXIT business environment. There is a practical Business Simulation to bind theory and practice. Current issues will feature prominently to encourage engagement with present day problems.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;
Identify the key stepping stones in the creation, development and challenges of the European Union integration process and impact on Ireland and Irish business, 1973 - 2021
Describe the key EU Institutional players which set the rules and agenda of the European Business Environment
Use the PESTLE framework to analyse a business and its trading environment in Europe
Simulate a policy and decision-making negotiation on a business topic through a Business Simulation ( European/EU) meeting
Source and interpret information relevant to the syllabus content
Teaching and Learning Strategies
LECTURE and Group Discussions/Tutorials.
Business Simulation meeting - local/national business and EU regulation
SIMULATION meeting - NEGOTIATION AND DEBATE in a European/ EU Institutional framework: e.g. a Council of Ministers or European Parliament meeting: this frames the teaching and learning of the module. Student choose their 'role' in Week 2; active learning and listening ensues as students discuss and then choose the 'topic'/ 'directive' for negotiation; research of their position and interaction with other delegates is a continuous process throughout the semester. The 'learning' and 'applying of knowledge' culminates in
(a) the Business Simulation meeting in Week 10 and (b) the 'long question' in the Final Exam
SHORT Quizzes via VLE - Moodle - These are 'ongoing, i.e. approx every three weeks, and ensure students engage with material throughout the semester
FIELDTRIP ( where time and finance allows)
Module Assessment Strategies
Business SIMULATION negotiation in a European/ EU Institutional framework on a business topic (30%);
Short Quizzes (20%) ;
FINAL Examination: Multiple-choice and essay questions (50%)
Repeat Assessments
Written Assignment/Report and/or EXAM/Oral Presentation
Indicative Syllabus
The origins and development of the European Union (LO1)
From the European Coal and Steel Community to the EU: the stages in its development up to the present day.
Ireland and The European Union
The Single Market - from Rome to Lisbon
The Key Institutions of the European Union (LO2)
The EU triangle - The Commission, The Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.
Policy and Decision Making of the European Union and Impact on Irish Business (LO2,LO3, LO4)
The Single Market and Irish Business -
Regulations, Directives, Decisions and Recommendations
PESTELE Analysis Framework Ireland and Europe (LO 4, LO5)
Overview of Irish Political, Social and Economic Environment in context of Europe and membership of the European Union
PESTELE analysis of Business in Europe - with focus on local/national business
Apply learning via Business Simulation Meeting - appraise, analyze and 'negotiate' a business and impact of European/EU policy initiative in relation to a local/national business (LO 4, LO5)
Coursework & Assessment Breakdown
Coursework Assessment
Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Business Simulation Meeting | Coursework Assessment | Assessment | 30 % | Week 10 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
2 | Multiple-Choice Assessment | Coursework Assessment | Assessment | 20 % | OnGoing | 1,2,5 |
End of Semester / Year Assessment
Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Final Exam | Final Exam | Closed Book Exam | 50 % | End of Semester | 1,2,4,5 |
Full Time Mode Workload
Type | Location | Description | Hours | Frequency | Avg Workload |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lecture | Flat Classroom | Lecture | 3 | Weekly | 3.00 |
Independent Learning | Not Specified | Independent Learning | 4 | Weekly | 4.00 |
Required & Recommended Book List
2018 Doing Business in Europe Sage
2015-09-22 European Business
ISBN 0415617170 ISBN-13 9780415617178
As a result of the budgetary crises facing many European economies, the third edition of European Business is published at a time of turbulence in the European Business environment. The resulting uncertainty has put at risk those features which have made Europe unique the market and policy integration which has shaped the strategy of businesses with a European presence during the preceding decades. This new edition assesses the importance of the key features of integration for business and how individual member states affect the integration process and bring diversity to European business. In recognition of the ever increasing interdependence of Europe with the rest of the world, this new edition of European Businessalso puts greater emphasis on the links between Europe and the worlds other main regions. The text has been fully updated to take account of the fast moving changes affecting the discipline and contains a range of pedagogical features to help students make sense of what can seem a confusing and complex environment. In addition to the numerous case studies, the features include clear objectives, discussion questions, activities, boxed supporting information and extensive up-to-date reading.
2020-07-02 Greed Is Dead Allen Lane
ISBN 0241467950 ISBN-13 9780241467954
Two of the UK's leading economists call for an end to extreme individualism as the engine of prosperity Throughout history, successful societies have created institutions which channel both competition and co-operation to achieve complex goals of general benefit. These institutions make the difference between societies that thrive and those paralyzed by discord, the difference between prosperous and poor economies. Such societies are pluralist but their pluralism is disciplined. Successful societies are also rare and fragile. We could not have built modernity without the exceptional competitive and co-operative instincts of humans, but in recent decades the balance between these instincts has become dangerously skewed: mutuality has been undermined by an extreme individualism which has weakened co-operation and polarized our politics. Collier and Kay show how a reaffirmation of the values of mutuality could refresh and restore politics, business and the environments in which people live. Politics could reverse the moves to extremism and tribalism; businesses could replace the greed that has degraded corporate culture; the communities and decaying places that are home to many could overcome despondency and again be prosperous and purposeful. As the world emerges from an unprecedented crisis we have the chance to examine society afresh and build a politics beyond individualism.
2020-11-14 Understanding the European Union Red Globe Press
ISBN 1352011190 ISBN-13 9781352011197
This is the must-have, leading introduction to the European Union. Offering an ideal primer on the EUs history, institutions, and politics, this concise textbook also covers the various challenges and opportunities faced by the EU, from the democratic deficit and the potential of future enlargement to the spread of nationalism and crises such as Brexit and the impact of the global pandemic. Understanding the European Union is now more crucial than ever, and this text provides a succinct but nuanced account of its development and how it works. This book will be the ideal guide for all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in political science, global affairs and European Studies. It is also a suitable starting point for anyone seeking to learn more about the EU.
Module Resources
Policy-Making in the European Union 7th ed. - Wallace, Pollack Young Oxford University Press
Case Studies in Business Ethics, 6th ed., Al Gini, Alexei M. Marcoux, Pearson 2009
European Business Revew
Journal of Common Market Studies
Journal of European Public Policy
Web guide General information
1 (a) GATEWAY to the EU - www.europa.eu: activities, institutions, documents, services, etc. Europe's Information Society: www.europa.eu.int/information_society/index_en.htm; The EU: Panorama, treaties, etc. www.europa.eu.int/abc/index_en.htm
1. (b) Doing Business in the EU - https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu_en
2. (a) Doing Business in the European Union 2020: Greece, Ireland and Italy - Reports assessing the regulatory environment for businesses and its impact on local entrepreneurs - https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/reports/subnational-reports/eu-greece-ireland-italy
2. (b) EU news from European Voice - www.europeanvoice.com/
3. (a) Doing Business in Ireland - https://www.idaireland.com/doing-business-here
3 (b) SMEs in the EU - www.sme-union.org/ SMEs in the EU.
4. EU business - www.eubusiness.com
5. EUobserver - www.euobserver.com
6. EUActiv - - www.euractiv.com
7. NewEurope - www.neweurope.eu
8. Politco - www.politco.eu
9. Chambers of Commerce - www.britishirishchamber.com; https://www.chambers.ie/policy/eu-policy/completing-the-single-market/
10. European Business Review - https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/0955-534X/vol/32/iss/4
e.g. SMEs motivations for CSR: an exploratory study Siv Marina Flø Grimstad, Richard Glavee-Geo, Barbro Elisabeth Fjørtoft
The paper aims to investigate the relationship between firms’ motivation for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the moderating role of internationalisation.
Public surveys – European citizens
1. www.uropa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/index_en.htm public opinion towards the EU.
2. www.europa.eu.int/europedirect/ answering services to European citizens concerned by phone.
3. www.europa.eu.int/comm/public_opinion/cf/index_en.cfm select a trend question and find the related study made by the EU.
4. www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/opinion/#eurobarometer public opinion about European enlargement – European citizens.
5. www.europarl.europa.eu/enlargement/briefings/41a3_en.htm
6. SMEs in the EU: www.sme-union.org/
Gabriele Suder’s Doing Business in Europe video series (on the SAGE companion website at http://www.sagepub.co.uk/suder2e and YouTube)
2020
YOUTUBE - European Big Data Value Forum - November 2020 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmc5gBq0biU