Global Markets, National Politics and the Competitive Advantage of Firms

Study Questions

SES #	TOPICS	STUDY QUESTIONS
Part I—Introduction
1	Whatever next for the world economy?	Do you think that the world faces a major economic and financial crisis? What strategies are industrialized countries using to counteract the crisis? How will this affect the prospects for various kinds of globalization?
2	Freer markets, more rules? Rethinking regulation in our global economy	Do you agree that national borders no longer matter? Is globalization an economic or political phenomenon? Who are the winners and losers from globalization? What role should/could government play in mitigating risk for business?
Part II—Varieties of Market Economies
3	Liberal market economies—The United States	What are the key features of the US political economy that shape business behavior in this country? What are the politics and economics of reform in the US system?
4	State-driven development—Singapore	How do you account for Singapore’s success? In economics? In politics? What were the sources of its growth? Do you recommend Singapore Inc. as a model for other developing countries? Does the crisis of 2007–2009 make Singapore’s model more or less appealing to other countries?
5	Emerging markets/uncertain rules—Africa	Why did Botswana succeed? How does one define success? Does the success of Botswana offer useful lessons for other developing countries?
Part III—Beyond the Nation State? Who is Making the New Rules?
6	The politics of trade	Is Bombardier engaging in “unfair” competition? If so, how? If not, why not? Why are the governments of Brazil and Canada involved in this industry?
7	Intellectual property protection	What are the economic issues here? What are the ethical issues? Which should prevail: economics or ethics?
8	The rise of emerging markets—reaching where?	Has China already become the world’s dominant economic power? Will the renminbi become the primary reserve currency? What does the US need to do, in order to restore its position in the world?
9	Global business and human rights	Has Unocal violated any laws or norms as a result of its participation in the Yadana project? What responsibility, if any, do global corporations have for people in countries where human rights are not fully protected? What can companies do?
10	Non-government organizations (NGOs) and private non-market action	Why did Shell get itself in such a mess over the Brent Spar situation? How should private companies engage with non-governmental stakeholders?
11	Rebuilding the global economic system	Can we continue to rely on the same global framework for trade and finance? What would a new or substantially reformed system look like? What is actually more likely to happen, in terms of changing the global system? How is this affected or determined by national institutions?
12	In-class final exam