This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://coursecatalog.bucknell.edu.

Global Management (GLBM)

No organization can flourish without managers who can understand the importance of developments beyond the borders of their home country, devise effective strategies to respond to the challenges of global competition, and understand the intricacies endemic to the global flows of capital and goods. The Global Management (GLBM) major offers students an opportunity to learn more about the international dimension of business and to prepare for careers in the global economy. Courses in GLBM will sensitize students to the changing institutional landscape, the increasingly complex flows of goods, talent and capital, and the international differences that influence organizational and managerial success. Students will also take relevant courses in other parts of the University, gaining insights into the political and economic dynamics of the global system and acquiring the linguistic and cultural understanding necessary to function in other countries. Global Management graduates will have the necessary skills, knowledge and judgment to adapt to and manage effectively in an increasingly global business environment.

In the spring of their sophomore year, all BSBA students will, in consultation with their advisers, select a major from among one of the Freeman College of Management departments and will complete the specific major requirements in addition to the Freeman College core curriculum requirements. Transferring between majors within the Freeman College of Management is possible as long as the student will be able to meet all degree requirements of the new major and still graduate on schedule.

Global Management Requirements

Beyond completion of the Freeman College core curriculum requirements, all GLBM majors must demonstrate language proficiency beyond English and take the following courses:

GLBM Core Requirements
GLBM 200Managing in a Global Environment1
ANOP 301Global Supply Chain Management1
ACFM 367The Global Flow of Capital1
GLBM 400Global Manager Abroad1
Global Environment Electives1
Area Studies Electives2


Global Environment Electives

GLBM majors must take ONE Global Environment elective class from the list below. With permission of their adviser, students may substitute other courses appropriate to this category and satisfying learning objective #3, as long as such courses are taught by faculty outside the Freeman College of Management.

Select one of the following:1
International Economics
Economic Geography
Political Geography
Political Economy of Global Resources
Comparative Politics
International Politics
Global Governance
International Political Economy


Area Studies Electives

GLBM majors must take TWO Area Studies Electives. The two courses should focus on the same region (such as East Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, etc.) and must be taught by faculty outside the Freeman College of Management. Courses appropriate to this category and satisfying learning objective #4 will be chosen by the students in consultation with their advisers.

Culminating Experience

All BSBA majors must satisfy the Culminating Experience component of the Freeman College of Management General Education Curriculum. GLBM majors typically fulfill this requirement by successfully completing GLBM 400 Global Manager Abroad

Language Skills

In addition to the course requirements, GLBM majors must demonstrate language proficiency beyond English. This requirement is satisfied in one of the following ways:

  • Students whose native language is not English are considered to have met this requirement as a result of their studying at Bucknell.
  • Students whose native language is English can demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a single additional language in the following ways:
    • Passing the fourth course or higher in a language sequence at Bucknell, or
    • Earning a score on a standardized test that equates to a proficiency level equivalent to the fourth course or higher in a language sequence at Bucknell, or
    • Passing equivalent courses taken outside of Bucknell and approved by the department chair of the Bucknell language department involved, or
    • Passing a one-credit, 200-level language course at Bucknell that focuses on the culture or society of a country or region.
  • Students whose native language is English can demonstrate elementary proficiency in two additional languages in the following ways:
    • Passing the second course or higher in two language sequences at Bucknell, or
    • Earning scores on standardized tests that equate to proficiency levels equivalent to the second course or higher in each of two language sequences at Bucknell, or
    • Passing equivalent courses taken outside of Bucknell and approved by the department chairs of the Bucknell language departments involved.
  • The department chair may determine that a particular student has demonstrated intermediate proficiency in one language or elementary proficiency in two languages as a result of experiences abroad.

Cultural Competencies

GLBM majors should arrange to study abroad in one of the many countries offered by the international programs available to Bucknell students. Students should choose one of the following means for selecting their study abroad location:

  • Select a country in which one of the non-English languages they have studied is a predominant language.
  • Select a country in the region they studied for their area studies electives.

Freeman College of Management students will take core courses and courses within their specific major that incorporate the following learning goals (Numbers in parentheses reflect related Educational Goals of Bucknell University.):

QUANTITATIVE [1, 6]

  • Understand and demonstrate how to analyze and use data to model and improve organizational processes.

TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS [4, 8]

  • Understand technology's impact on organizations and the interplay between technology and the organization.

ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS [7]

  • Students will demonstrate the ability to deliver effective oral presentations in a team environment.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS [7, 9]

  • Students' written work will demonstrate ability to learn from their own performances through reflective writing.

MORAL REASONING [3, 5]

  • Students will demonstrate the ability to articulate a moral argument, drawing on and applying insights from ethical theory.

FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE: FINANCE [1, 6]

  • Students will demonstrate the mastery of key concepts in financial literacy.

FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE: MARKETING [1, 4, 6]

  • Students will demonstrate mastery of key Marketing concepts.

INTEGRATIVE/SYNTHESIS SKILLS [1, 2]

  • Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate, identify, and understand different organizational perspectives and be able to integrate and synthesize diverse information.
 

In addition, graduates of the Global Management program will complete a curriculum designed to help them achieve the following specific learning objectives:

  1. Understanding Organizations as Global Phenomena. Students of global management will learn how to adapt their understanding of the core disciplines of management (studied in the BSBA core) to a global context. This will entail taking advanced courses in global finance, strategy, and operations, in order to develop the analytical and technical skills requisite to global management.
  2. Considering the Manager as a Global Actor. Students will acquire the leadership skills – negotiation, communication, cross-cultural management, adaptation, decision-making, etc. – that individuals need to succeed in a complex, foreign landscape. Real-world projects on international management will enable them to develop these skills.
  3. Awareness of the Global System. Global management students will become aware of the political, economic, social, and cultural forces that define and shape the emerging global system and think deeply about how they shape the practice of management and how, in turn, organizations – particularly multinational corporations – shape the contexts in which they operate.
  4. Ability to Access a Region or Country. National differences remain a powerful force, shaping markets, consumption patterns, business strategies, and organizational life. Students will develop the ability to access or ‘get to know’ a region or country by focusing on its political, economic, and/or cultural features.

Courses

GLBM 200. Managing in a Global Environment. 1 Credit.

Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:3
This course will examine the changing role of the manager in the global business environment.

GLBM 310. Independent Study in Global Management. .5-2 Credits.

Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Individual study or projects, supervised by instructor. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

GLBM 315. Special Topics in Global Management. .5-1 Credits.

Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
A seminar on selected topics in global management. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.

GLBM 390. Honors Course in Global Management. 1 Credit.

Offered Either Fall or Spring; Lecture hours:Varies; Repeatable
Special and independent studies for Global Management majors selected under the guidelines of the school and the University Honors Council. Honors thesis required. Prerequisites: nomination by the school and permission of the instructor.

GLBM 400. Global Manager Abroad. 1 Credit.

Offered Spring Semester Only; Lecture hours:3
Students conduct independent studies analyzing a foreign venture of interest. Students interact with persons, foreign and/or domestic, who have experience with the venture. Students must demonstrate their understanding of: organizations as a global phenomenon, the global system, a specific region or country, and their emerging skill as a global manager.

Faculty

Professors: Neil Boyd (Chair), Tammy B. Hiller, Eric C. Martin

Associate Professor: Jamie R. Hendry

Visiting Associate Professor: Vivienne Wildes