FI4410 / MGS 4410

 

 

STUDY ABROAD INDIA

Financial and Managerial Decisions: India and Emerging Markets

FALL 2015

 

Note:  This syllabus provides a general plan for the course.  Deviations may be necessary during the program.  Any changes in the course plan as described in this syllabus will be discussed in class.

           

I.      Class Information
Location:               Robinson College of Business, Manners Room, 7th floor

Time:                     9 - 12 pm, 1 – 4 pm

Week 1: Saturday (November 7th)

Week 2: Saturday (November 14th)

 

Traveling dates

Leave Atlanta on Friday December 11th; arrive in Hyderabad on Sunday December 13th

Return from Delhi on Thursday December 24th; arrive in Atlanta the same day.

 

Detailed schedule for the two-week stay in India will be provided before departure during one of the November meetings in Atlanta.

 

Instructors:            Dr. Milind Shrikhande, Robinson College of Business, GSU

Dr. Satish Nargundkar, Robinson College of Business, GSU

 

Office Hours:        We are available to meet before or after class. Please contact or see us for specific appointments.

Contact:                Dr. Shrikhande 404-4137334             Dr. Nargundkar 404-4137541

mshrikhande@gsu.edu                       snargundkar@gmail.com

 

 

II.   Text:

Supporting material will be provided for each session. Make sure to read the various articles/chapters when asked to.

 

III. Course Information
Course Number:    FI/MGS 8410 / FI/MGS 4410, 6.0 hours of credit
Prerequisite:          Core course in finance (FI3300) or managerial science (MGS3000)

Note: For graduate and undergraduate finance majors, 3 of 6 credit hours may be assigned towards their finance concentration or major.

 

IV. General Course Description

This program provides an opportunity to examine the business climate in the emerging markets together with field experience in India.  Students will gain insight into financial and managerial issues in India within the greater context of the emerging markets. Public and private sector Indian firms, the organization of Indian financial markets, and cross-cultural influence on corporate governance practices and on corporate valuation will be discussed. The in-country experience will allow students to observe and discuss first-hand how companies work within the structure of the Indian economy.

 

V.   Policies

Teaching methods include lectures, case analyses, class discussions, and meeting with companies and representatives of the Indian government.

Students will experience the realities of cross-cultural and international financial and managerial issues during the in-country visits to selected companies and discussions on Indian government policies. Class attendance and punctuality are required: any late arrival will be counted as an absence.

In case of absence (or late arrival) for more than 15% of the activities (classes in Atlanta or India, scheduled company visits or meetings) you will lose one letter grade for the entire course.

 

Be courteous and respectful: remember to be courteous and thoughtful to your professors, administrators, fellow classmates, company speakers and hosts.

In classroom settings or during company visits, only take breaks when breaks are allotted. It is unacceptable to interrupt the sessions by using the phone, computer or taking random personal breaks. There will be scheduled breaks.

 

VI. General Course Objectives

This course focuses on International Financial and Managerial Issues faced by companies located in India in the context of the emerging markets.   The course objectives of FI/MGS 8410 /4410 include:

·         Explore the role of the State (in the context of a national economy) and the role of the government for companies, focusing on some examples in India.

·         Analyze and understand the challenges of international and financial management within the Indian economy.

·         Examine the role and influence of financial markets and institutions on corporate finance decisions.

·         Discuss the cross-cultural management issues faced by international firms.

 

Students will learn to combine the above concepts with other broad business concepts in Marketing, Process Innovation, and Strategy, to create a plan for a business to startup in or expand into the Indian market.


 

VII. Grading and course evaluation

 

Grading Scale

 

A :           93-100

4.00

A- :         90-92

3.70

B+ :        87-89

3.30

B :           83-86

3.00

B- :         80-82

2.70

C+ :        77-79

2.30

C :           73-76

2.00

C- :         70-72

1.70

D :           60-69

1.00

F :           below 60

0.00

 

Topic

%

Write-Ups

 

Pre-departure (2 x 15 %)

30

Field analysis

20

Capstone Project

50

 

100

 

Individual Work

 

Pre-departure write-ups:

The following assignments are due before leaving for India.

 

  1. Two page analysis report (Dr. Shrikhande)

November 14, 11:59 PM
  1. Two page analysis report (Dr. Nargundkar)

November 14, 11:59 PM
  1. Five page analysis report (Dr. Shrikhande)

November 28, 11:59 PM
  1. Five page analysis report (Dr. Nargundkar)

November 28, 11:59 PM

 

 

The assignment details will be provided in class. In general, one set will involve the Indian economy, financial markets and corporate finance issues, while the other will be about managerial decisions and data analytics. For case analyses, do not merely restate the information included in the cases. Please use the write-ups to discuss the issues of the case and relate to the material covered in class. Case write-ups must be clear, concise and convincing. Exact topics and specific directions will be provided in class.

 

Field Analysis:

By the end of the stay in India, based on the lectures, meetings with companies and discussions that will have been conducted, you will write a field analysis report. In this assignment, you should highlight a few issues that have been prominent and analyze them by using concepts discussed in class or during meetings. You should illustrate your arguments using examples related to the company meetings. The goal is to deepen your understanding of the issues discussed in class or during meetings thanks to the new information provided by the meetings / discussions in India. Your analysis should focus on how these meetings provide insight into the course objectives. 

 

Suggestion: To aid in preparing the field analysis report, keep a daily journal while in India, summarizing what you learned that day. The journal should have the following three parts (each could be as short as a paragraph):

1.      What I observed

2.      My critical analysis of what I observed

3.      How it connects to course objectives

 

You may handwrite or type the papers (max 5 pages + exhibits, if typed: 12 pts., double-spaced) and deliver them to Dr. Nargundkar or Dr. Shrikhande.

 

Group Work - Capstone Project:

The class will be divided into teams of 3 students each (at least one of each gender per group, and at least one Finance major per group). The assignment is described below.

 

Your group has been hired by a small American company, which plans to start operations in India as part of its global development. The company is trying to assess the challenge, risks and opportunities of such a development and wish to better understand the issues at stake. Your group needs to analyze the company’s situation and, based on your understanding of India and emerging markets, provide the board of directors with a report assessing the various dimensions that are new to the company. This report will have to address the economic, social, legal and financial aspects of business ventures in India and more generally in emerging markets. [Suggested examples of sectors to which the American company may belong are retail, financial services, information technology, health-care, and manufacturing too]

 

The report should address the following:

1.      Introduction and motivation for your choice of industry sector and company/organization.

2.      Mode of entry into the Indian market (export, joint venture, acquisition, franchise, foreign direct investment).

3.      Feasibility analysis (financial)

4.      Marketing strategy to be employed

5.      Cultural, Management issues

6.      Process/Other issues (legal, political, social)

7.      Conclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

After returning to the US from India, you will informally present us your main findings and recommendations. Each group will be allotted 15-20 minutes. This informal presentation does not involve the other groups, and is not part of the grade. The objective is for you to receive some comments and feedback.  The written paper will be due upon our return by January 24th, 2016.  The report should be 15 pages long (double space, Times New Roman 12 pt. font) plus any attachments/appendices. Please submit the paper electronically to both Dr Nargundkar and Dr Shrikhande (See email IDs in Section I).

 

Peer evaluation: At the end of the capstone project you will be asked to evaluate your contribution to the project submitted, as well as that of other team members. 

The grade you and your group member(s) receive for the work assessment portion of the grade will depend on the peer evaluations. Variation of +/- 10% from the group grade will depend on the results of this evaluation. We expect everyone to be thoughtful and diligent in completing them.