Module manager: Lilac Nachum
Email: l.nachum@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
| LUBS1140 | Principles of International Business |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping global industries and redefining how firms operate across borders. Its role goes far beyond technical advances, creating profound shifts in corporate strategy, international competition, and operational decision‑making. To respond to this shift, this module will enable students to critically evaluate and apply AI as a catalyst for global business transformation. Using knowledge built on students’ previous studies, it will focus on the application of AI within international business contexts, exploring how it reshapes global competitive dynamics, its role in creating and sustaining competitive advantage, and the complex ethical dilemmas posed across diverse cultures and institutional environments. The module will also cultivate a mindset of experimentation, innovation, and global collaboration, ensuring students are well‑prepared to navigate and lead in an increasingly digital, complex, and evolving business landscape.
This module is designed to equip students with an understanding of the transformative impact of AI on international business. Its objective is to enhance students’ theoretical understanding and practical skills, preparing them to lead and innovate in the AI-driven global business landscape. It seeks to introduce students to the distinct AI attributes that affect IB (e.g., scalability on a level not previously known, increasing returns to scale, strong path dependency because of learning based on the past, changing nature and combination of factors of production). It will then examine how AI characteristics affect different IB concepts (e.g., the nature of MNE advantages) and major IB strategies.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Explain core AI concepts and their applications in international business.
2. Analyse the strategic, operational, and ethical implications of AI adoption in global firms.
3. Evaluate AI-driven solutions for international market selection, supply chains, HR, finance, and cross-cultural management.
4. Propose responsible and innovative uses of AI in diverse international settings.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Academic Skills: Engage with current thinking and key theories about how AI is influencing international business and show understanding of its practical applications in global business contexts.
2. Digital Skills: Use AI tools for collecting and analysing data, solving business problems, working with others, and developing new ideas in international business settings.
3. Sustainability Skills: Evaluate how AI is used to address global sustainability challenges in international business and develop responsible strategies that leverage AI for sustainable impact.
4. Enterprise Skills: Demonstrate creative thinking by proposing how AI can be used to solve problems or create new opportunities in international business.
5. Work Ready: Demonstrate AI-related skills that are relevant to future roles in international business and appreciate how these skills enhance employability.
The indicative syllabus may include the following topics:
1. Introduction to AI and International Business, (machine learning, generative AI, big data)
2. AI and MNE advantages
3. Managing across Cultures with AI
4. The adaptation/standardisation dilemma and AI
5. AI in International Business Strategy: AI-driven Market analysis and location strategies.
6. AI Applications in Global Operations:
7. AI and International Human Resource Management
8. Generative AI and Innovation in International Business
9. Responsible AI and Global Governance10. AI literacy around the world – AI and economic development. Implications for multinational companies
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 79 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 21 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
Formative feedback will be embedded throughout the semester to support student understanding of how AI is shaping international business practices. Students will receive regular opportunities for feedback through short reflection tasks and online quizzes designed to test conceptual understanding of AI’s economic, ethical, and strategic dimensions. Students will also have the opportunity to submit a draft section of their final assessment for formative review, with each student receiving written feedback. Peer review sessions will also allow students to exchange constructive feedback and reflect on their progress. This combination of structured formative checkpoints ensures continuous monitoring of learning, linking each task to the summative assessment by progressively building the skills and knowledge required for high-quality final submissions.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Group Project | Working in small groups students will develop an AI-driven solution for a real-world international business challenge. | 30 |
| Assignment | Individual 2,000 word assignment | 70 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The resit for this module will be 100% by 2,000-word assignment.
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Last updated: 30/04/2026
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