国际商学(International Business Studies)作为一门学科在国外已经有半个多世纪的历史,已经从最初的基于实际需要的实用主义探讨渐变为当今的理论和实践兼具的科学的、规范的和系统的学科专业体系。随着其学科体系的不断完善,社会对其在经济社会发展中的重要性的认识逐步加深,各行各业中国际商学人才供需矛盾的日益凸现以及国际商学院或国际商学系在国外大学的纷纷设立,使得国际商学走向成熟和繁荣具有了坚实的组织基础。近三十年来,国外出版了大量的国际商学研究著作和国际商学专业教材,这又为国际商学理论的发展创造了良好的条件。
国际商学(International Business Studies)作为一门学科在国外已经有半个多世纪的历史,已经从最初的基于实际需要的实用主义探讨渐变为当今的理论和实践兼具的科学的、规范的和系统的学科专业体系。随着其学科体系的不断完善,社会对其在经济社会发展中的重要性的认识逐步加深,各行各业中国际商学人才供需矛盾的日益凸现以及国际商学院或国际商学系在国外大学的纷纷设立,使得国际商学走向成熟和繁荣具有了坚实的组织基础。近三十年来,国外出版了大量的国际商学研究著作和国际商学专业教材,这又为国际商学理论的发展创造了良好的条件。
改革开放前后,为适应对外经贸交流合作对涉外人才的需要,国内一些高校先后开设了涉外专业,国家在不同地区开办了对外贸易学院(或大学),这极大地推动了国内、国际商学理论研究和国际商科的学科建设。近十多年来,无论从理论研究还是从人才培养看,国际商学的发展突飞猛进,国内不少知名大学纷纷成立国际商学院或国际商学系,甚至民办独立学院也开办了国际商学专业。这无疑会促进国际商学的学科建设、理论研究和人才培养。当然,应该看到,国内的国际商学研究仍然存在着不少值得严重关切的问题。例如,学科理论体系和基础尚不健全;理论研究尚处于初探阶段,国际商学内容体系尚未完全成形,人才培养尚缺乏师资支撑,以及国际商学教学尚无配套的优质教材等。
“当代商学”(Contemporary Business)在国际商学研究体系中具有举足轻重的地位,这不仅因为它在国际商学研究体系中处于基础地位,还因为它在国际商学研究体系中处于核心地位。“当代商学”是国际商学的“先导”和“入场券”。正因为如此,国外出版了大量的国际商学基础研究著作和形式多样的当代商学教材。据不完全统计,仅在美国出版的当代商学教材就多达八十余种,有关当代商学研究的著作则难计其数。然而,纵观目前国内图书市场,国际商学研究不仅为数不多,而且基本上都是用汉语写成,而种类繁多的国际商务英语图书,从商务英语阅读到写作与函电,从商务英语听力到会话与谈判,再到商务英语手册与辞典,基本注重国际商务实务,对国际商学理论一般都不涉及,难以与国外对接。从国外引进的国际商学理论著作和教材又存在语言艰深、}肖化困难、价格昂贵、与国情脱节等问题。
于是,国际商学和国际商务英语学习者,尤其是大专院校本科生、研究生以及具有相当英语水平的社会人士陷于这样一种尴尬的境地:他们掌握了一定的英语语言技能,也掌握一些国际贸易实务技能,但希望能够借助已有的英语知识和能力更加全面地掌握国际商学理论知识,了解国际商学研究的前沿动态,进一步提高自己的国际商学理论素养甚至英语水平,解决实际工作中遇到的问题。令人遗憾的是,这样一部用英语撰写的国际商学理论著作或教材在国内市场难觅其踪迹。
Chapter 1 Contemporary Business: Some Basic Concepts
1.1 Foundation of Contemporary Business
1.1.1 Business and business activities
1.1.2 Business and business people
1.2 Economic Forces Affecting Business
1.2.1 Competition
1.2.2 Supply and demand
1.3 The Business Environment
1.3.1 The socio-cultural environment
1.3.2 The economic environment
1.3.3 The political environment
1.3.4 The technological environment
1.3.5 The competitive environment
1.3.6 The physical environment
1.3.7 The global business environment
1.4 How Government Affects Business Activities
Chapter 2 Sole Proprietorship and Partnership
2.1 Aspects of Small Businesses
2.1.1 Some basic facts about small businesses
2.1.2 Get prepared to leap into your business
2.1.3 Three common ways of establishing a small business
2.1.4 Small business operations and management
2.1.5 Contributions of small business to the society
2.2 Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship
2.2.1 Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial teams
2.2.2 Entrepreneurial characteristics: personal qualities of an entrepreneur
2.3 Sole Proprietorship
2.3.1 Advantages of sole proprietorship
2.3.2 Disadvantages of sole proprietorship
2.4 Partnership
2.4.1 Major types of partnership
2.4.2 Steps of establishing a partnership
2.4.3 Elements of a good partnership agreement
2.4.4 Advantages and disadvantages of partnership
Chapter 3 Corporation Start-up and Expansion
3.1 Basic Aspects of Corporations
3.1.1 Corporations and their common characteristics
3.1.2 Classification of corporations
3,1.3 Major types of corporations in the US
3.1.4 Other types of corporations
3.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of General Corporations
3.2.1 Advantages of general corporations
3.2.2 Disadvantages of general corporations
3.3 The Establishment and Corporate Structure of a Corporation
3.3.1 Steps of launching a corporation
3.3.2 Corporate structure
3.4 Mergers and Acquisitions
3.4.1 How mergers occur
3.4.2 Current trends in mergers and acquisitions
3.5 Other Types of Business Organization
3.5.1 Syndicates and technical partnerships
3.5.2 Cooperatives
3.5.3 Franchises
Chapter 4 Social Responsibility and Business Behavior
4.1 Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Importance
4.7.7 Defining corporate social responsibility
4.7.2 The importance of CSR to business and society
4.2 Personal and Organizational Ethics
4.2.7 Ethical behavior begins with personal morals
4.2.2 Organizational ethics begins with top management
4.2.3 Legality is only the first and final ethical desideratum
4.3 Ethical Behavior and Corporate Decisions
4.3.7 Identify the nature of ethics and ethical issues
4.3.2 Ethical dilemmas and ethical lapses
4.3.3 Basic approaches to ethical decision making
4.3.4 Steps of making sound ethical decisions
4.4 Management of Corporate Social Responsibility
4.4.7 Factors affecting corporate social responsibility management
4.4.2 Setting corporate ethical standards
4.4.3 Social accounting and auditing
4.5 Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility
4.5.7 Assessing your CSR situation
4.5.2 Designing your CSR strategies
4.5.3 Clarifying your CSR commitments
4.5.4 Implementing your CSR programs
4.5.5 Checking CSR progress and evaluating performance
Chapter 5 International Trade and Global Markets
5.1 International Trade and Reasons for International Trade
5.7.7 Defining international trade
5.1.2 Reasons for international trade
5.1.3 Possible benefits of international trade
5.2 Forms of International Business Activity
5.2.7 Importing and exporting
5.2.2 International licensing
5.2.3 International franchising
5.2.4 International strategic alliances and joint ventures
5.2.5 Running wholly-owned facilities
5.3 Multinational Corporations
5.3.7 Defining multinational corporations
5.3.2 Advantages of multinational corporations
5.3.3 Disadvantages of multinational corporations
5.4 International Trade Balance and Finance
5.4.7 Balance of trade 90
5.4.2 Trade deficits and surpluses
5.4.3 Balance of payments
5.4.4 Exchange rates
5.4.5 International trade finance
5.5 Barriers to International Trade
5.5.1 Tar
5.5.2 Quota
5.5.3 Subsidies
5.5.4”Voluntary”export restraint
5.5.5 Exchange controls and export controls
5.5.6 Embargoes
5.5.7 Unfair trade practices
5.6 Trade Agreements,Organizations and Blocs
5.6.7 The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organization
5.6.2 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
5.6.3 Other malor international trading blocs
5.6.4 Unilateral trade privileges 98
5.6.5 International trade finance and organizations
……
Chapter 6 Management Fundamentals and Planning
Chapter 7 Organizing and Organizational Design
Chapter 8 Staffing and Human Resources Management
Chapter 9 Leading and Organizational Communication
Chapter 10 Controlling and Quality Management
Chapter 11 Manufacturing and Service Operations Management
Chapter 12 Marketing and Consumer Networks
References