International relations
Business in World Politics
Module code: L2085
Level 5
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Workshop, Practical
Assessment modes: Essay, Coursework
Are companies political actors? If so, how do they shape world politics? And what role should they play in making political rules and governing societies? In this module, you’ll explore these questions through both international relations and management studies.
You’ll examine:
- why companies take part in politics
- how they use political influence, including lobbying, partnering in governance and helping to carry out policy
- what this means for governance and democracy.
You’ll work with case studies from sectors such as big tech, energy, food and pharmaceuticals. You’ll also learn how ideas from non‑market strategy, global governance and power help us analyse the role of companies in world politics.
Module learning outcomes
- Demonstrate empirical and theoretical knowledge and understanding of how markets and politics interact.
- Define key concepts that have been used in International Relations and Business Studies to examine the role(s) of business in world politics, including ‘corporate social responsibility’, ‘global governance’, ‘non-market strategy’, and ‘structural power’, for example.
- Apply their knowledge and understanding of these concepts to critically analyse real-world cases of business-politics interaction.
- Identify practical dilemmas that emerge for both managers and policymakers in the era of global markets and global politics.