BMGT30320 EU Policy in Business

Academic Year 2020/2021

Businesses, as stakeholders, inside and outside the European Union (EU), are reviewing their business models and strategies as they seek to i. address consequences of and recovery from the COVID pandemic, ii. work around the challenges posed by Brexit and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and iii. accommodate the changing multilateral landscape encompassing international political relations (e.g. with the US, China, Asia and the Middle East), economic development, along with the flows of trade and investment. These developments are in many ways unprecedented and business dislikes uncertainty thus making it a lively and interesting time to study the EU. Manufacturing and service companies across a wide range of industries, established in and trading across the EU must engage with the EU's policies and legislative requirements. The European Union's governance processes and measures, are negotiated by EU institutions and member state governments. To varying degrees across policy sectors - companies, industries, non-government organizations, and consumer interests are 'stakeholders' in these policy processes. It is the institutions of EU governance, who mediate among these stakeholders.
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, European Commission legislative proposals addressing 'Big Tech'; consultations with The Alliance for Energy Intensive Industry, BusinessEurope and other business stakeholders on achieving an climate neutrality by 2050; measures to complete the Capital Markets Union; the principles of an investment agreement with China and the NextGeneration EU stimulus package, all represent recent examples of the EU's 'non-market' business environment. These examples illustrate how the EU has the potential to influence a company's structures and strategies along with their markets, hence the module's title 'The European Union in Business'. Detailed knowledge of the ongoing development of the EU's policies and policy processes is necessary for a company's management team to design structures and strategies to first, respond to the EU's influence through compliance as required and second, to adopt a proactive engagement with EU governance and its 'non-market' business environment.
This module explores in some detail the complex relationship between EU governance and the 'non-market' business environment by encouraging students to critcally examine aspects of 1. EU policy sectors including the 'Single Market', competition, environment, R & D, and economic and monetary union (and others) ; 2. the critical role of the EU institutions (e.g. Commission, Council of the European Union, European Court of Justice, the European Parliament, the European Central Bank), associated agencies and member state authorities in the policy processes from design to implementation; 3. the channels and resources associated with company and business sector participation as stakeholders in the EU policy processes (e.g. participation in expert groups, presentations/submissions, lobbying, engagement with the legal procedures); and 4. the various forms of EU governance and EU business relations are examined in respect to a selection of industry sectors, which have included Aviation, Financial Services (including Insurance and Banking, Asset Management), Telecommunications/Digital Services, Energy and Pharmaceuticals, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, the Food Sector, and FinTech.

Following introductory lectures/sessions providing i. an overview of nonmarket strategy, ii. the evolution of the European Union, ii.the European Union institutions/policy processes and iv. research methods; groups of students will be provided with a selection of European Union 'live' policy proposals which are currently moving along the policy process from initiation by the European Commission through debate and agreement by the European Parliament and European Council to implementation by EU Member States. Each group will research the 'live' policy identifying key components of the European Union's nonmarket business environment in order to advise a company on a suitable strategy to facilitate its interaction with the EU institutions and networks along with the identification of the key elements of the 'live' policy of concern to it.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completing this module, participants will be expected to be able to
1. Identify primary sources of information on EU policies (e.g. legislation, standards) and the policy processes along with materials relevant to associated institutional stakeholders and business networks, which are necessary to inform business stakeholders' strategic decisions.
2. Identify and critically assess (using academic frameworks) the key issues and channels of participation in the EU policy processes for business stakeholders in order to advise management.
3. Prepare and write an individual research report and reflection on the European Union policy and policy processess including the role of business stakeholders as required using an academic non market strategy framework.
4. Contribute to and assist in the preparation of a group advisory report for a company on its stategy for engagement in the EU policy process.

Indicative Module Content:

An introduction to i. the concept of 'non-market' strategy, ii. the European Union (EU) institutions and policy processes and iii. the relations between the EU institutions, policy processes and business stakeholders, iv. research methods, will be provided via resources on Brightspace and Virtual Classroom lecture/sessions over the first part of the module. As the research groups are formed and these groups agree their research approach to the 'live' policy around the identification of the relevant non market environment and the 'brief' provided in respect to the 'company's' Advisory Note on non market strategy, the weekly lecture/sessions will be guided by the groups progress reports. The formation of the groups, the distribution of 'live' policy areas and the associated 'briefs' along with guidance on specific research will be continually facilitated by the lecturer through the weekly lecture/sessions, tutorials/consultations, formative feedback etc. through Brightspace, the Virtual Classroom, and Zoom.

The European Union 'live' policy areas to be examined in Spring 2021 trimester will be announced at the beginning of the module. The selection of 'live' policy areas reflect European Commission's Programme (2019-2024) and 2021 Work Programme, under the leadership of President Ursula von der Leyen, with priorities including 'A European Green Deal', 'Fitness for the digital age', 'a stronger Europe in the world', 'the promotion of the European way of life', 'an economy that works for the people' by highlighting the detailed associated proposals at various stages along the policy process. All of the 'live' policy areas examined by the groups will require consideration of the challenges facing the European Union as it addresses it future without the United Kingdom as a member, COVID 19, its leadership role in the world order and its own internal ambitions as member states assert their positions.



Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

18

Tutorial

6

Specified Learning Activities

60

Autonomous Student Learning

40

Online Learning

6

Total

130

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
To encourage in depth learning and understanding of the European Union policy processes the delivery and assessment of this module is designed around student research into a 'live EU policy area' and the preparation of an 'advisory note' for a company on how it might best address the aspects of the policy of concern to it and the means to navigate the channels of influence available through the institutions and stakeholder networks.

Outline details of the assigned 'live EU policy' being developed or under review, along with the chararcteristics of the company for which the 'advisory note' is being prepared will be provided by the lecturer during the first three weeks of the module. The lecturer will facilitate the reasearch conducted by the groups and individual students through lectures, discussion boards, group tutorials and individual one to one consultations (via Brightspace and Zoom). Students will exchange information to prepare the 'advisory note' in small groups. Overall the assessent will be based on an i. an individual student research report and reflection (which carries the greater weighting) on their speciific area of research which contributed to the groups work and ii. a group 'advisory note' on their 'company's non market strategy' in respect to the assigned 'live policy area' prepared in accordance with an academic framework of the EU 'non market' business environment. The assigned 'EU live policy areas' are researched by each group for the duration of the module and reflect different topics from the European Union's policy spectrum, varying stages in the policy process and the variety of EU institutions and business stakeholders actively involved. Groups will exchange their research experiences on the 'live policy' over the duration of the module.

The research based teaching approach is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to conduct independent research into EU policy areas of interest in the future. Details and advice on academic readings along with key European Union and business stakeholder resources will be provided in lectures/tutorials (via Virtual Classroom and Zoom) and supporting documentation/resources on Brightspace.

As the European Unions new institutional terms commenced in the latter half of 2019 the 'live' EU policy areas will reflect the European Commission priorities and legislative programme (2019-2024) and 2021 Work Programme, a selection of policies which are topical and of interest to business stakeholders will be presented by the module coordinator/lecturer at the beginning of the module. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Group 'Advisory Note'

This assignment will incorporate an in semester formative presentation by the group on work in progress on which feedback will be provided.
Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded Yes

30

Assignment: Individual Research Report and Reflection Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded Yes

70


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Formative exercises and feedback A series of formative reports, exercises and presentations will facilitate individual students and groups as they undertake research into the live EU policy. These include weekly research reports, group exchanges, meetings (Zoom tutorials/consultations) with the module coordinator/lecturer and presentations for which feedback will be provided in lectures/sessions to the individual students and groups. Over the course of the semester individual students and groups are invited to consult with the module coordinator/lecturer on the preparation of their assignments. Assessment Guidelines and grade criteria for each assignment will be provided. Feedback on end of semester summative assignments - i. Group Advisory Note and ii. Individual Research Report and Reflection will be provided collectively and on request.

INTRODUCTORY LITERATURE

All of the following are available through the UCD Library's online facilities as e-books or e-journals.

The development of the European Union and reference points on its legal framework

Davies, K. (2016) Understanding European Union Law (6th edition), London and New York: Routledge.

The European Union institutions and policy processes

Richardson, J. and Mazey, S. (eds.) (2015) European Union Power and Policy Making. London and New York: Routledge.

Non-market strategy

Lawton, T.C. and Rajwani, T. (eds.) (2015) The Routledge Companion to Non-Market Strategy. London: Routledge.

Voinea, C. L. and van Kranenburg, H. (2017) Nonmarket Strategic Management. London: Rougledge.

Non-market strategy - essential framework to assist group/individual research and analysis

Bach, D. and Allen, D. A. (2010) 'What Every CEO Needs to Know About Nonmarket Strategy', MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring.

Additional recommended readings on the detailed role of the European Union institutions and business stakeholders in the EU policy process will be provided along with research materials relevant to each group in respect to their allocated 'live' EU policy and company 'brief' to design the 'nonmarket' strategy.