Syllabus

Title
0993 Business Environment in the Arab World
Instructors
Mag. Hildegard Mader
Contact details
hildegard.mader@wu.ac.at
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
08/08/19 to 08/25/19
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Tuesday 10/08/19 09:45 AM - 01:00 PM TC.3.06
Tuesday 10/15/19 05:00 PM - 08:15 PM TC.4.12
Tuesday 10/22/19 05:00 PM - 08:15 PM TC.3.10
Tuesday 10/29/19 05:00 PM - 08:00 PM TC.5.16
Tuesday 11/05/19 09:45 AM - 01:00 PM TC.3.06
Tuesday 11/19/19 09:45 AM - 01:00 PM EA.5.044
Tuesday 11/26/19 09:15 AM - 12:30 PM TC.3.10
Tuesday 12/03/19 05:00 PM - 07:00 PM D5.1.004

On this page:

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Contents
  • Introduction to the geography and the historical background of the Arab World
  • Introduction to the Islam (e.g. Qur'an, Sunna) and its impact on today's islamist movements and the political stability in the aftermath of the Arab Spring
  • Conflicts, wars and economy
  • Principles of Islamic economy & banking
  • Legal business environment and foreign direct investment (opportunities)
  • Intercultural awareness – management of cultural differences
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Learning outcomes
  • Understanding basic elements of Arab societies and their history
  • Getting familiar with the fundamentals of the political situation, especially after the Arab Revolutions
  • Understanding basic facts about the structure of Arab economies, their strengths and weaknesses
  • Understanding basics of the Islamic economy: ethical concept and principles, i.e. Islamic banking and ḥalāl products
  •  Understanding the concepts of intercultural awareness, global interconnectedness and cultural differences
  • Identifying key differences between Arab cultures and European (e.g. Austrian and German) cultures
  • Identifying critical aspects for good business communication in Arab countries
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Attendance requirements

Students are allowed to miss 3 hours of class in total. In case of absence for more than 3 hours students have to hand in a compensation paper.

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Teaching/learning method(s)
  • Lectures
  • Group work and presentations
  • Discussions: active participation in class discussions is required
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Assessment
  • presentation                                             =  30%
  • active participation                                   =  20%
  • final exam                                                 = 50%

 

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Availability of lecturer(s)

For academic matters please contact Hildegard Mader, Senior Lecturer, hildegard.mader@wu.ac.at

For organisational matters please contact Anna Rösch at coursesinenglish@wu.ac.at

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Other
Incoming exchange students receive 6 ECTS-credits for this course.
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Unit details
Unit Date Contents
1 10/08/19

Introduction to the geography, historical and political background of the Arab World

  • Introduction to the course
  • Basic facts about the geography of Arab countries
  • Diversity of the Middle East: ethnicity, tribal identity and authority
  • The Arabian Peninsula and the rise of Islam
2 10/15/19

The fitna between Sunna and Shi'a - unsolved conflict since

  • From Muhammad to the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the emergence of the Shi'a
  • Introduction to the Coran, Sunna, Hadit

Huge challenges ahead: the Arab Revolution and the emergence of the Political Islam

  • The Arab Revolutions, its reasons and impact on the political situation of today
  • New power brokers: the political Islam and the gihadist movements (i.e. IS (ISIL) in Syria)
  • The war in Syria and Yemen
  • The impact of ISIL's military capture of Mosul and the crimes against the Yezidi population in Northern Iraq on the Kurdish economy in Arbil, North Irak
  • Video, group work
3 10/22/19

Islamic economy: ethical concept and principles

    • "Moral economy" and the Islamic banking as an alternative: the concept of economic justice and the rationale behind it
    • Principles of business ethics: no usury, no ambiguity and the concept of shared risks
    • How does Islamic banking work?
    • murābaḥa, leasing concepts (iǧāra) and other techniques in the Islamic banking sector
    • Video, group work
    4 10/29/19

    Arab Business environment

    • Socio-economic profile of the Arab World
    • Demographic transition and the youth in Arab countries
    • Foreign direct investments in Arab countries and inter Arab FDI
    • Country study - students' presentation
    5 11/05/19

    Employment and related factors and the impact of the national economies

    • Example: The economy in the Iraqi Kurdish Region: an example of the impact of the war on economy
    • Legal and political environment, Islamic law and šarī ͻa
    • Case study: HBR Arab Spring in Saudi-Arabia
    6 11/19/19

    Intercultural awareness and cultural differences at the work place

    • Dimension of culture: perception and attitudes across cultures
    • Comparing cultures: the Hofstede model and Hall's Hidden Dimensions
    • The role and influence of  the waṣta, the wakil in the Arab working
    • Video, group work
    7 11/26/19

    Presentations and discussion

    8 12/03/19

    Final Exam

    Last edited: 2019-10-29



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