Politics

Political Change: Politics and International Business

Module code: L2001
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar
Assessment modes: Coursework, Essay

The relationship between the state, the private sector and wider society is in flux, in both developed and developing countries. The module will introduce different types of institutions and actors that play a role in regulating international business, including international organisations, corporations and NGOs. It will consider how they shape policy in the areas of environmental standards, labour markets, human rights and anti-corruption. The module will outline relevant theoretical debates, regarding new public management theory, voluntary private regulation, and the role of civil society organisations and networks. The relationships between politics and business will be considered in developed and developing-country contexts. You will be encouraged to evaluate the impact of these emerging forms of governance in terms of effectiveness, representativeness, social impact and accountability.

Module learning outcomes

  • Have a solid empirical grounding in the major relationships between political institutions, business and civil society, e.g., regulation, service provision, policy formation, accountability
  • Have a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of trends in public-private partnership in policy-making and service provision, the underlying reasons, and resulting changes in accountability structures
  • Be conversant with contending theoretical approaches to the study of business and politics, including the theory of voluntary private regulation
  • Be able to understand and critically evaluate different forms of governance in public-private relationships
  • Understand and discuss major debates about the interaction between politics, business and society in developed and developing-country contexts