Programme

PGP

Term

VI

Academic Year

2021-22

Course title

Business Leadership and Law

Area

Strategy

Credits

0.50

Instructor(s)

Prof. Anurag K Agarwal

Course Description & Objectives

Introduction: As the name of the course suggests, it is meant for Business Leaders who must remain on the right side of law. It is essential in any jurisdiction, and much more in international business, to understand the role of law in business. A business leader can neglect law only at his and his company‟s peril. It is foolhardy for any business leader to think that „law is for lawyers‟ and as a businessperson „why should I bother about law?‟ Law in most evolved jurisdictions is highly dynamic and it is expected of a business leader to anticipate the changes which may take place and also to pro-actively make the best efforts to mitigate the loss which may occur due to such changes. Better, he can try to play a role in the law-making – directly or indirectly – so that the changes are in tune with the requirements of his business. Objectives: It is not a course in Law, but is designed to understand, appreciate and make the best use of the legal environment in which business is done. There are several questions which come to the mind of a business leader vis-à-vis law. The course endeavours to answer these questions. The first question is “as a businessperson, do I need to know law?” and ends with the understanding that “law is my friend, philosopher and guide”. In between, the business leader realises the value of contracts, intellectual property, dispute resolution, role of government, etc.

Pedagogy

Judgments from different courts are to be discussed along with writings on related topics. Emphasis shall be on current affairs and linking them to the class discussion. The student is expected to think and participate in class discussion and the online discussion thread in a big way. Such participation shall be the key to understanding the subject.