Course objectives and learning outcomes

This intensive course aims to form students' knowledge in the area of International Business. Specifically students will develop capabilities to identify, frame and understand problems related to the management of international operations. Throughout the course issues are discussed in both theoretical and practical terms to stimulate students to relate models and concepts with practical situations.

By the end of the course the students will be able to:

• discuss implications of globalization and cultural differences
• understand the implications of operating across national borders
• compare different internationalization processes
• describe how firms operate in different markets
• analyze different international strategies and organizational structures
• evaluate and criticize different leadership and control models
• describe the specificity of different functions and units within the international firm
• understand the basis for the competitive advantage of international firms

Contents

Today firms are increasingly facing challenging tasks at international level: On one side the environment is increasingly globalized, following the disintegration of regional markets, the expansion of international trade and the internet, and on the other firms keep growing in their geographical and business scope fuelling competition. Therefore, the international manager is required to be flexible, to have a broad understanding of what is changing in the environment and within the firm, to develop always new abilities and to fit into new roles. This course deals specifically with the following topics:

• Globalization & Regionalization
• Cultural differences
• Internationalization process
• Organizational structures
• International strategies
• Control of foreign operations
• International HRM
• Transnational knowledge and innovation management

Throughout the course students will be encouraged to adopt different perspectives to nurture critical thinking and to form an overarching understanding of the phenomenon studied.