34539 - International Management

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students are able to: - understand the main techniques for analyzing sectors and competitors; - analyse the strategic positioning of global enterprises and their sources of competitive advantages; - understand and predict firm behavior and performance in response to radical shifts in technology, consumer preferences, and regulations.

Course contents

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of how firms compete and grow in a globalized business environment. Students will examine the strategic challenges and opportunities faced by multinational enterprises, focusing on key themes such as globalization, foreign market entry, and competitive dynamics across borders. Through a combination of lectures, seminars with business professionals, and group work, students will develop a deep understanding of international business strategies and the influence of national differences—institutional, economic, and technological—on global operations.

Structure of the course:

1 Globalization

2 National differences in institutions and economic development

3 Foreign direct investments

4 The strategy of international business

5 Entering developed and emerging markets

6 Navigating institutional voids in emerging markets

7 Seminar with business professionals

8 Seminar with business professionals

9 Project work presentations

10 Project work presentations

Readings/Bibliography

Required Readings:

- Hill, C. W. L. International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. Fourteenth Edition, 2023, McGraw-Hill.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 13, 15.

- Slides prepared by the instructor, uploaded at the end of each week on the Virtuale online platform.

Supplementary Readings (Optional):

- Additional readings in the form of academic articles, which will be downloadable from the Virtuale online platform.

Teaching methods

The main instructional approaches used in the course are:

- Lectures

- Group Work

- Case Studies

- Seminars

Assessment methods

Class attendance is compulsory (students must attend at least 70% of the classes) and participation in team-work assignments is strongly encouraged.

The course evaluation will be the same for all students, regardless of their participation in the team-work assignment, as detailed below:

Component     Maximum points

Final Exam      32

Group Project  4

A total score above 30 corresponds to “30 e lode” (i.e., Excellent).

- Final exam and group project structure:

The written exam includes approximately five multiple-choice questions, each worth two points, and two open questions or exercises, each valued at 11 points. The duration of the test is one hour.

The group projects involve analyzing a firm entering a foreign market and presenting the findings in a PowerPoint presentation. Working in teams of 3-5 members, students are to submit their presentations to the instructor before the end of the course, with deadlines to be communicated in class. While this activity is not mandatory, it is highly recommended and can contribute a maximum of 4 extra points to the final grade. The project work will be presented by each team in front of the class at the conclusion of the course.

The evaluation of the answers of the exam depends on the correctness, completeness and rigor of the answers.

The evaluation of the group projects depends on the completeness of the report and the rightness and completeness of the answers provided during an individual oral examination.

- Exam policy:

There will be a single final written exam. Students must register for the exam through the official university system within the specified deadlines. Grades will be published on the online platform after the exam.

There are three exam sessions per academic year. Students are allowed to retake the exam only once. This means that if a student rejects their grade from a previous exam session, the grade obtained in the next session must be accepted and cannot be rejected again.

For students participating in the team-work, the team-work grade—which will be added to the final exam grade—will remain valid for one academic year.

Grading scale:

< 18: failed

18-23: sufficient

24-27: good

28-30: very good

30 e lode: outstanding

Students with disability or specific learning disabilities (DSA) are required to make their condition known to find the best possible accommodation to their needs.

Teaching tools

Tools, platforms, or resources used during the course:

- Learning platform: Virtuale (virtuale.unibo.it) contains the slides and the team-work assignments

- Presentation software: PowerPoint

- Communication tools: Email; Teams; Forum on Virtuale

 

Office hours

See the website of Claudio Giachetti