75930 - Corporate and Internationalization Strategies

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide useful concepts and tools for the strategic analysis of business decisions. In particular the course focuses on corporate strategies (vertical integration and strategic alliances), the international strategies of firms, the globalisation of markets and the attractiveness of foreign markets, and the different entry modes of firms in international markets. The course will also focus on entrepreneurial processes.

Course contents

The course is composed of three modules.

 

Module 1 – Corporate strategies and growth

Threats to the sustainability of competitive advantage: imitation, resource substitution, vertical relations, inefficiency

Vertical integration

Intermediat forms and collaborations

Module 2 – Business plan

Business plan: objectives

The structure of the business plan: Marketing plan and competitive strategy; Operations, organizational structure and financial plan

Module 3 – International business

Globalization, export, FDIs

National differences

International trade theory

Strategy and organization of international business

Entry strategy and strategic alliances

Export Management

Global production, outsourcing, backshoring

Global marketing and R&D

 

Readings/Bibliography

· Ghemawat P. (2006). Strategy and the Business Landscape. Chapters 5. Pearson International Edition. Versione in Italiano: Strategie aziendali e contesti competitivi, capitolo 5

· Besanko D., Dranove D., Shanley M. (2013). Economia dell'industria e strategie di impresa, ISEDI Wiley. Capitoli 3-4. Capitolo 2 (lettura aggiuntiva per ripasso concetti di economie di scala e scopo e diversificazione).

· Hill C.W.L. (2009). International business, McGraw Hill. Capitoli 1, 2, 5, 12, 13 (escluso pag. 447-464), 14, 15, 16. Lucidi delle lezioni e materiali disponibili sulla piattaforma AMS Campus.

Borello A. (2009): Il business plan, McGraw Hill, Introduzione – pag. 1-22; cap.2 – pag. 64-76; cap. 4 pag. 113-118; lettura capitolo 6 o casi finali; lucidi delle lezioni.

Additional information about specific parts of the chapters that are not included in the program will be available on the webpage of the teacher at the beginning of the course.

Case studies indicated by the teacher during the course.

Additional readings indicated by the teacher during the course.

Teaching methods

• Lectures, assignment questions to readings and cases, polls.
• Guest lectures (organized as seminars) on behalf of practitioners.
• Case studies developed with the active participation of the students and presentation and discussion of case studies by the students.

Assessment methods

For the exam in presence: written exam with structured open questions.

For online exams: oral exam on MS Teams.

The exam includes questions on critical discussion of theories, concept, tools and application to real or hypothetical cases.

The preparation to the exam requires deep knowledge of the theories, analytical concepts and applications included in the teaching materials and slides.

The mark will also consider the participation of students to project works, case studies, lab activities on business plan and presentations during the lectures.

There are no differences for Erasmus students.

It is possible to refuse the grade of the exam more than once.

Te grade will be assigned according to the following scale:

• <18 insufficient
• 18-23 sufficient
• 24-27 good
• 28-30 very good
• 30 with laude excellent

Teaching tools

We will use the following tools:

• Case studies
  
• Lecture slides
• Mentimeter
• electronic spreadsheets (xls)
• Openboard
• Other materials on the Virtuale platform
  

In case of online lectures:

• Microsoft Teams

Office hours

See the website of Paola Giuri