90237 - Laboratory Of International Business Strategy

Learning outcomes

At the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply appropriate concepts, tools, and analytical frameworks of strategic management in the context of international business
• Explain and analyse the challenges that accompany international operations for organizations and formulate recommendations to solve them
• Acquire key tools for taking strategic decisions in the current dynamic environment

• Assess the current and future prospects of businesses by examining a range of internal and external factors

Students will also be able to develop skills, such as:

• Demonstrate effective oral business communication skills
• Work effectively and efficiently in groups

Course contents

The course will cover the following topics:

Part I - Recap of strategy

• What is international business strategy?
• Main trends in internationalization and globalization processes
• Key challenges in the international strategy implementation

 

Part II - Principles of strategy formulation and implementation

• External analysis
• Industry analysis
• Internal analysis

 

Part III - Business-level and corporate-level strategies

• Business-level strategies
• Corporate-level strategies
  

Part IV - New dimensions of international business strategy

• Digitalization and its strategic implications
• Sustainability strategies
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
• Strategic International Human Resource Management (SIHRM)

 

For each part and topic, attention will be particularly devoted to the introduction and application of analytical tools (i.e., strategic diagnostic, PESTEL framework, SWOT analysis, VRIO, and competitor analysis, among others)

For each part, a final simulation will be played by students in class.

Readings/Bibliography

Selected chapters from the following books:

• Collinson, S., Narula, R., & Rugman, A. (2020). International Business, 8th Edition, Pearson.
• Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R.D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2019). Strategic management: Competitiveness and globalization. Cengage Learning.
• Mellahi, K., Meyer, K., Narula, R., Surdu, I., Verbeke, A. (2021). The Oxford Handbook of International Business Strategy, 1^st Edition, Oxford University Press.

Additional reading materials will be indicated four weeks prior to the teaching term.

Students are invited to check on Virtuale for the most updated version of the syllabus.

Teaching methods

Classes will combine lectures, use of analytical tools, case study assignments analysis, and role plays for coping with real-life complex issues in international business.

Assessment methods

The course mark is either pass or fail.

Assessment is based on class participation (20%) and case study analysis and presentation (80%):

1. Class participation: Students' active engagement is strongly recommended. Different learning activities will be presented, such as in-class business case analysis, discussion of influential scholarly papers, debates, and use of analytical tools. Students are expected to contribute to the discussion and demonstrate their understanding of the issues presented.
2. Individual work - Paper analysis: Students will analyze an academic paper dealing with relevant international business strategy-related topic. The assessment is based on the written and oral presentation.
3. Case study analysis and presentation: Students will be assigned a case study on specific topics related to international business strategy. Students are expected to read the case, analyze related materials and data, do further research if necessary and developing an understanding of the key issue and potential solutions. The assessment is based on the oral presentation of the case (supported by PowerPoint presentations)

Teaching tools

Case studies and lecture slides will be used to support lecture delivery. These will be made available in advance of classes.

Additional teaching tools will include a number of articles from journals (i.e., The Economist, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review), as well as academic journals (i.e., Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of World Business, Journal of Business Research), and Podcasts to keep up with current business developments and analyze real cases to connect theory with practice.

Office hours

See the website of Elisa Carloni