APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2016/2017

MBA 2412 Relationship and Knowledge Management

Responsible for the course
Lars Huemer

Department
Department of Strategy

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
4

Language of instruction
English

Introduction
The basic question in strategy is ‘why do some firms succeed and others fail?’ Our usual and traditional answer to this essential question has been explained by the fact that successful firms have developed a competitive advantage. A challenge with this expression, and with the basic strategy question, is that the unit of analysis is an individual firm. Yet, today we know that more and more firms depend on relationships to others; also knowledge is developed and improved in relationships with other firms. That is, no business ‘is an island’; at the core of strategy is the ability to build and maintain relationships. Such abilities also reason with the Chinese ‘guanxi’ expression.

Learning outcome
The course intends to provide you with concepts and conceptualizations of business relationships and knowledge management. Essential questions for firm success and intended learning outcomes concern the following themes:

- What is a business relationship; how does a relational view differ from the market based
explanations in mainstream research?

- Can relationships be managed? What opportunities and challenges do business relationships entail?

- How is knowledge perceived, developed and used in business relationships?

- How is trust built and used in business relationships, and how is trust related to knowledge and learning in and between organizations.

Prerequisites
Bachelor degree or equivalent, 4 years work experience, managerial experience and good written and oral knowledge of the English language. Please confirm our Student regulations.

Compulsory reading

Articles:
Selected articles will be assigned for each day

Recommended reading

Course outline
Day 1:
· Introduction to the Relational View and Knowledge Based View
· The concept of interaction, relationships and networks.
· Actors, Resources and Activities
· Knowledge and value creation

· The Actor dimension

Day 2:

· The Resource dimension

The Activity dimension

Day 3
· The knowledge based view of the firm

Day 4:
· Trust, knowledge, and learning

· Summary

Computer-based tools
None

Learning process and workload
The course is conducted as a teaching module, where students have classes all day for four subsequent days, a total of 32 hours. The format of the course is interactive in the sense that participants are expected contribute with their insights in supporting the progression of their own and fellow students’ learning processes.


Examination
Continuous assessment:
The students are evaluated on three different parameters:
(1) individual written assignment 50%
(2) individual class contribution 20%
(3) group presentation held during the course 30%.

Specific information regarding all aspects of student evaluation will be provided in class. It is the student's responsibility to obtain this information. Please note that whilst attendance is not compulsory, it is the student's responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on It's learning. The course information on It's learning is not designed for the purpose of students who choose not to attend class.
NOTE: Individual contribution and group presentation will require attendance.
Examination code(s)
MBA 24121 - Continuous assessment; accounts for 100% to pass the program MBA 2412; 4 credits.

The course is a part of a full MBA and examination in all courses in the MBA programme must be passed in order to obtain a certificate for the MBA degree.

Examination support materials


Re-sit examination
At the next ordinary exam.

Additional information
Re-takes are only possible at the next time a course will be held. When course evaluation consists of class participation or continuous assessment, the whole course must me re-evaluated when a student wants to retake a exam. Retake examinations entail an extra examination fee.