GRA 6549 Nordic Corporate Governance

GRA 6549 Nordic Corporate Governance

Course code: 
GRA 6549
Department: 
Finance
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Leon Bogdan Stacescu
Course name in Norwegian: 
Nordic Corporate Governance
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Finance
Semester: 
2017 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

The Nordic model of corporate governance (CG) was described and explained by a group of experts from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in a report that was published by SNS (Studieförbundet Näringsliv och Samhälle) in 2014. Hanken Centre for Corporate Governance (HCCG) at Hanken School of Economics (Hanken Svenska handelshögskolan) in Helsinki, Finland was actively involved in producing this document and is now planning to arrange a joint Nordic course on Nordic CG for Master’s students in the Nordic countries. The whole course will be centred on Nordic case studies, since it is well known that case studies provide the most efficient way of learning in business studies.

Corporate Governance is a relatively new area in business economics. Substantial differences still exist in the framework and interpretation of main concepts. To strengthen the case for Nordic governance solutions, it is important to create a common framework for CG in the Nordic countries. Governance that is internationally seen as trustworthy will make it easier for Nordic companies to finance a global expansion of their activities. The aim of this course is to increase the students’ knowledge in Nordic CG and in the difficult trade-offs that characterize CG in practice.  The course also strives to develop active collaboration between future CG experts in the Nordic countries.

With their future career in mind the students participating in the course will have a great advantage of actively networking with students from other Nordic countries. The present crisis in the European Union and its uncertain future makes Nordic collaboration even more important.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

-

Learning outcomes - Skills

-

Learning Outcome - Reflection

-

Course content

The course will be organised as a joint project involving CG experts from Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm. The course will focus on one major case in each of the Nordic countries. It will consist of a two-day workshop in each of the countries, where the CG case will be intensively discussed and four competing groups (one student from each country) will prepare a case report of 10-12 pages. These case studies will focus on real life CG issues in the company that has been picked for the case, headquartered in that country. Discussions with people from the case company will be arranged during the workshop, and faculty will be involved for consultation by participants. The number of participants will be four Master’s students/country, chosen by merit from submitted applications.

Learning process and requirements to students

Time schedule

The course is planned to be held during the fall of 2017. The four workshops will be scheduled during September-December  with approximately one workshop/ 3 weeks.

Course program for each of the four workshops

Day 1

  • setting up teams and planning the team work
  • case introduction by participants, faculty and invited guests
  • lunch
  • team work:
    • drafting of report outline
    • drafting of report
  • get together evening program

Day 2

  • drafting of report continues
  • lunch
  • presentation and discussion

The students will be asked to prepare for the two-day workshop by reading material about the CG case, which will be analysed during the workshop. To help the foreign participants prepare for the discussions they are also required to individually answer a few questions about the case and send the answers to the faculty member hosting the case. Carefully selected case material will be distributed to participants from other countries by the local participants and the faculty member in each country.

Before the workshop the students will be divided into groups consisting of one student from each country. The first day will begin with presentations by faculty members, company representatives and other invited guests. The students are encouraged to ask questions based on the case material they have received in advance. After the class discussions the groups will start to prepare a case report during the afternoon on the first workshop day and before lunch during the second day. The program will end with group presentations and finalizing the reports in the afternoon during the second workshop day. The best case description will be selected jointly by faculty after the workshop.

This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course start.

At resit, all exam components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course.

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
60
Grouping: 
Group (2 - 4)
Duration: 
1 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Reports
Exam code: 
GRA65491
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Activity
Form of assessment: 
Class participation
Weight: 
20
Grouping: 
Individual
Exam code: 
GRA65491
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Activity
Form of assessment: 
Presentation and discussion
Weight: 
20
Grouping: 
Individual
Comment: 
Interaction
Exam code: 
GRA65491
Grading scale: 
Point scale leading to ECTS letter grade
Resit: 
All components must, as a main rule, be retaken during next scheduled course
Exam organisation: 
Continuous assessment
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Total weight: 
100
Sum workload: 
0

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.