APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2013/2014

GRA 3150 Theories of Business and Economic Development - RE-SIT EXAMINATION

Responsible for the course
Sverre Knutsen, Knut Sogner

Department
Department of Innovation and Economic Organisation

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
6

Language of instruction
English

Introduction
The course gives an introduction to perspectives and theories that are helpful in order to analyse and understand the business institutions and the development of the modern economy.

Learning outcome
By applying both theoretical and historical perspectives to the rise and development of the modern economy, this course introduces students to frameworks of interpretation highlighting broad and constituting developments of the modern economy. The course aims at both introducing basic concepts for understanding business studies and economics at the same time as placing these concepts in the historical setting where they once emerged.

Acquired knowledge
Students should know about broad historical and geographical developments of the organisation of the economy and the business firm over the last couple of centuries. They should also know the major changes occuring over this period, as well as a number of theoretical perspectives used to understand these changes. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of innovation and entrepreneurship. The economies' dependence on ethical and social principles is highlighted.

Acquired skills
The student should be able to reflect – orally as well as in writing - upon the causes of these changes and be able to interpret why the economy and the business firm changes over time. In particular they should be able to discuss our own time from different angles.

Reflection
Students should develop a constructive as well as critical attitude towards the multitude of perspectives they learn, and take this course as starting point in order to reflect upon their whole situation as students.

Prerequisites
A bachelors degree qualifying for admission to the Master programme

Compulsory reading
Books:
Frieden, Jeffry A. 2006. Global capitalism : its fall and rise in the twentieth century. W.W. Norton

Collection of articles:
Selected articles

Other:
During the course there may be hand-outs and other material on additional topics relevant for the course and the examination.


Recommended reading

Course outline
- The rise of markets
- The industrial revolutions
- the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in economic development
- The rise of the business enterprise
- The roles of the business enterprise
- Long-term effects of the market economy: growth, social sustainability, innovation

Computer-based tools
It's learning

Learning process and workload
A course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of 160-180 hours.
This course consists of lectures with student presentations.

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/It's learning or text book.


Examination
Your course grade will be based on the following activities and weights:
- 100% 3 hours written final exam.

Specific information regarding student evaluation beyond the information given in the course description will be provided in class. This information may be relevant for requirements for term papers or other hand-ins, and/or where class participation can be one of several elements of the overall evaluation.


Examination code(s)
GRA 31502 3 hours written examination accounts for 100 % of the final grade in the course GRA3150.

Examination support materials
A bilingual dictionary. Exam aids at written examiniations are explained under exam information in the student portal @bi. Please note use of calculator and dictionary in the section on examaids

Re-sit examination
It is only possible to retake an examination when the course is next taught.
The assessment in some courses is based on more than one exam code.
Where this is the case, you may retake only the assessed components of one of these exam codes.
Where this is not the case, all of the assessed components of the course must be retaken.
All retaken examinations will incur an additional fee.

Additional information
Honor Code
Academic honesty and trust are important to all of us as individuals, and represent values that are encouraged and promoted by the honor code system. This is a most significant university tradition. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the ideals of the honor code system, to which the faculty are also deeply committed.

Any violation of the honor code will be dealt with in accordance with BI’s procedures for cheating. These issues are a serious matter to everyone associated with the programs at BI and are at the heart of the honor code and academic integrity. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under the honor code, please ask.