GRA 6344 International Strategy
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APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/2016 |
GRA 6344 International Strategy
Responsible for the course
Gabriel R G Benito
Department
Department of Strategy and Logistics
Term
According to study plan
ECTS Credits
6
Language of instruction
English
Introduction
Students taking this course cannot also take GRA 6833 Corporate and Global Strategies
Learning outcome
The main goals of the course are to: (i) give an indepth understanding of the research-based literature about the internationalization of the firm; (ii) give an overview of the opportunities and challenges facing firms involved in doing cross-border business activities in an increasingly open and dynamic world, (iii) give a more thoroughly understanding of different modes of foreign operation.
Students that have taken this course should be able to apply theories critically and reflect on firms' internationalization strategies. Likewise, students should be able to understand and present ethical dilemmas with international operations - especially dilemmas linked to outsourcing and offshoring .
Prerequisites
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 spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Compulsory reading
Books:
Welch, Lawrence S., Gabriel R.G. Benito, Bent Petersen. 2007. Foreign operation methods: theory, analysis, strategy. Edward Elgar
Articles:
Collection of articles
Other:
A list of compulsory readings will be provided on It's learning or in class.
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 course is structured around two main themes:
(1) Explaining the international firm (Why and Where)
(2) Theories about choice and change of Foreign Operation Methods (How - FOMs). Hereby presenting and discussing FOMs – different modes, modes combination, mode dynamics, articles, and relevant cases.
The following subjects will be covered:
Firm internationalization – why and where (economic, strategic, and behavioral perspectives)
Export operations
Foreign direct investment
Contract operations
Mode dynamics, outsourcing and offshoring
Mode combinations and configurations
Choice of FOM in a strategic perspective
Exits and de-internationalization
Strategy and organization
International activities and ethical dilemmas
Computer-based tools
Not applicable
Learning process and workload
A course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of 160-180 hours. Traditional lectures, class discussions, and case work.
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
The course grade will be based on the following activities and weights:
- Class participation and contribution 20%: Class activities: participation and contribution to class discussions, presentation of articles and case assignment. Students are expected to have read all required material prior to each session.
- Case, hand-in (30%)
- 3-hour written examination 50%
| Form of assessment | Weight | Group size |
| Class participation | 20% | |
| Assignment | 30% | |
| Written examination 3 hours | 50% | Individual |
Specific information regarding student assessment will be provided in class. This information may be relevant to requirements for term papers or other hand-ins, and/or where class participation can be one of several components of the overall assessment. This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded using points on a scale from 0-100. The final grade for the course is based on the aggregated mark of the course components. Each component is weighted as detailed in the course description. Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam components will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the points system and the mapping scale in the student portal @bi.
Examination code(s)
GRA 63441 continuous assessment accounts for 100 % of the final grade in the course GRA 6344.
Examination support materials
Bilingual dictionary
Permitted examination support materials for written examinations are detailed under examination information in the student portal @bi. The section on support materials and the use of calculators and dictionaries should be paid special attention to.
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. All retaken examinations will incur an additional fee. Please note that you need to retake the latest version of the course with updated course literature and assessment. Please make sure that you have familiarised yourself with the latest course description.
Additional information
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.