Course 2018-2019 a.y.

20539 - MANAGING THE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31
CLMG (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - M (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - IM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - MM (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - AFC (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - CLEFIN-FINANCE (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - CLELI (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - ACME (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - DES-ESS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  12 credits SECS-P/07) - EMIT (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - GIO (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
GABRIELLA LOJACONO

Classes: 31 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: GABRIELLA LOJACONO


Prerequisites

It is suggested that students have attended a course in Business/Corporate Strategy.

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

The aim of this course is to prepare students for their future career in a multinational company (MNC). Globalization of markets and industries has created new growth opportunities for companies by accessing resources and serving markets worldwide. At the same time, managing across different cultures, administrative systems, geographic distances, economic structures poses its own managerial challenges. This course focuses on the strategic and organizational challenges involved in managing activities across borders, in an increasingly interconnected world. Students can expect to come away with a set of frameworks that helps them to understand: why firms do (or do not do) international business? How do they do it? What are the international strategies firms use as they go overseas? How do firms build a global presence by choosing countries, products and modes of entry? How do firms organize themselves for international business?

CONTENT SUMMARY

  • The meanings of globalization.
  • The imperatives that drive firms to invest abroad as they seek market access, knowledge and cheap inputs.
  • The liability of foreignness and the costs of doing business abroad.
  • Adaptation vs standardization.
  • How firms build global presence (e.g. market selection, entry modes).
  • Analysis of market attractiveness (e.g. PEST, PRYSM, CAGE, etc.).
  • Data sources for conducting foreign market analysis.
  • Concentration vs spreading.
  • How internationalization choices influence firm's performance.
  • Arbitrage, offshoring, and reshoring.
  • Regional strategies.
  • Emerging market strategies. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Understand the economic fundamentals of globalization.
  • Describe the factors driving the internationalization processes of firms.
  • Identify the ways in which firms organize their global value chains.
  • Explain how firms deal with the challenges of managing their activities across borders.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Analyze attractiveness of foreign markets.
  • Examine decisions regarding offhsoring/reshoring of value chain activities.
  • Discuss decisions regarding adaptation to local market factors.
  • Evaluate the performance of the internationalization processes.

Teaching methods

  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Group assignments
  • Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

DETAILS

Lectures are very interactive and supplemented with classroom exercises, a simulation on market selection, discussion of articles and recent academic papers, a rich set of business cases, and guest speakers from multinational companies. A number of classes is dedicated to analysis of market data for deciding which markets to enter.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
     x
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Evaluation consists of a written exam at the end of the course (60% of the total grade) and a teamwork completed during the course (40% of the total grade). Extraordinary in class contribution (in particular in discussing cases and participating to debates) is awarded with max one extra point at the end of the grading process.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Evaluation consists of a written exam at the end of the course (100% of the total grade).


Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • VINOD K. JAIN, Global Strategy. Competing in the Connected Economy, Routledge, 2017.
  • G. LOJACONO, Choosing between growth options: the role of the geographic context, Teaching Note, Università Bocconi, 2017.
  • Slides, cases and readings discussed in class and not included in the above mentioned book are accessible on Course Reserve or saved on the Bboard Platform.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • VINOD K. JAIN, Global Strategy. Competing in the Connected Economy, Routledge, 2017.
  • P. GHEMAWAT, Redefining Global Strategy: Crossing Borders in a World Where Differences Still Matter, HBS Press, 2007 (chapters 1-5).
  • G. LOJACONO, Choosing between growth options: the role of the geographic context, Teaching Note, Università Bocconi, 2017.
  • Slides, cases and readings discussed in class and not included in the above mentioned book are accessible on Course Reserve or saved on the Bboard Platform.
Last change 11/06/2018 08:30