Course 2009-2010 a.y.

Course Objectives

The course analyzes the challenges firms face in the global economy. By the end of the course the student will master economic concepts that are useful for the analysis of the internationalization activities of firms. In particular, the student will be able to: analyze the issues pertaining to foreign direct investment (FDI) from the points of view of both the countries of origin and the countries of destination;

analyze the advantages and the disadvantages of the different modes of firm internationalization; analyze in details the role of multinational firms and the issues related to outsourcing and offshoring in emerging countries.

Course Content Summary

• Business across borders
• The gains from trade
• Factor advantages
• Trade Costs
• Trade Rules
• Market Adaptation
• Multinational Formation
• Internalization
• Competitive interactions
• Foreign exchange and political risk
• International taxation

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

•   Midterm exam and final exam

Textbooks

• K. Head, Elements of Multinational strategy, Berlin, Springer, 2007.