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2016/2017  KAN-CICOO1005U  International Strategic Management

English Title
International Strategic Management

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for MA in International Business Communication
Course coordinator
  • Simon Ulrik Kragh - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Main academic disciplines
  • Communication
  • Language
  • Strategy
Last updated on 04-08-2016
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors:
  • explain how the different theories of strategy form an organisation’s view of the world and limit its choices
  • make qualified analyses of a company’s possibilities of action within the constraint of different strategic frameworks
  • present, discuss and criticise a company’s strategic choices in the global marketplace from an industry-based view, a resource-based view and an institutional view
  • present and discuss their recommended actions vis-a-vis business cases and appreciate the limitations of those recommendations
  • critically evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of the different strategies discussed in the course
Examination
International Strategic Management:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Written sit-in exam
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Assignment type Case based assignment
Duration 3 hours
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Aids allowed to bring to the exam Open book: all written and electronic aids, including internet access:
  • Written sit-in-exam on CBS' computers
  • Books and compendia brought by the examinee
  • Notes in paper format brought by the examinee
  • Access to personal drive (S-drive) on CBS' network
  • Access to all information on CBSLearn
  • Full access (including Internet access)
  • All dictionaries
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
Course content and structure

The purpose of this course is to give students an understanding of the different theoretical views of strategy, as well as giving them an understanding of the practical application of the different approaches when designing international business strategy.

 

First, the course addresses the theoretical and managerial consequences of different schools of strategy and examine the advantages, disadvantages and blind spots of each theoretical framework. These theories will give an insight into descriptive theories of strategy and the analytical processes of formulating prescriptive strategies, in order to show how strategy is used in business analysis and planning.

 

The second part of the course focuses on international business strategy, including how the industry structure influences an organisation’s choice of position in the global marketplace, how the company’s resources determine the competitive advantage, and the role on the institutional environment. This latter perspective will examine how formal and informal institutions reduce uncertainty, how and why isomorphism constrains an organisation’s space of action, and how path dependency influences, and limits, future possibilities of strategy decisions.

 

Business cases are used throughout the course in order to train students to identify and evaluate different strategies and problem solving methods. The cases touch on concrete, strategic choices faced by managers and organisations and cover international strategy from different, geographical directions. They will address the strategic choices which confront Western MNEs, and how enterprises from the developing world engage in the mature markets for products and services in the West.

 

Students’ ability to engage in qualified discussions on the basis of the above is developed through business cases and group presentations throughout the course.

 

Indicative literature:

 

Mintzberg et al.: Strategy Safari. The free Press. 

Teaching methods
To be announced
Student workload
Preparation for lectures 76 hours
Preparation for classes 105 hours
Preparation fro the exam 25 hours
Last updated on 04-08-2016