Learning objectives |
After having completed the course the
students should be able to:
- To describe the most important differences between the
capitalist systems in two small European countries (Denmark and
Norway) two large European economies (Germany and Great Britain)
and two large Non-European economies (United States and China) from
1850 to 2000
- To understand the dynamic relationship between capitalist
societies, companies and entrepreneurs over time
- To analyze capitalist development through various
political-economic and business historical theories.
- To synthesize the development of capitalist societies and the
relationship between societies, companies and entrepreneurs using
the above mentioned theories and concepts of economic
change.
|
Examination |
The Company in
its Historical and International Setting:
|
Examination form |
Written sit-in exam |
Individual or group exam |
Individual |
Assignment type |
Written assignment |
Duration |
4 hours |
Grading scale |
7-step scale |
Examiner(s) |
One internal examiner |
Exam period |
October and December/January, the regular exam
takes place in October. The make-up and re-examination takes place
in January. |
Aids allowed to bring to the exam |
Closed Book: no aids |
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.
The Make-up and Re-examination takes
place according to the same rules as the regular
exam.
|
Description of the exam
procedure
No aids allowed other than basic
language dictionaries (e.g. from mother tongue to English and vice
versa and English/English).
|
|
Course content and
structure |
To do business around the world, future business leaders must
perform and achieve with a high level of global literacy. This
course we designed to provide an overview of the global economy
from the point of view of how entrepreneurs and businesses have
operated inside different variations of capitalism. The aim of the
course is to provide the student with an analytical skill capable
to understand the dynamics of economic history and the development
of variant capitalist societies. The students should also learn to
understand the role played by regulators, companies and
entrepreneurs in the development of modern capitalism.
From the perspective of business, the course explores such themes
as entrepreneurship, the growth of corporations around the world,
and globalization over time. Why are so many large firms
around the world still family-owned, yet U.S. and British
corporation operate with dispersed ownership? What difference
does it make? We spend a fair amount of time understanding
why and how different varieties of capitalism have arisen in spite
of an alleged homogenizing globalization. The nearly two
century-long antagonism between capitalism and communism that ended
in 1989 concealed great varieties within capitalism itself, which
still influence how different national economies operate—and affect
what businesses can and cannot do. While the world is
increasingly interconnected into global networks of communication,
financial flows, and trade, the existence of distinct, regional
centers undermines the idea of a unified and homogenous global
system. National and regional diversity coexists with a
globalizing economy. Historically, capitalist market
economies have existed under both laissez faire
arrangements and high tariff regimes; weak and strong state
industrial policies, welfare systems, labor and union organization;
cooperative rather than competitive company relations; strong
individualism and virulent nationalism; and democracies and
dictatorships. These varieties of capitalism developed from
different historical experiences, cultural values, and national
institutions.
We work on three analytical levels. Regarded in a country
perspective we focus on capitalism in Great Britain, Germany, USA,
Denmark, Norway and China. We combine this macro economic level
with a corporate meso-level and an entrepreneurial micro-level in
terms of company/entrepreneurship cases to see how successful (and
less successful) businesses and entrepreneurs developed inside
those countries´ capitalism.
Practical Application of Theory:
The theoretical foundation for course is based upon three
inter-linked sets of theories: Joseph Schumpeters theoretic
concepts of entrepreneurship and innovation, Alfred Chandlers three
pronged investments and Chris Freemans ideas of technological
paradigms. These theories will be used to analyse economic
development on respectively the macro, meso- or micro level.
Relation to a International Business and Institutional
Setting:
The course is basically a comparative study of the variations in
capitalism including the various types of dynamics in capitalist
development. Why is it that capitalism differs so much for instance
between the private capitalism of the US and the state controlled
systems in China? Which role did various entrepreneurs, companies
and national institutions play in the development which lead to so
various results?
Research Based Teaching:
The course includes studies in the Nordic variation of capitalism,
which based upon the lectures own research. The course will also
include guest lectures by various experts in for instance British
and German capitalism.
|
Teaching methods |
The course is based on a combination
of lectures, case-based discussions in smaller groups, written
assignments and student presentations. The course will actively
employ elearning aspects through a virtual debate forum, a guest
lecture mini-conference and student expert groups. |
Student workload |
Lecture hours |
22 hours |
Workshop/exercises |
20 hours |
Preparation for class and exams |
154 hours |
Home assignments |
25 hours |
Examination |
4 hours |
|
Expected literature |
Indicative
literature:
Books:
Thomas K. McCraw, Creating Modern Capitalism: How
Entrepreneurs, Companies, and Countries Triumphed in Three
Industrial Revolutions (1997)
Susanna Fellman, Martin Jes Iversen, Hans Sjögren, Lars Thue
(eds.), Creating Nordic Capitalism: The Business History of a
Competitive Periphery (2008)
Cases (available for purchase and
download):
http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/4635359:
Forest Reinhardt, Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Debbie Freier,
Patagonia, HBS Case 9-703-035 (December 14, 2004)
Jeffrey Fear and Carin Isabel-Knoop, Dr. Ing. h.c.F Porsche AG
(A): True to Brand and (B) Made in Germany, HBS Cases
706-018/019 (Jan. 16, 2006)
Christopher A. Bartlett and Ashish Nanda, Ingvar Kamprad and
IKEA, HBS Case 390-132 (May 7, 1990), revised July 22, 1996
Debora Spar and Jean Oi, China: Building “Capitalism with
Socialist Characteristics,” HBS Case 9-706-041 (Oct
16, 2006)
Claudia Woo, Gerald Yong Gao, Jiangyong Lu, Hung Gay Fung,
PORTS: China’s Walk in the Global Luxury Fashion
Boulevard, Asia Case Research Center, HKU-761 (June 10, 2008)
Laura Alfaro, Brazil: Embracing Globalization?, HBS Case
701-104 (May 2, 2002)
Pankaj Ghemawat, Gustavo A. Herrero, Luiz Felipe Monteiro,
Embraer: The Global Leader in Regional Jets, HBS Case
701-006 (June 30, 2009) |