| Learning objectives |
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the
following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or
errors: The course aims at teaching knowledge on the EU as a
business environment and at the same time at developing the
students’ capacities to work in a multilingual environment. At the
end of the course, students should be able to:
- display basic knowledge on the main EU institutions;
- display basic knowledge on the decision making process in the
EU;
- display basic knowledge on selected business related
policies;
- present relevent theories and models on the European
integration process, marketing, management and lobbyism;
- apply in a relevant way theories, models, policies and factual
information learned during the course as well as relevant empirical
data collected by the student to a seleted case;
- be able to handle the knowledge learned during the course
(theory, concepts and models) in the second language chosen
(English, German, French or Spanish).
- Defend the written project in the second language chosen by the
student (English, German, French or Spanish) making use of the
relevant vocabulary.
|
| Examination |
|
Europe as a
Multicultural Business Environment:
|
| Exam
ECTS |
15 |
| Examination form |
Oral exam based on written product
In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product
must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The
grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and
the individual oral performance. |
| Individual or group exam |
Individual oral exam based on written group
product |
| Number of people in the group |
2-5 |
| Size of written product |
Max. 5 pages |
|
Each student is expected to write max. 5 pages:
groups of 2 students hand in a project of max. 10 pages, groups of
3 students hand in max. 15 pages, groups of 4 students max. 20
pages and groups of 5 students max. 25 pages. |
| Assignment type |
Project |
| Duration |
Written product to be submitted on specified date and
time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade,
and informing plus explaining the grade |
| Grading scale |
7-step scale |
| Examiner(s) |
Internal examiner and second internal
examiner |
| Exam period |
Winter and Winter |
| Make-up exam/re-exam |
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Retake:
If one student should fail the exam, the student must hand in a new
individual project, on a different topic, of max. 10 pages and take
an oral exam in his/her second foreign language (English, French,
German or Spanish).
If two students should fail the exam and wish to write a new
project together, they must hand in a new projecton, on a different
topic, of max. 15 pages.
For groups of 3 students and above, the same rules as for the
regular exam apply.
The same rule applies for the oral exam as for the regular exam;
the oral exam lasts 20 min and takes place in the second foreign
language, the student is studying (English, French, German or
Spanish).
Make-up exam:
If the whole exam could not be taken (written project and oral
exam) due to sickness, the same rule applies as for the retake
exam.
If only the oral exam could not be taken due to sickness, a new
oral exam is organized based on a resubmission of the original
project. The oral exam lasts 20 min and takes place in the second
foreign language, the student is studying (English, French, German
or Spanish).
|
Description of the exam
procedure
The Exam consists of a written group project and an individual
oral defence of the project. The project is written in English,
while the oral exam takes place in the second language, which the
students are studying (English, French, German or
Spanish).
Date for turning the project in: Students have a minimum of 2
weeks after the last lecture in the course to turn in the
project.
Groups consist of 3-5 students.
The projects are written in English; they must make use of
literature in each second foreign language of the members of the
group. The project must indicate on the front page the second
languages of the members of the group.
Projects will present a case-study of a company doing business in
the European Union. The company will be chosen freely by the groups
and approved by the course coordinator. Companies can be EU based
(Danish or not) or not EU based but having a business activity in
the EU; they can be of any size (SME to MNC).
Each project is expected to make use of one or several of the
theories, policies or models presented in class, to relate it/them
to the business strategy of the chosen company, and to show how the
context of the EU has an impact – positive or negative – on the
company’s activities. The assignment must keep a balance between
theories/policies/models and empirical facts on the company
presented in the case study, and display an understanding of the
way in which the EU affects the activities of the chosen
company.
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 EU is a major actor in international trade. It has the
biggest share in world trade, before the USA and China. It is also
the biggest importer and exporter. Due to its economic importance
in world trade the EU’s decisions (e.g.: in competition policy, on
health standards or environmental standards) impact business
conditions and strategies not only European companies but also of
non-European companies. The EU is also a major actor in
international fora such as the World Trade Organization. In other
words, knowing more about the EU and its policies affecting
business conditions is a major asset both for European companies
willing to develop international trade and for non-European
companies that have important activities in the EU or wish to
develop such activities.
Today’s business conditions within the member states of the
European Union are to a large extent defined by the European Union,
its Single Market and related policies. Many pieces of legislation
affecting business conditions within the member states are either
passed or framed at the EU level. The EU’s strategy aiming at
stimulating trading activities and innovation also operate at the
company level with the creation of a European legal status for big
companies – the so-called “societas europaea” (SE) – and the
adoption of the Small Business Act for Europe targeting small and
medium sized companies. Therefore, a good knowledge of the EU is a
necessary part of a successful business strategy. It allows
companies to master the rules under which they have to operate. It
allows them to optimize the legal aspect of their activity. It also
allows European as well as non-European companies to develop
successful lobbyism strategies which contribute to enhance their
business conditions. But the EU is also multilingual. Working
successfully in such an environment requires a capacity to deal
with the simultaneous presence of several languages, which is why
the course also builds languages in its teaching objectives.
The course therefore aims at giving students basic knowledge on the
EU as a business environment. The course will explain the
institutional framework of the European Union, the decision making
process, selected business related policies. Complementary aspects
such as marketing, lobbying and managing in the multinational
European context will also be presented. Conceived of as an
interdisciplinary approach to Europe and the EU, the course will
present complementary theories and models on the European
integration process, marketing, management and lobbying strategies
and practices.
|
| Teaching methods |
This course combines several types teaching
formats which allow a double focus. The course aims at teaching
knowledge on the EU as a business environment and at the same time
at developing the students’ capacities to work in a multilingual
environment.
1) The module revolves around a set of lectures introducing to the
EU. The lectures are taught in English and last 2h each. The goal
of the lectures is to give common landmarks on the EU. It is based
on a common textbook (see below).
2) Language classes complete the lectures and take place in the
second foreign languages taught in the programme: English, French,
German and Spanish. Students are split according to the second
foreign language they are studying. The language classes focus on
one particular aspect of the lecture but are taught in one of the
four languages mentioned. They are based on press and scientific
articles in the respective languages. The goal of these classes is
to deepen the knowledge learned during the lectures while learning
at the same time how to work on it in a second foreign language.
3) The third dimension is multilingual group work. Groups consist
of preferably 4 to 5 students, with students of at least two
language groups (EN and GE, FR or SP). Groups are built at the
beginning of the course. The two goals of the multilingual group
work are: a) to ‘decluster’ the languages and thus avoid students
not communicating with one another because of language choices; b)
to train actively their capacity to work in a multilingual
environment, where different languages are spoken and needed.
Groups can turn in 2 written assignments on the topics studied in
class. Like for the final exam, assignments are written in English
and must make use of literature in each second foreign language of
the members of the group. These assignments are graded on a
pass/fail basis. They are not mandatory but students are given the
strong advice to turn them in so as to train for the final
exam. |
| Feedback during the teaching period |
| Student feedback will occur regularly throughout
the course via exercise classes, in which there will be weekly
presentations by students as well as set questions on the texts.
Written feedback will also be provided when assignments are
returned. Students are encouraged to participate fully and engage
in two-way communication in exercise classes, and as far as
possible lectures too. Students are welcome to take advantage of
office hours for a one-to-one dialogue with lecturers. |
| Student workload |
| Teaching |
72 hours |
| Preparation |
273 hours |
| Exam |
75 hours |
|
| Expected literature |
|
Main textbook: Gabriel Suder, Doing Business in Europe, Sage,
2nd edition.
Additional litterature will be indicated in
time.
|
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