• Understand and describe the particular challenges and opportunities that relate to business strategy and management seen from the perspective of the local firm in emerging markets and developing countries, inter alia in relation to the presented theoretical and strategic approaches.
• Compare and critically discuss theories and approaches that address the particular challenges and opportunities of business strategy and management for local firms in developing countries and emerging markets.
• Apply these theories and approaches to concrete cases of local firm business strategy and management in developing countries and emerging markets and assess their respective relevance and applicability.
• Describe and discuss the relevance of the presented methods (undertaking a literature review and a Critical Realist case study approach) to the investigation of the above mentioned issues (strategies and cases).
• Communicate effectively the conduct, results and significant contribution of social science research in Academic English, including the ability to:
• a) Use a sophisticated range of vocabulary and grammatical structures relevant to academic English (including formulating a relevant and effective research question for the exam paper), and b) Structure, develop, and support an effective argument or thesis.

Developing country and emerging market firms (DC&EMFs) often emerge from different historical paths, have different resources and capabilities and hence different strategic orientations compared to firms from developed countries.  Differences in business environments, in combination with on-going changes (in terms of speed and content), alter strategy formulation and implementation compared to developed countries. Strategy formulation and management in developing countries and emerging markets take place in a market context and regulatory environment that is significantly different from that of developed countries. The business management literature has only recently started focusing specifically on the particular strategies that local firms undertake as well as the interface between those strategies and developing countries/emerging markets. The course “Business strategy in developing countries and emerging markets” is specifically designed to introduce students to this literature. In addition to the theoretically oriented literature, the course will also include particular focus on a) making a literature review, and b) a Critical Realist case study approach. These elements are tied to the methods components of the BaDS program and will be taught with an emphasis on enhancing the student’s academic English skills.

The course will consist of four modules: Module I (Introduction) will provide a general introduction to the business and development studies literature and to the key issues of Academic English. Concerning the first of these, the Introduction will take up the gap in the literature concerning the lacking perspectives from DC&EMFs as well as take account of the particular conditions of doing business in developing countries and emerging markets. Second, the Introduction will discuss the fact that the development literature has devoted too little attention to the role of local firm strategies and management in economic and social development.  Academic English will provide an overall introduction to writing within the social sciences in accordance with the learning objectives below paying particular attention to writing literature reviews.

Module II introduces theories of business strategy and management in developing countries and emerging markets. The module will present and position key perspectives on business strategies vis-à-vis more conventional theories of business management (e.g. the resource based perspective, transaction cost economics, network theory, principal agency theory, and institutional theory). Furthermore, it will discuss the applicability of the different theoretical frameworks to the DC&EM contexts. The main issues addressed concern the scale of firms (SMEs versus large firms and MNCs), degree of internationalisation and governance (in Global Value Chains). Methods and first Academic English assignment will be concerned with conducting a literature review. The assignment will be assessed and then discussed in groups of four students.

Module III presents and examines a number of different cases from a variety of settings (Africa, Asia and Latin-America), illustrating a number of possible strategies of developing country firms. The module starts with two theme days on respectively (i) internationalisation of DC&EMFs; and (ii) domestic/local market strategies of SMEs. Secondly, the module includes lectures on a) the mobile telecommunication industry in a least developed context (Afghanistan), and b) Human Resource Management strategies among DC&EMFs. The Methods and Academic English component will emphasise the Critical Realist Approach to case studies. This will be followed by the second written exercise which will also be assessed and then discussed in groups of four students.

Module IV concludes the course summing up the content, evaluating the course and preparing for the exam including all aspects of the course (business strategies in developing countries and emerging markets, methods and Academic English).). Note that the second written assignment will take place from weeks 43-48. This assignment will also be assessed and then discussed in groups of four students.

To be announced on Learn