English   Danish

2022/2023  KAN-CCMVV1444U  Business Strategy in the EU’s Single Market

English Title
Business Strategy in the EU’s Single Market

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 60
Study board
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Janine Leschke - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
  • Manuele Citi - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Main academic disciplines
  • Business Law
  • Globalisation and international business
  • Strategy
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 11-02-2022

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To receive the grade 12 students should:
  • Define, analyse and explain the rationales and process that leads the EU institutions to develop and enforce common regulatory standards for the internal market.
  • Identify the pathways of interaction between policy-makers and transnational corporate actors in the EU policy-making process.
  • Evaluate the impact of regulatory changes on the business model of specific business areas (renewable energy, air transport, fintech sector, gig-economy), identifying opportunities and threats generated by the ongoing regulatory developments.
  • Understand the variety of business environments in Europe - including the variety of national labour markets - and their implications for business.
  • Analyze the business model of an existing European company, designing a strategy for market expansion to another member state of the EU
Course prerequisites
Basic knowledge of “business in society” issues and, preferably, the European Union.
Examination
Business Strategy in the EU's Single Market:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Assignment type Essay
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter, The essay should be submitted approximately 2 weeks after the end of the course.

If the student fails the ordinary exam the course coordinator chooses whether the student will have to hand in a revised product for the re-take or a new project.
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

The European Union's Single Market is the biggest common market in the world. The EU’s institutional and regulatory environment creates numerous opportunities but also new threats and challenges for European and Global companies operating in Europe. National and multi-national companies therefore need profound expertise to understand how the EU’s constantly developing legislation impacts their business sectors, and how regulatory change can create opportunities for new business models, or disrupt the existing ones. By dynamically adapting their strategies to the new conditions they can improve their strategic positioning in the national and EU markets.

 

The aim of this course is to provide the students with deep EU expertise by way of inter-active learning on the examples of a range of strategic industry sectors and multi-national companies that work in a creative, sustainable, ethical and innovative way. The sectors include sustainable energy, air transport, the fintech sector and the ‘gig economy’. Students will be provided with a set of analytical tools which are necessary to analyze and understand the complex relation between institutional change and corporate strategy.

 

In this course we will establish a common platform of knowledge on political, legal and economic aspects of European Integration. On top of the common knowledge – which is shared by the whole class – expert groups of students will research and present specific aspects of market integration in relation to selected sectors and companies.

 

The course is divided into three core themes:

 

  1. A general introduction to economic integration and the European institutions in terms of the relevant legal frameworks and the political-economic decision-making processes.
  2. A comparative analysis of the legal and strategic development of the internal market in relation to specific key sectors.
  3. The corporate adaptation to a constantly evolving business environment with focus on the specific strategic responses of companies within four core industries.

 

The students will be divided in four expert groups. These expert groups represent a range of key sectors of the EU Single Market. Each key sector will be introduced by the expert groups.


 

  • Renewable Energy
  • Air Transport
  • Fintech
  • Gig-economy

 

Within these key sectors the expert groups will be in charge of specific case companies and will identify EU legislation of strategic relevance for these companies. The companies – to be chosen by the students – will be followed throughout the course. A scrutiny of relevant legislation will provide the students with an understanding of the opportunities and challenges arising from the EU Single Market. They will also gain an applied understanding of the institutions in charge of EU policy making – the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament as well as the key lobbying organisations which are active in the relevant sectors.
Description of the teaching methods
Interactive learning based on the foundation that the learning process is strengthened when the student takes responsibility for his or her own learning. We will establish a common platform for knowledge on economic, political and legal aspects of European Integration. On top of this, expert groups of students will research and present specific aspects of market integration related to selected industry sectors and key companies which the students will follow throughout the course. Use of a range of different learning formats including lectures with class discussions, sector and company presentations. These sector and company presentations will form the basis for the final written exam. The course requires active participation and engagement by the students.
Feedback during the teaching period
The course provides comprehensive feedback opportunities due to its interactive teaching methods. Teachers and peers will comment on presentations by student expert groups on aspects of market integration in the specific sectors as well as company presentations. Lectures will be complemented with group discussions with feedback by teachers. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of teachers’ office hours.
Student workload
lectures and student presentations 36 hours
exam 72 hours
preparation for lectures, presentations and exam 92 hours
Further Information

If possible we would like the course to start in week 39.
Expected literature

Indicative readings

The expected literature is based on a collection of book chapters, scientific articles and reports from high-profile think tanks and consultancies. Students will also use the company data bases available at CBS library.

 

1) EU institutions:

- Egeberg, M. “The European Commission”; Lewis, J. “The European Council and the Council of the European Union”; Burns, C. “The European Parliament”, in: Cini, M. & Pérez-Solórzano Borragàn N. (2019), European Union Politics. Oxdford: Oxford University Press, ch. 10-12.

 

2)  Policy-making and lobbying:

- McCormick, J. (2015) “Public Policy in the EU” (ch. 18, 293-308), European Union Politics, 2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan.

 

- Eising, R. (2019) “Interest Groups and the European Union”, ch. 14, in: Cini, M. & Pérez-Solórzano Borragàn, N. (eds) European Union Politics, Oxford University Press, 6th ed., pp. 201-218.

 

3) Internal market regulation:

- McCormick, J. (2015) “Economic Policy” (ch. 19, 309-324), European Union Politics, 2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan.

 

- Johnson , D. and Turner, C. (2016) “The Single European Market – Towards a new phase of market integration” (ch. 5, 85-104), European Business, Routledge.

 

- Young, A. The Single Market. From Stagnation to Renewal? (ch. 5, 115-140), Wallace, H., Pollack, M. and Young, A. (2015) Policy-Making in the European Union, 7th ed., Oxford University Press.

 

4) Business environment:

- Frynas, G. and Mellahi, K. (2015) ch. 2 “The External Macro Environment”and ch. 5 “Managing the internationalization process” in: Frynas and Mellahi (2015) Global Strategic Management, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press.

 

- Baroudy, K., et al. (2021), “Winning formula: How Europe’s top tech start-ups get it right”. London: McKinsey & Company.

 

5) Renewable Energy:

- Zachmann, G. et al. (2022), “Decarbonisation of the Energy System”, Brussels: Bruegel Policy Contributions Series.

 

- Tagliapietra, S. and Veugelers (2021) “Fostering the Industrial Component of the European Green Deal: Key Principles and Policy Options”, Intereconomics, 6/202.

 

- Samseth E. et al. (2022), “Five trends reshaping European power markets”, London: McKinsey & Company.

 

6) Air Transport

- Truxal, S. (2012), Competition and Regulation in the Airline Industry, Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 64-105.

 

- Hunter, L. (2006) Low Cost Airlines: Business Model and Employment Relations, European Management Journal, Vol 24(5), pp. 315-321: https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1016/​j.emj.2006.08.001

 

- Juul, M. (2016) Employment and working conditions in EU civil avaiation; European Parliament Briefing April 2016, European Parliamentary Research Service: https:/​/​www.europarl.europa.eu/​RegData/​etudes/​BRIE/​2016/​580915/​EPRS_BRI(2016)580915_EN.pdf

 

7) Fintech

- European Commission (2021), “Digital Finance: A Strategy for the EU”. Communication from the European Council to the European Parliament and the Council.

 

- Dorfleitner, G and Braun D. (2019), “Fintech, Digitalization and Blockchain: Possible Applications for Green Finance” in Migliorelli and Dessertine P. (2019), The rise of Green Finance in Europe, pp. 207-238.

 

8) Gig-economy

- Case note: Leschke, J. and Scheele, L. sustainability and decent work on digital labour platforms (will be uploaded on Canvas)

 

- Graham M, Woodcock J, Heeks R, Mungai P, Van Belle JP, du Toit D, et al. (2020) The Fairwork Foundation: Strategies for improving platform work in a global context. Geoforum 112: 100-103.

 

- De Stefano, V. and Aloisi, A. (9.12.2021) European Commission takes the lead in regulating platform work, Social Europe: https:/​/​socialeurope.eu/​european-commission-takes-the-lead-in-regulating-platform-work
Last updated on 11-02-2022