International Management I

Präsenzstudium: ca. 42 Std., Eigenstudium: ca. 108 Std.

Prerequisites: In order to successfully pass this class you should have an understanding of business and strategy as well as good English language skills. The seminar is open to Erasmus students as well as students from other departments who qualify as stated above.

Learning Objectives

This course is focused on international business strategies and the process, difficulties, and opportunities of management across borders. The teaching objectives synthesize the theoretical aspects of international management objectives focusing on the RESOURCE-BASED view of strategic management with practical application of management principles in a work environment. This centers around an understanding of corporate functions embedded in a holistic view of global organizations.

Competence Profile (Content and Methods)

Students are trained:

1. To understand the use of general management skills and concepts in conducting international operations and to integrate the functional principles of HR, marketing, accounting, supply chain management and/or finance to successfully manage international activities.

2. To analyze stakeholder interests with focus on the resource-based view of managing and leading organizations in the context of dynamic capabilities.

3. To become aware of how different cultures and resources directly and indirectly influence the management and the evaluation of businesses in various countries.

4. To recognize various differences and similarities between the management techniques and systems of European organizations and the organizations of other nationalities.

5. To understand the benefits and difficulties of borrowing management techniques and systems from another culture.

Cross-functional Competence Profile

1. Teamwork: Students will be assigned to teams, with case assignment, for analysis and class presentation. Students not responsible for case presentation on that specific day will be expected to have analyzed the case and be prepared to ask questions.
2. Case studies: The context of international management issues will be covered and discussed though lectures, cases, note sets, and readings.
3. Action Learning: Assigned cases and readings will be the responsibility of the student and may not be part of the classroom lectures. Students are expected to have read the class text assignments and be prepared to make quality comments during class discussions.

• General management skills in conducting international operations. This requires integration of knowledge from management, marketing, accounting, and finance courses.
• Direct and indirect influences of different national cultures on the management of businesses in various countries.
• Management techniques and systems of US/EU organizations and the organizations of other nationalities.
• Borrowing management techniques and systems from another culture.
• Management of cultural diversity.

This will be accomplished through text readings, case studies, discussions, and presentations. In class activities students will analyze corporate actions, successes and failures, strategy effectiveness, profit results, in view of corporate objectives.

All material will be provided in Moodle.

Field trips (excursion) may be integrated to support the learning outcome.

• Peng, M. and Meyer, K. (2023). International Business. 4e, Cengage
• Hill, C. (2022). Global business today. 12e, McGraw Hill,

SUPPLEMENATARY READING AND MATERIALS * The Economist, Business Week, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal. * Corporate Annual Reports * Class Handouts, Readings, Journal Articles and other business publications as announced in class.

In addition to the above texts and materials, several articles and multimedia presentations are recommended. These will be listed in the updates on Moodle.