General provisions

Master's Programme in Business and Management - specialisation International Business.

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Also required is 90 credits in business studies. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

For incoming exchange students, exceptions can be made from the requirement of 90 credits in business studies, provided that special reasons are considered to exist.

Learning outcomes

The goal of this course is to develop a good understanding of the link between theory and practice with particular focus on corporate strategy. This concerns issues such as the development, management, and deployment of the firm's resource- and capability-base across different businesses and environments.

After completing this course the student will:

• Have knowledge of and understand different corporate strategies
• Understand the challenges and opportunities of multinational enterprises in relation to corporate strategy
• Understand and be able to apply different analytical techniques in a global context vis-à-vis strategic decisions in corporations
• Be able to analyse different industry settings and relate this to corporate level strategic decision-making
• Have an ability to develop models for corporate strategies and evaluate the consequences of these models.

Content

The course covers a general introduction to strategy in order to create a common platform for the discussions pertaining to corporate strategy. The course covers two main themes, namely (a) the organisation of global business and collaboration (e.g., strategic alliances, networks, diversification, global sourcing, and vertical integration), as well as (b) how to create value in a global context (e.g., research and development strategies, value capture, and risk and uncertainty).

Instruction

The course will emphasise a dialogue-based teaching approach encompassing open discussions. Lectures will mostly be literature-based but can also include short cases in order to elucidate corporate strategic challenges of the multinational enterprise. The instructions are also accompanied by case exercises as well as group exercises and individual assignments. Students are expected to be well-prepared and actively participate in discussions. The course is taught in English.

Assessment

The student will get one single grade, equivalent to 7.5 credits.

Examination includes individual exams and mandatory attendance at seminars. The grade for the entire course is based on an assessment of all parts of the examination.

Grading criteria are presented in the study guide that applies to the course section. The following grades will be used: pass with distinction (VG), pass (G), and fail (U). Examinations handed in late will not be assessed except under special circumstances. Any remaining supplemental work must be completed and handed in by the deadline specified in the study guide. Otherwise the entire course (all examinations included) must be retaken during subsequent course sections.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Uppsala University does not accept cheating or plagiarism. Suspected incidents of cheating or plagiarism are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, which may issue a formal warning to the student or suspend the student from studies for a certain period.

NOTE: Only completed courses can count toward a degree.

Other directives

The course substitutes/overlaps among other the course Corporate Strategy (Contract Education) 8FE866.