General provisions

The course is offered to exchange students.

Entry requirements

Completed 15 credits from basic courses (A-level) in business studies, and registered for another 15 credits at the same level.

Learning outcomes

The course examines the global business environment and strategic, managerial and organisational issues related to doing business in an international marketplace.

After completion of the course, students should be able to:

• analyse challenges and opportunities connected to international business strategy,
• understand, discuss and analyse structures, strategies and the behavior of companies operating in a global context,
• understand and discuss how the internal and external contexts shape international business strategy,
• understand and discuss how strategy can be used to create a fit between the internal and external contexts vis-à-vis a focal firm,
• understand, discuss, and analyse questions related to the scope of the firm (i.e., vertical, geographic, and product scope).

Content

The course covers aspects related to expanding abroad, understanding the international context, developing international strategies and the subsequent effects on business operations. Moreover, global innovation and learning, engaging in cross-cultural collaboration and building new management capabilities for implementing global strategies will be covered. This is covered through the in-depth analysis of cases.

Instruction

The course will use a mix of theory and cases to approach themes related to international business strategy, and will emphasize a dialogue-based teaching approach encompassing open discussions. Lectures will introduce a topic which subsequently will be discussed in-depth via the study of cases.

Assessment

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

The examination consists of written exams as well as through oral and written assignments carried out both individually and in groups. 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 handed in by the deadline specified in the study guide.

For students who have not received a passing grade for the course, there is the opportunity to be examined without re-registration via make-up examination.

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, who 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 others: International Business 2FE226.