International Business

Aim

The course provides a broad overview of the driving forces of internationalization and various strategic, organizational, and critical issues that are significant for a company with operations in several different countries. Throughout the course, the students will learn to apply various theories and tools linked to the internationalization process, internationalization strategies and sustainable growth in large as well as small and medium-sized companies.

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

• Explain the key theories, models and methods used in international business.
• Analyze and plan the steps involved in company’s international establishment and, subsequently, be able to evaluate the investments made.
• Understand the development of the global market and how cultural differences can affect the operations of an international company.
• Evaluate different forms of cooperation and market channels that exist in export and international business.
• Assess different types of risks, as well as sustainability- and ethical-related challenges involved in internationalization.
• Follow and contribute to academic discussions regarding the frontier research and current practice in international business, for example, with regard to new internationalization models, sustainable development and digitalization.

Content

The course addresses both classic and modern perspectives in internationalization. The following themes will be addressed during the course:

• The company's internationalization process
• Strategic decisions in internationalization - choice of market, market entry, market establishment
• Dynamic abilities
• Sustainable value creation
• Globalization of the economy and trade - multinational companies
• International entrepreneurship - born global, digital, and knowledge-based companies
• Critical perspective in internationalization
• Sustainability readiness in international companies
• Risk management and intercultural communication