International Business Operations and Strategies

Structure Type: Course
Code: KD19BINT002
Type: Compulsory
Level: Bachelor
Credits: 6.0 points
Responsible Teacher: Koski, Miia
Teacher Team: Mäkeläinen, Ville-Pekka ; Koski, Miia
Language of Instruction: English

Course Implementations, Planned Year of Study and Semester

Curriculum  Semester  Credits  Start of Semester  End of Semester
INBUS2-2013   2 autumn   6.0   2014-09-01   2014-12-31  
INBUS2-2014   2 autumn   6.0   2015-08-01   2015-12-31  
INBUS2-2015   2 autumn   6.0   2016-08-01   2016-12-31  
INBUS2-2016   2 autumn   6.0   2017-08-01   2017-12-31  

Learning Outcomes

Student knows the various forms and modes of international business operations, their advantages and disadvantages particularly from the viewpoint of small and medium-sized companies. Student is able to find and recognize essential country information for internationalization and is able to make decisions about operation mode for different cases and has good validation for arguments.

Students are able to create strategies for individual companies in their internationalization process. They are able to judge the feasibility of the development of company's international operation modes in a long run while integrating more deeply into target country's market and create plans for company level internationalization process.

Student's Workload

- Lectures and guided practice 52 h
- E-learning and guided exercises 20 h
- Independent work 90 h

Prerequisites / Recommended Optional Courses

- Introduction to business operations
- Basics of economics
- Basics of marketing

Contents

- The importance of foreign trade and modes of export and import
- Operations which are connected to export and import processes
- Operation modes of foreign trade
- Decisions about operation mode for different cases
- Development of the utilization of different operation modes in a long run while integrating more deeply into the target market
- Organization structures of international companies and how it effects to company operations

Recommended or Required Reading

- Lawrence S. Welch, Foreign operation methods

- Ricky W. Griffin & Michael Pustay, International Business

- Handouts and other materials as indicated by the lecturer

Mode of Delivery / Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

- Lectures and functional case exercises like workshops, games, drama, discussions and seminars
- Sharing knowledge of markets based on local expertise
- Portfolio of case-works
- Assignment
- Quizzes
- Independent work

Assessment Criteria

Excellent (5)
Student is able to find and recognize essential country information for internationalization. Student is able to make decisions about operation mode for different cases. Student is able to make decisions and recommendations about the development of international operation modes of an enterprise in a long run while integrating more deeply into the foreign market. Student is able to make these decisions and has good validation for arguments and reasons for solution. Student can assess different international organization structures of companies and is able to compare their benefits and disadvantages in different situations.

Good (4-3)
Student is able to find country information for internationalization, but the information is not the most essential for the case. Student can make decision about operation mode for different cases but does not present good arguments and reasons for the solution. Student is able to describe the development of international operation modes of an enterprise in a long run while integrating more deeply into the foreign market but can’t explain the reasons for solutions. Student can assess different international organization structures of companies and generally compare their benefits and disadvantages.

Satisfactory (2-1)
Student is able to find some country information for internationalization, but the information is not the most essential for the case. Student can make decision about operation mode for different cases but does not present arguments. Student describes illogically the development of international operation modes of an enterprise in a long run and can’t explain the reasons for solutions. Student can describe different international organization structures of companies and generally compare their benefits and disadvantages.

Assessment Methods

- Active participation in teaching, case exercise and assignments
- Portfolio of cases
- Quizzes

Back