International Business

• Emerging Markets, their Institutions and Challenges (10 ECTS)
• The Emergence of Global Enterprises (10 ECTS)
• Methods in International Business Research (10 ECTS)

• The Global Firm: Trade Policy and Risk Management Strategies (5 ECTS)
• Business-to-Business Purchasing Management (10 ECTS)
• Organising and Managing the Multinational Corporation (10 ECTS)
• Intercultural Competence (5 ECTS)

• Elective Courses (30 ECTS)

• Master's Thesis (30 ECTS)

PREREQUISITE COURSES

In the first semester three prerequisite courses offer you an advanced insight into the theories and topics that are crucial for the understanding, definition and solution of International Business related problems.

The course Emergence of the Global Enterprise gives students a profound understanding of the different theoretical perspectives on the internationalization of firms in order to understand the drivers and decision-making related to the emergence of global enterprises, the operation of the global enterprise, and global business models.

Emerging markets, their institutions and challenges. The course aims at providing an analytical framework for understanding emerging markets and their institutions. The importance and growth potentials of emerging markets, such as for example the Chinese, mean that they cannot be ignored, but their particularities at the same time pose serious liabilities of foreignness for Western firms. Overcoming these liabilities must start with an understanding of the institutional differences between the emerging markets and the economies of the West.

Management Research Method focuses on the production of qualified and justified knowledge which lives up to scientific quality criteria. This is a sine qua non issue for any candidate in business economics, who wishes to make decisions on an informed background. The course introduces a variety of research designs applicable when carrying out research in the area of organisation and management and related areas. Focus will first be on the philosophical issues pertaining to the creation of valid knowledge. In the second part focus will be on techniques for data collection and analysis. These techniques include qualitative as well as quantitative approaches.

SPECIALISATION COURSES

The second semester comprises the following compulsory specialisation courses

The course Organizing and Managing the Multinational Corporation provides students with an understanding of how multinational corporations are organized and managed, and how the MNC can develop different management practices and organizational capabilities dependent on specific contingencies and circumstances. This understanding enables students to take part in decision-making processes within MNCs in a qualified manner.

The course Intercultural Competences gives students with an understanding of how to deal with cultural differences, the role of culture as frameworks for individual and collective actions, and the interplay between cultural structures and individual behavior and train the ability to identify challenges faced by international managers, synthesize the insights gained from the various theoretical fields, and challenge and critically evaluate both functionalist and constructivist, theories and concepts of culture and management.

The course Human Resource Management and Development gives students a fundamental theoretical and practical insight into and understanding of the Human Resource Management (HRM) field – the dynamic interplay of person, job, and organisation. The course aims to train the ability to identify and understand different HRM issues and dilemmas within the field, and also in different forms of organisations. The course will also deal with International HRM.

The course B2B Purchasing Management will teach students how to develop and manage the global purchasing function of an organization. This includes understanding how social buyer-supplier relationships are established, developed, and managed.