1655 - Specialisation in BA EM A: Advanced Topics V - International Marketing and Management
| Subtitle: | CBE - Competitive Business Environments |
| Instructors: | em.o.Univ.Prof. Edward Bergman, Ph.D., ao.Univ.Prof. Dr. Franz Tödtling |
| Type: | PI |
| Weekly hours: | 2 |
| Members (max.): | 20 |
| Registration period: | 09/01/08 to 10/01/08 |
| Note: | Die Lehrveranstaltung wird nur im WS angeboten. |
- Class objective(s) (learning outcomes)
- Competitive Business Environments is a case-based discussion course that examines the competitive basis of firms, industries, regions and nations, with the intent of informing future development strategies at all levels. This course will be offered to WU's emerging cadre of business, government and social leaders in conjunction with Prof. Michael Porter at Harvard Business School and professors at 85 business schools in more than 70 other countries during 2008/2009.
- Teaching and learning method(s)
- U.S.-style Case Seminar. All enrolled WU students will have access to joint Harvard Business School/WU web-pages, research archives, downloadable readings and cases, directory of project/other contacts with students at affiliated universities, video streaming of Porter/featured guest lectures, burnable CD copies of lectures/slides, downloadable proprietary data for team projects, etc.
- Criteria for successful completion
- 50% of the course grade depends upon informed and active participation. Self-organised study groups that meet prior to class discussions are encouraged to help students prepare voluntarily offer comments in every class discussion to evaluate diverse aspects of the case being considered. Students should also expect to be called upon, if they are not contributing regularly. Records of daily student participation are used to assign participation grades fairly.
The remaining 50% of each students grade is based upon the overall grade given to a team-project report and presentation, details of which will be provided later. - Availability of instructor(s) for contact by students
- Prof. Edward M. Bergman - Tel. 31336/4882
e-mail: mailto:edward.bergman@wu-wien.ac.atProf. Franz Tödtling - Tel. 31336/4781
e-mail: mailto:franz.toedtling@wu-wien.ac.atFor futher information see our homepage: http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/ruw/lehre/moc
How to find us: See the map at http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/inst/iir/Abteilung_SRE/Plan_Nordbergstr.pdf - Miscellaneous
- Fully-enrolled students must purchase copyright permissions for all HBS cases used in the course from RUW secretariat. Other required readings should be purchased directly from WU bookstore, Amazon.com, or from other sources. Fully enrolled students will be issued a user ID/password to access the course web-page and will be able to download numerous course materials. Due to the nature of this class, only students who are actively-engaged in all components will be allowed to inscribe and complete the course.
The course is scheduled to permit CEMS and ZAS exchange students to complete all cases and class sessions before the Christmas recess.
Detailed schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10/13/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 10/20/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 10/27/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Friday | 10/31/08 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | SR B206 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 11/03/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 11/10/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 11/17/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Friday | 11/21/08 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | SR B206 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 11/24/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Friday | 11/28/08 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | SR B206 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 12/01/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Friday | 12/05/08 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 12/15/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Friday | 12/19/08 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | SR B206 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 12/22/08 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
| Monday | 01/12/09 | 03:30 PM - 05:30 PM | H D205 (UZA 4) |
Contents
The course examines the determinants of competitiveness and successful economic development viewed from bottom-up micro- and meso-economic perspectives. While sound macroeconomic policies, stable legal and political institutions, and improved social conditions create the potential for competitiveness, wealth is generated by productivity improvements at the microeconomic level. Students will consider the sophistication and productivity of firms, the vitality of clusters, and the quality of the business environment in which competition takes place to understand the proximate determinants of a nation's or region's productivity. The course examines these propositions by first building a frame of reference around competitiveness concepts based on Michael Porter and other authors concerning business clusters and economic strategy. The course grounds these propositions on a cumulative sequence of detailed cases, culminating in a team capstone project for a specific region and cluster.
| Unit | Date | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.10.2008 |
COURSE INTRODUCTION Course structure and flow Basic RUW Requirements Class process Grading and feedback Administrative matters Plagiarism Team project Key ECB dates MOC 2008: Harvard and Affiliates Student Agreement |
| 2 | 20.10.2008 |
COMPETITIVENESS FRAMEWORK Finland and Nokia Case The Case illustrates how Finland was able to move from a backward country to a leading knowledge based economy. Nokia is a key player in this development which was able to shift from a resource based firm to a leading position in the mobile phone industry. A key intention of this course unit is to show how the business environment of Finland and the Nordic countries has supported Nokias successful development and how Nokia has contributed to the upgrading of the Finnish economy. |
| 3 | 27.10.2008 |
COMPETITIVENESS IN ADVANCED ECONOMIES Intel Corporation Case Students explore in this case the evolving competitive strategy of Intel Corporation, as it interacted with close and potential competitors, alliance partners and changing needs of the rapidly emerging computer industry in the past 3 decades. Special attention will be focused on key distinctions between corporate and business strategy, which permit later comparisons with strategies adopted by advanced or emerging countries and regions to develop strong business environments. |
| 4 | 31.10.2008 |
COMPETING ACROSS ADVANCED ECONOMY BORDERS Volvo/U.S. Case Global strategies often rely on MNCs successfully entering the largest, most competitive markets. After selling its automobile division, Volvo Trucks decided to focus on entry into the U.S./NAFTA market by reconfiguring certain components of its value-chain through various FDI initiatives. The contrast between Volvos success in European vs. U.S. markets provides excellent insight into the difficulties MNCs encounter in their quest for competitiveness and, indirectly, into some of the principal differences among global business environments. |
| 5 | 03.11.2008 |
COMPETITIVENESS IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES Estonia and Chile Cases This teaching unit deals with competitiveness problems of transition- and developing economies. It focuses at two relatively successful countries with a different history in different geographical settings. The aim is to investigate the challenges, key factors and policy steps taken in the transformation of these two countries. We try to find out if there are - despite varying preconditions - similarities in the policy approaches and outcomes. |
| 6 | 10.11.2008 |
CLUSTERS IN ADVANCED ECONOMIES California and Australian Wine Cluster Cases It is well-known that many firms and regions build on their historical legacies to maintain competitive positions, but the powerful logic of business clusters can sometimes propel newcomers to prominent positions. The emergence of California and even more recently of Australia show how a combination of assets and interactions between small firms and local economies can build formidable economic constellations capable of challenging world leaders. |
| 7 | 17.11.2008 |
CLUSTERS IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES Intel Corporation/Costa Rica Case This unit focuses on the location decision of global companies and on the process of cluster building in a developing economy. The case is linked to the INTEL case (see above), but it applies a different perspective. It investigates the location decisions of global firms from the perspective of a host country, in this case a small developing economy. The efforts taken to attract such a firm and to build an electronics cluster around will be analysed. |
| 8 | 21.11.2008 |
ECONOMIC STRATEGY AND ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN REGIONS Connecticut Case The role of public officials and government in stimulating the economy is seldom remarked upon in a favourable light, particularly in the U.S., so this outcome makes for an interesting case. Doubly interesting is the fact that Connecticuts economy had been historically successful from colonial times to the end of the 20th century, but then needed drastic attention to avoid a serious collapse. Similar to the personal role played by the president Figueres in Costa Rica to attract Intel, students review the actions and leadership Connecticut Governor Rowland provided to reconfigure young or weak clusters and rebuild the states economy. |
| 9 | 24.11.2008 |
ECONOMIC STRATEGY IN RAPIDLY EMERGING ECONOMIES Singapore Case The case investigates the economic strategy of a rapidly emerging economy (one of the tiger-economies in Asia). Today this is one of the leading economies in global competitiveness-rankings. There are some similarities to the Estonia and Chile case but the policy approach differs. Whereas Estonia and Chile have applied a rather (neo-)liberal policy approach, Singapore can be characterised as more interventionist using a paternalistic model of state intervention for its modernization. |
| 10 | 28.11.2008 |
PRESENTATION AND CRITIQUE OF TEAM CLUSTER PROJECTS Interim team project reports will be critiqued by a panel of faculty and students. The reports presented are unlikely to be in final form, but the projects should be sufficiently complete that panelists understand the background and core evidence on which the report will be based. Comments will be directed to core assumptions, possible oversights, missing or incomplete points, and adequacy of evidence. The idea is to provide feedback that can lead to tangible improvements in the final report submitted at the end of semester. |
| 11 | 01.12.2008 |
STRATEGIES OF EMERGING EUROPEAN ECONOMIES Latvia Case The opportunity to join the EU has provided the motivation and focus for several of its new members to make major improvements in their economies. Latvia has organized much of its restructuring around this process, which coincided with a series of other reforms made necessary by the countrys tenuous existence in the past century. In addition to macro-reforms, the restructuring can also be seen to stimulate latent and potential clusters. |
| 12 | 15.12.2008 |
STRATEGIES OF SUB-NATIONAL ECONOMIES IN ADVANCED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES Basque Country Case This teaching unit focuses, like the Connecticut Case, on sub-national regions and their efforts to enhance the competitiveness of the respective regional economies. The Basque country is a relatively wealthy region of Spain with a high degree of autonomy in economic policies. The region has used its powers effectively for its economic transformation applying a distinctive cluster approach. We investigate the background, challenges, steps taken and outcomes of Basque economic policies. |
| 13 | 19.12.2008 |
EUROPEAN COMPETITIVENESS STRATEGIES OF EU European Integration Case The final unit of the course deals with competitiveness problems of the European Union in comparison to the US and Japan. It looks at the steps and mechanisms of economic integration in Europe investigating how effective these were in improving the business environment and competitiveness of European firms. A particular focus lies on the R&D and innovation gap of European firms in comparison to the US and Japan and on the goals of the Lisbon Agenda. |
| 14 | 22.12.2008 | To be announced later |
| 15 | 12.01.2009 |
TEAM PROJECT WORKSHOP Teams and faculty will work together to incorporate comments and suggestions into the analysis and overall design of final reports. Particular emphasis will be placed on strengthening analytic components, refining graphics/tables/maps, tightening arguments, polishing key passages, and formatting the overall document. It is vitally important that teams create a unified, coherent report, not a collection of individual notes and ideas assembled without purpose or structure. |
Literature
Porter, Michael: On Competition, Harvard Business School Publ., 1998; Content relevant for class examination: Ja; Content relevant for degree examination: Nein; Recommendation: Stark empfohlen (aber nicht absolute Kaufnotwendigkeit)
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