CEMS401 Global Strategy

• Topics

  Global Strategy is about strategy in context - it’s about the interaction between the global context of organizations and their strategies and strategic management. As future leaders, it is vital to understand how to navigate the manifold opportunities presented by the globalization of markets, while at the same time being aware of - and able to address - the various challenges that it brings not only for firms of all sizes but also for the communities they are embedded in.

  The Global Strategy course is a cornerstone of the CEMS Master in International Management program, designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge required to thrive in a dynamic global business landscape. The purpose of this course is not to teach ready-made answers, but rather to identify and discuss some of the key strategic issues and challenges managers face when doing business in a global context and to provide useful frameworks, concepts, and perspectives that help find appropriate responses to these challenges. The objective is to advance a comprehensive understanding of contemporary issues in the domains of international business and global strategy, which nowadays go well beyond the "pure business" sphere and touch societal, technological, and environmental questions, too.

  In particular, this Global Strategy course will focus on the following contemporary issues and questions that are currently shaping the global context of strategy and strategic management:

  1. What forces drive recent geopolitical developments and how do these developments change the landscape of globalization? In what ways do these changes impact international business activities and the strategies and strategic management of multinational companies in particular?
  2. How do new digital technologies affect and partly transform the way business is conducted across country borders? In what ways can these technologies help multinational companies to craft effective responses to recent geopolitical developments?
  3. What is the role of international business, and particularly of multinational companies as key actors, in tackling grand societal and environmental challenges, many of which are represented in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?
  4. How can multinational companies balance tensions and manage trade-offs between the requirement for economic viability and the imperatives of sustainability and resilience in global value chains?

  Overall, the course provides a critical view of the principal challenges that strategists face in a global context. It aims to develop an understanding of what constitutes an effective strategy and how a strategic perspective can guide managerial decisions in global arenas so that these decisions may contribute to shaping the future of firms, economies, and societies in a way that is meaningful and impactful.

• Learning outcome

  The Global Strategy course aims at delivering primarily on the following four CEMS MIM competence categories: "internationalism", business embeddedness", "responsible citizenship", and "reflective critical thinking".

  Upon successful completion of the course, the student:

  Knowledge

  • Has advanced knowledge of recent geopolitical developments and globalization dynamics, including a sound understanding of the tensions they create for firms, economies, and societies.
  • Has advanced knowledge of core concepts and theories in the research domains of international business/management and global strategy.
  • Has advanced knowledge and understanding of how to apply these concepts and theories to develop and implement effective strategies for international expansion, coordinating foreign operations, and achieving global competitive advantage.
  • Has advanced understanding of how digital technologies affect international business activities and how value creation and capture across country borders squares with addressing grand societal and environmental challenges.

  Skills

  • Can identify and analytically dissect complex, real-world business challenges in a dynamic, global business environment.
  • Can connect different theories and concepts to comprehensively capture and describe these challenges and develop innovative solutions for how they can be resolved.
  • Can apply research-based tools and frameworks to collect and analyze relevant information on contextual factors to enable informed and reflective decisions.
  • Can identify tensions between economic, social, and environmental requirements in a global business context, and assess how they may be resolved.

  General competence

  • Can communicate effectively and engagingly with business and academic audiences on topics related to globalization dynamics, contemporary international business activity, and the balancing of economic, social, and environmental requirements in a global strategy context.
  • Can critically reflect on their own experiences and can adapt their views when confronted with new information and other perspectives.
  • Can collaborate in an international team and successfully plan and execute project work of high quality.

• Teaching

  The teaching method is student-centered and phenomenon-based, requiring physical attendance and active participation by students throughout classes.

  During classes, theory-focused interventions will provide students with a strong theoretical foundation of international business and strategy in a global context. Theory-focused interventions will be complemented by application-oriented interventions and contributions of guest speakers, who will share first-hand experiences and provide valuable perspectives and insights from the "frontlines" of international business and global strategy "in practice".

  Partly during classes, but mainly between classes, students work in teams (5-6 students) on a semester project in which they analyze and develop recommendations for how to tackle a contemporary global strategy issue or challenge. Through the work on their semester projects, students learn to connect theories and frameworks covered in the lectures and to apply them as a group in a real-world business context. Student groups will present their findings to the class and collect feedback that they shall integrate into their final project report.

  The teaching method promotes a transformative learning experience that prepares students to become effective and responsible global business leaders. By emphasizing internationalism, business embeddedness, responsible citizenship, and reflective critical thinking, the teaching method aims to provide students with the diverse skills and perspectives needed to excel in today's dynamic and interconnected business environment.

  Classes take place once a week (3-4 hours).

• Restricted access

  This course is only open for CEMS students.

• Recommended prerequisites

  Familiarity with global economic trends is recommended, but not required.

• Required prerequisites

  Basic knowledge about strategic management fundamentals gained in prior coursework or from a standard textbook, such as:

  • Jay B. Barney: Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage (2007, 2010); or
  • Grant, R. M. (2021). Contemporary strategy analysis. John Wiley & Sons. (or earlier editions)

  Enthusiasm for international business and a willingness to engage in active learning are essential.

• Credit reduction due to overlap

  CEMS401 Global Strategy replaces INB422C International Strategy and thus cannot be taken in combination with INB422C International Strategy.

• Compulsory Activity

  Course approval consists of two elements:

  • Submission of two interim deliverables, as part of the semester project (group work)
  • Passing of two online quizzes (individual work)

  The course approval is valid only for the semester in which the student participated in the course.

• Assessment

  The assessment comprises two parts:

  • Final report of semester project (group work; 50%)
  • Digital school exam (4h, individual work; 50%)

  Group size 5-6 students. Student (groups) will work on the project over the semester, and have two interim deliverables to submit along the way as part of their course approval at dates that will be communicated in due time (first lecture).

  All parts have to be taken in the same semester and it is not possible to retake elements separately.

• Grading Scale

  A - F

• Literature

  The required readings in this course will consist of a selection of articles. A list of these articles will be published upon course start in Canvas (Leganto).

• Permitted Support Material

  One bilingual dictionary (Category I) 

  All in accordance with Supplementary provisions to the Regulations for Full-time Study Programmes at the Norwegian School of Economics Ch.4 Permitted support material https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/regulations/https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/regulations/ and https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/examination-support-materials/https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/examination-support-materials/