Taught modules in summer semester 2024
- The start of lectures by Johannes Stephan in summer semester 2024 will be postponed by one week -
International Business and Management
The intention of this module is that students are enabled to analyse the particularities of management of firms where several international markets are involved. The module prepares to-be-managers or high-level public administration employees for the particular challenges and problems involved with the internationalisation of firms, the governance of foreign direct investment (inward and outward), and the management of multi-national corporations. After completion of the module, students can analyse and assess the value of inward and outward foreign direct investment of firms for the host and home countries.
The first part of this course focuses on the ability to explain the existence of the multinational enterprise by generalising the theory of the firm and its characterisation on the one side and particularities of management in multinational enterprises on the other. The management part of the course enables students to analyse strategies of entry into foreign markets, including entry modes, entry timing and the location from an institutional perspective and by use of case studies. The third part of the course enables students to understand and apply strategies of management of knowledge and R&D both within the multinational enterprise and between the multinational enterprise and its host economies. This is discussed in terms of effects of knowledge and R&D management on subsidiary development and on technology transfer externalities (spillovers). The final part enables students to assess national and regional policies to attract or demotivate internationalisation of firms and industries.
Competition Policy and Intellectual Property Rights
This module is split into two sections. The objective of the first section is to make students aware of the role of market-competition and competition policy for economic catch-up development with a focus on emerging markets. In particular, the pros and cons of competition law enforcement in emerging markets, as discussed in academia and the (international) political sphere, are critically reviewed and discussed with a view on developing an own educated opinion.
The objective of the second section is to make students aware of the two faces of IPR protection (copyright, trademark, trade secrets, and patents): the protection of IPR as a driver of investment, research and development, as well as innovation on the one side, and IPR as a hindrance to the dissemination, use of knowledge, and of competition on the other. In addition, the discussion of the design of IPR regimes focuses on how enterprises in catch-up economies can use IPR regimes to excel in international competitiveness. Students develop an own educated opinion of the form and function of forward looking institution of an IPR regime that balances the needs of both sides of the IPR market.