Contemporary International Management Paradoxes, 15 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Course offered for

• Master's Programme in Business Administration - Strategy and Management in International Organisations

Entry requirements

• Bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen within Business Administration or Economics
  or
  A bachelor's degree equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen with/and at least 60 ECTS (two semesters of full-time study) of Business Administration-related courses (for example Accounting, Marketing, Organization Theory, Strategy, Finance, HRM)
• English corresponding to the level of English in Swedish upper secondary education (English 6/B)
  (Exemption from Swedish)

Intended learning outcomes

After having successfully completed this course, the student should be able to:

• identify and explain underlying causes of the societal process of globalization, historical and recent,
• engage in a discourse on cooperation, integration and exchange in the context of a globalized multipolar economy,
• identify, explain and apply firm-level strategic and managerial concepts that pertain to globalization and the globalized business environment,
• connect and contrast research findings with real life situations,
• integrate knowledge gained through reading, discussions, experiences and cases, and express this orally as well as in writing
• design a qualitative study, collect data using interviews and analyze the data using the theories presented in the course.

Course content

This course places the firm in the historical evolution of the global business environment, and then moves into the highly competitive business environment of the 21st century; global and dynamic, internet-based with competition often based on intangible resources, coupled with demands for ethical firm behavior and a sustainable ecological footprint. Here, firms face a series of seemingly paradoxical demands for being global and local, standardized and diverse, responsive and integrated, innovative and efficient while considering ethical and environmental issues.

Teaching and working methods

The course is designed to encourage active participation and the students are involved in various forms of interactive learning situations. The basic learning pillars are

• Interactive lectures, complemented by individual reading to introduce the students to the research areas, lay a theoretical foundation, and provide a basis for discussion.
• Cases and classic seminars where the students will discuss and apply what they have learned during lectures and reading to practice their ability to analyse complex situations, and present reasonable and relevant solutions to problems in these areas.
• Paper-writing based on lectures, readings, cases and team discussions.
• Method workshop to provide knowledge for doing a qualitative study based on interviews and then write a paper focusing on analyzing the data collected using the theories presented in the course.

Examination

The course will be examined through a number of exercises that are spread out over the duration of the course and will encompass:

• Individual and group papers
• Individual and group analysis and presentation of casework
• Active participation in seminars
• An oral exam

A more detailed description of each exercise and its weight in the final grade can be found in the coursestudy guide.

If special circumstances prevail, and if it is possible with consideration of the nature of the compulsory component, the examiner may decide to replace the compulsory component with another equivalent component.

If the LiU coordinator for students with disabilities has granted a student the right to an adapted examination for a written examination in an examination hall, the student has the right to it.

If the coordinator has recommended for the student an adapted examination or alternative form of examination, the examiner may grant this if the examiner assesses that it is possible, based on consideration of the course objectives.

An examiner may also decide that an adapted examination or alternative form of examination if the examiner assessed that special circumstances prevail, and the examiner assesses that it is possible while maintaining the objectives of the course.

Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course twice are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination.

Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

Grades

Other information

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. 

The course is conducted in such a way that there are equal opportunities with regard to sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation and age.

If special circumstances prevail, the vice-chancellor may in a special decision specify the preconditions for temporary deviations from this course syllabus, and delegate the right to take such decisions.

Department