The International Business course addresses aspects related to the modern firm, the challenges it faces and opportunities it may pursue abroad through implementation of appropriate strategies.
Internationalization of a firm is one of the most important trends taking place in business nowadays. When the firm expands in the international marketplace, it has to adjust its internal competencies and resources. Furthermore, it has to formulate its strategies in order to exploit opportunities abroad that may shape the firm’s growth worldwide and eliminate possible threats in the international environment.
The IB course covers the key elements of the international business environment (the external environment), and the strategic decision-making inside the firm (the internal environment) with specific reference to IB theories and frameworks. In this course we will, also, discuss and differentiate methods and strategies that companies use to analyze, enter and develop business in foreign markets. This will cover international market research methods, and strategic international market development decisions. Additionally, it focuses on the emergence of international firms (small and large) in all parts of the world, managerial challenges and implications of going international and the competing and complementary goals of governments and international businesses. The latter includes discussion of frameworks to help us understand economic and political integration processes.
Answers will be provided to questions such as “Why do firms decide to go international?”, “Which markets should a firm choose to enter?”, “Which methods should they choose?”, “How should they manage the internationalization process?”, “What is regional economic integration and what challenges modern firms face when going international?”, “What are the instruments of government intervention and how can firms respond to these?”, and “What role do developed, developing and emerging markets play and how can they influence international business activities?”
It is likely that an ability to use the knowledge gained in previous modules will help the students. However, this module places particular emphasis on the global context of doing business across and between national boundaries requiring engagement with the International Business academic literature.
- Teacher: PANAGIOTA-AUANASIA SAPOYNA