Introduction
For decades, policies supporting increased globalization created opportunities for firms to reach new markets and to tap into advantages such as lower labor costs or the ability to achieve economies of scale. However, the competitive landscape is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic with geopolitical tensions, wars, and unexpected disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are asking if we are entering era of deglobalization.
This course focuses on understanding how external environments affect firms’ strategic decisions and performance. We introduce frameworks and tools to support key strategic decisions when operating in a global or regional context addressing key questions such as: Why internationalize? How will increasing uncertainty affect international operations? How can firms assess and compare foreign markets? What makes one market more attractive than another market? How do institutional and cultural differences influence business? Which strategy is most suitable for global organizations? How can firms adapt to the changing business landscape? We also discuss the boundary conditions of existing theoretical perspectives for new types of organizations in digital and sharing economies as well as for other newcomers to the competitive landscape such as emerging market multinationals and firms with alternative governance structures.
The sessions are taught by faculty members at BI Norwegian Business School with extensive global experience and top tier research publications within the field.