Foundations of Business Management

This course covers the fundamentals of strategic management. It covers a wide range of topics related to business management (e.g., strategic management and aspects of marketing). This course introduces the overview of the most significant principles and concepts for comprehending how businesses operate in today's society. This comprises a review of an extremely dynamic, globalizing competitive environment, as well as a review of the essential internal (core) competences.

Learning Outcomes:

The course aims to develop analytical skills that facilitate problem-solving and strategic decision-making activities in companies.

Upon completion of the course, students should understand different perspectives on the topics and know in which situations which tools can be used and what the limitations of these models/concepts are. Students will be able to integrate future strategy and business model concepts into the taxonomy of approaches.

Content:

1. Introduction: What is strategic corporate management and why is it relevant?
2. Analysis of the market / competitive environment
   • PESTEL
   • Five-Forces Analysis according to M.E. Porter
   • Competitor analysis
   • Strategic groups
3. Strategic positioning options for companies
   • Basics (labelling: strategy, vision & mission)
   • Resource-based versus market-based view
   • Value chain (labelling and analysis incl. SWOT)
   • Generic competitive strategies
   • Strategic market segmentation
   • Red/ Blue Ocean Strategy
   • Platform Strategies
4. Summary of key learning outcomes

Foundations of International Management

This module provides students with the basic knowledge of strategic corporate management. Participants learn about business analysis tools that can be applied in companies, regardless of size and degree of internationalisation, in order to survive in an increasingly global competitive environment. A wide variety of didactic formats are used.

Learning Outcomes:

Basics of International Management cover topics like e.g., the critical success factors with regard to a) the relocation of selected value creation activities abroad and b) outsourcing as well as contract manufacturing are elaborated. Furthermore, students learn about various forms of market selection and market entry strategies as well as methods for determining the optimal time to enter foreign markets.

The course gives an introduction to the most relevant principles and concepts which are necessary to understand how companies operate in today’s international business environments. The course aims further at developing analytical skills that facilitate the problem-solving and strategic decision-making activities in companies.

Personal Competence (Social Competence)

After successful completion of the course, students can work together purposefully and respectfully in (inter)national teams. In addition, they can conduct subject-specific discussions on issues of International Management and present and represent the results of their work in accordance with the requirements of the professional world.

Personal Competence (Self-employment)

Upon successful completion of the module, students can conduct case studies on International Management issues independently and/or as part of a team. They are able to independently select and apply adequate analysis tools and to reflect their analysis results self-critically.

Content:

Day 1

1. Brief review of key learning objectives from the course “Foundations of Business Management” and Relevance of the topic "International Management
2. Selection of the most suitable locations for selected value chain activities
3. Basics of Captive Sourcing, Outsourcing and Contract Manufacturing
4. Critical success factors of outsourcing R&D and production activities
5. Summary of key learning outcomes

Day 2

1. Case study analysis on the topic of "international expansion"
2. Forms of Market Entry
3. The right time for international expansion: First Mover or Follower strategy
4. Excursus: Platform strategies
5. Summary of key learning outcomes