MSc Business Analysis and Strategic Management / Course details

The twentieth century witnessed major changes in the degree of international competition, trade, capital flows and management, with significant increases occurring in the last quarter of the century. It was also characterised by the development of different types of industrial capitalism, including major differences in the nature of competition, regulation, firms and their capabilities. These variations in the organisation of market economies resulted from differences in the dominant institutions governing capital, labour and product markets across countries and regions.  Dominant ways of competing and cooperating in national and international markets thus vary between different systems of economic coordination and control, or business systems, interdependently with particular societal institutions. Management increasingly involves organising activities across different kinds of business systems and so managers have to understand how and why they vary and change.

BMAN72631 Programme Req: BMAN72631 is only available as a core unit to students on MSc BASM

The unit aims:

• To show students how firms and markets are organised differently across the world such that companies in varied business     systems develop distinctive capabilities and strategies;

• To explain why these differences have developed and how they are likely to change;

• To show how international firms manage activities across different business systems and institutional frameworks;

• To enable students to understand how different kinds of internationalising companies develop distinctive capabilities through operating in contrasting kinds of society.

Students will be able to:

• To compare different business systems and understand why they are distinctive;
• To analyse the preferred strategies and capabilities of firms from different business systems;
• To understand how firms from different societies internationalise in contrasting ways and develop distinctive capabilities;
• To understand how national and international firms and markets are changing.

Group presentation (25%)

Examination based on a case study (75%)

Verbal feedback during presentations, written feedback on presentations after moderation

Informal advice and discussion during a lecture, seminar, workshop or lab

Responses to student e-mails and questions from a member of staff including feedback provided to a group via an online discussion forum

Specific course related feedback sessions

Written and/or verbal comments on assessed or non-assessed coursework

Written and/or verbal comments after students have given a group or individual presentation

Key Readings (additional recommended readings will focus on the current empirical evidence for the key concepts)

R. Whitley, Divergent Capitalisms.

P Ghemawat, "Semiglobalization and international business strategy," Journal of International Business Studies, 34 (2003) 138-152.

P. Dicken, Global Shift, pages 198-220.

 

R Whitley, Business Systems and Organisational Capabilities,

R. Whitley (2001) "The Institutional Structuring of Business Transactions", in R Applebaum, W Felstiner and V Gessner (eds) Rules and Networks, Oxford: Hart.

M Granovetter (2005) "Business Groups and Social Organization," pages 429-450 in N J Smelser and R Swedberg (eds) The Handbook of Economic Sociology, second edition.

M Sako, Prices, Quality and Trust, chapter 1.

J Rubery and D Grimshaw, The Organization of Employment, Palgrave Macmillan, 2003

L Weiss (ed) States in the Global Economy, chapters 12 and 14.

F Allen and D Gale (2000) Comparing Financial Systems, chapters 3 and 4.

A Tylecote and F Visintin (2008) Corporate Governance, Finance and the Technological Advantage of Nations, Routledge and Kegan Paul, ch 3.

S Jacoby (2005) The Embedded Corporation, Princeton University Press. Chapter 5.

C. Hampden-Turner and F. Trompenaars (1993) Seven Cultures of Capitalism, chapter 1.

D. Hickson and D. Pugh, Management Worldwide, chapter 2.

Informal contact methods

Online Learning Activities (blogs, discussions, self-assessment questions)

Drop in surgeries (extra help sessions for students on material they may be struggling with