International Management

Academic Year 2023-2024

(6013B0536Y)

Course coordinator: Markus Paukku

Email: m.p.paukku@uva.nl
Office hours: REC M3.01R - By appointment

Instructor Groups
Markus Paukku Lectures, Work groups 3, 4, 7, 10
Guido Berends Work groups 2, 5, 6
Junlin Yang Work groups 1, 8, 9

Objectives
Upon the successful completion of this course students will be able to:
• understand key dynamics of a complex and changing globalized business environment;
• identify the salient factors that are relevant for the management of international business
operations and the execution of multinational strategies;
• assess current topics and business challenges facing the managers of multinational companies;
• apply the learnings from the course to analyze contemporary international strategies and the
management of international business operations;
• develop tools and frameworks by which to provide recommendations for multinational
companies and their managers.

Contents
Given the recent turmoil it is safe to say that the global business environment is complex – and always
changing. The course will focus on the management of international complexity and the challenges
faced by multinational companies. The course will build on the course International Business and
further develop the students’ understanding of the dynamics that shape the globalized business
environment. The course will focus on the multinational company and develop frameworks by which
to understand the managerial processes that allow companies to successfully operate in multiple
geographies, business systems, and cultures. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the
frameworks that allow for a meaningful discussion of contemporary international management
challenges as well as the tools that can be used to provide strategy recommendations for
multinational companies. The course will address current topics in international management, draw
on international business practice, and apply learnings to real business challenges through cases.

1
Teaching format
• Lecture Mondays (note exceptions on rooster.uva.nl)
• Work Group Tuesday or Thursday (note exceptions on rooster.uva.nl)
• Mid-term exam April 23, 2024 (World Fashion Center West)
• Final exam May 30, 2024 13:30-15:30 (IWO 4.04B Geel / C Blauw)

Study material
• "International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace" (14th edition) authored by Hill
and Hult and published by McGraw Hill Education.
• Academic and managerial articles, podcasts, videos, etc. as posted on Canvas course page

Assessment
• Midterm exam Digital, on-campus 20%
• Final exam Digital, on-campus 60%
• Team Case Debate Work Group 20%
• Team Weekly Case Brief Canvas Submission Pass/Fail

The weighted average grade for the written exams should be at least 5,5. The results for the team
assignments are also valid for the resit, but only if the resit is taken in the same academic year.
The most current grade is recorded (not highest of the two). Attendance of work group seminars
is mandatory and necessary to participate in the exam.

Obligatory attendance of Work Group Sessions

To successfully complete this course, it is strongly recommended that you attend all work group
seminars. However, you are allowed to miss at most one of the work group sessions. If you miss
more than one work group sessions, you do not fulfil the assessment criteria for this course, and
risk not being able to complete the course this year. If you miss more than one work group sessions
due to personal circumstances or illness, please contact the study advisors. Depending on their
assessment of your situation, you may be granted an exception. If the study advisor does not
consider your reasons for absence to be valid, you will be barred from the course and the exam.

2
Topic Session / Topic Material

Introduction to the Course

Topic: Hill and Hult - Chapter 16
International Business Functions
Topic
1 Introduction to the Course Format - Group formation
Seminar Case: Higher education exporting and international
competitiveness? (p. 664)
Hill and Hult - Chapter 17
Topic: Short, J.L. & Toffel, M.W. (2021). Manage the Suppliers That
Global Production and Supply Could Harm Your Brand. Harvard Business Review, 99(2)
Topic Chain Management
2 Podcast: When Everyone Can See Your Supply Chain

Seminar Case: China: The World’s Manufacturing Hub (p. 530)

Hill and Hult - Chapter 18

Topic: Rust, R. T., Moorman, C., & Bhalla, G. (2010). Rethinking
Global Marketing and Business marketing. Harvard business review, 88(1/2), 94-101.
Topic Analytics
3 Podcast: Revisiting jobs to be done with Clayton Christensen

Seminar Case: Marketing Sneakers (p. 668)

Midterm Exam (April 23, 2024) / No Class

Hill and Hult - Chapter 19

Giles, S. (2016). The most important leadership competencies,
Topic: according to leaders around the world. Harvard Business
Global HR Management Review, 15.
Guest speaker:
Topic Russwurm, S., Hernandez, L., Chambers, S., & Chung, K.
Alexei Koveshnikov,
4 (2011). Developing your global know-how. Harvard Business
(Aalto University)
Review, 89(3), 70-+.
Podcast: Why Connector Managers Build Better Talent

Seminar Case: Global Mobility at Shell (p. 670)

Topic:
Hill and Hult - Chapter 20
Accounting and Finance in
International Business Hankins, K.W. & Petersen, M. (2020) Why Are Companies
Topic Guest speaker: Sitting on So Much Cash? Harvard Business Review
5 Richard van Houdt (ING)

Case: Tesla, Inc. – Subsidizing Tesla

Seminar Automobiles Globally (available on Canvas)
Bhattacharya, C.B., & Polman, P. (2017) Sustainability lessons
from the front lines. MIT Sloan Management Review, 58(2).
Topic: Kaplan, S. (2020) Why social responsibility produces more
Sustainable International Business resilient organizations. MIT Sloan Management Review.
Topic
6 Exam Review

Seminar Case: Microsoft Goes Carbon Neutral (p. 640)

3
Work Group Seminar setup and expectations
While the lectures are aimed to provide you with the fundamental notions of international
business, the work group seminars are characterized by discussions around cases. Active
participation during the class discussions is absolutely necessary to achieve the learning goals of
this course.

Case Debates (20% of course grade)

Each session in topics 2-6, two teams will present different perspectives on the case and debate
the merits of their proposed strategies. The positions of each team for each case will be posted
on Canvas. All the assigned cases can be found at the end of the textbook in the section titled
“Integrative Cases”.
The presenting teams will present a prepared argument (10 minutes) followed by a round of
rebuttals (4 minutes), closing arguments (2 min) and a question and answer session by the class.
The format of the debate will be established during the first session of the course. The order of the
debating teams will be drawn in the first session. The remaining teams will act as the jury and are
responsible for asking questions of the debating teams.

Case Brief (Graded as pass/fail)

Each week all teams will consider the week’s case, and all non-presenting teams must submit a
written assignment to be submitted on Canvas. The brief is maximum two (2) pages (including
references), prioritizing their concerns about the business decision(s) to be made with respect to
the assigned case question(s), within the context of the readings. (i.e., what would your team
recommend the company do). Please include team members’ names in the header on the first
page. Questions for each case will be found on Canvas.

Topic Case Pro Con

2 Manufacturing

3 Sneakers

4 Shell

4 Tesla

6 MS CO2