Opinto-opas

Objective

Upon course completion the student will understand the phases, process, functions, objectives, elements, terminology, theories, tools, activities and issues of implementing marketing strategy especially in an international context; from setting up criteria on which to choose target markets and entry options, and Value-Chain perspectives of entry modes, to expansion issues and understanding global multi-national, and transnational strategies - with their need for standardization and clustering operations - versus the ability to respond to local market pressures; the student will know the linkage of other relevant topics/fields of study such as International Management, International Supply-Chain Management, and Vertical Integrations.

The student will be able to communicate competently in the field of strategic international marketing; will know how to develop an international marketing model, strategy, and plan; be able to analyze industries, markets, competitors; will have further development of personal transferable skills in terms of team work, presentations, cross-cultural communication; and will be more effective in use of IT.

Content

There is a micro-, mezzo-, and macro-approach to the course, so the interrelationships with the rest of the business curriculum, the field itself, as well as the community, are quite explicit, and therefore most competencies and knowledge elements listed in the “Competencies” sections are at least addressed if not stressed.

The course on a micro-level covers specific theories, terms and tools within the “Marketing System” and/or within that subject’s particular area of study (whether Basic Marketing, International Marketing, Marketing Research, Entrepreneurship, Corporate Strategy, etc. – all have specific bases of orientations, models, theories and processes); on a mezzo-level it handles its connection to other courses of the curriculum and often offers cross-boundary projects; and on a macro-level the programme handles larger issues such as ethical considerations, life-long learning, cross-cultural and cross-functional perspectives, long term sustainability, community development, and so on). As a result, specific, as well as deeper and broad-based methods, applications and experiences are covered, while the different competencies (whether developmental, social, communicative, etc.) are nurtured.

Introduction – Review and connections to other subjects

1. The Internationalization Decision: The Firm & Internationalization, Initiation of Internationalization, Theories of Internationalization, Development of the Firm’s International Competitiveness; Push & Pull Factors in Finland

2. Target Market - Country Selection: International Country/Market Selection Process - PESTLE Analysis - and criteria

3. Market Entry Strategies: Approaches, Export Modes, Intermediate Entry Modes, Hierarchical Modes – Value-Chain Perspectives of operations - Transnationalization

4. Expansion Issues: International Marketing Mix Management

5. Globalization & Standardization Versus Multi-Nationalization: Rationalization & Clustering, Catering to Cultures, Organization and Control of Global Programme, Logistics, and SCM

6. Group Project – teamwork on writing and presenting an International Marketing Plan
Sum up: Again, interconnectivities, International Management issues (i.e., the impact of external, national cultures on the internal, organizational arrangements of structure, communications, leadership, HR systems, Ethics, etc. and the subsequent influence on strategy development and implementation).

Closing: Examples of Big Blunders in International Business

Location and time

Please see course syllabus

Materials

Please see course syllabus

Teaching methods

Please see course syllabus

Employer connections

Please see course syllabus

Exam schedules

Please see course syllabus

International connections

Please see course syllabus

Student workload

Please see course syllabus

Content scheduling

Please see course syllabus

Further information

Please see course syllabus

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Sufficient performance:
showing just enough understanding of the subject to merit a pass grade but requiring greater effort to achieve a more satisfactory result

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good performance:
showing strong understanding of basic concepts and good grasp of techniques, but with certain minor problems still requiring further attention

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent performance:
not only fulfils all standard requirements but demonstrates originality and imagination

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Not applicable

Assessment methods and criteria

Please see course syllabus

Qualifications

Marketing

Further information

Here we further develop the terms, theory and tools learned in Marketing and especially now applied in an international context, as well as increase analytic capacity that will further be explored in other courses, e.g., Entrepreneurship, Marketing Research, Contextual Decision-Making, Strategic Management: Context and Analysis, and Strategic Management in Action. It also shows connection to management courses as well as IT and communication courses.