International Strategy

When a company's activities and influence cross national borders, its management encounter factors that introduce new strategic tradeoffs and fresh strategic choices.The three overarching factors are heterogeneity across markets (countries are fundamentally different), the scale and complexity of global operations (you need to comprehend and manage a lot more) and the unpredictability of economic and political conditions between countries (the volatility of exogenous global events). Each factor has profound implications both for the type of competitive advantage or scope economy that justifies geographical expansion and for critical decisions concerning how the company is configured and positioned to compete internationally.

This elective focuses on the challenges and opportunities facing managers, leaders and entrepreneurs when they engage with customers, competitors and cultures beyond their home market. Through a set of carefully chosen case studies and readings, we consider these challenges and opportunities from the perspective of large and mid-sized companies, newer entrepreneurial ventures and long established transnational corporations. These are developed economy-based businesses and companies coming from emerging markets.