Lappeenranta, Finland

Globalizing Business: How to Become a Global Company?

when 3 July 2023 - 7 July 2023
language English
duration 1 week
credits 3 EC
fee EUR 679

This course unit aims to provide the students with the knowledge of the processes related to the corporate strategic decision making. Since the early 1990’s the global business environment has attracted companies to expand operations beyond national and regional markets. Some companies have succeeded in becoming global players, while the others have struggled, and also failed to make the transition. The course builds on the theoretical foundations of the corporate strategy research. Learning method blends informative lectures with corporate case studies and group work exercises and workshops.

The course builds on the theoretical foundations of the corporate strategy research. The focus is on three case studies of major Finnish corporations (KONE corporation, Vaisala corporation, METSO corporation). The case studies open the complexity of the strategic decision making within a company that explores opportunities to transfer from national into global markets.
The core topics are as follows:
1. How companies move from national into international and global markets?
2. How the strategic decision-making process evolves over time and what are the roles and tasks of corporate institutions (CEO, Board of Directors and Executive team)?
3. How companies recognize opportunities and how they build strategic capabilities and competences?
4. What role technology, innovation and specialization play in the strategic decision-making process?
5. What role tradition and history play in the strategic decision making?

Course leader

Karl-Erik Michelsen, Professor, LUT University

Target group

Graduate and Postgraduate students, Undergraduate students (min. 150 ECTS completed)

Course aim

The course aims to provide the students with the knowledge of the
processes related to the corporate strategic decision making. Small, mid-size and large companies are constantly looking for opportunities to enlarge and develop operations and conquer new market shares. This requires dynamic capabilities and competences and strategic decision-making processes. The main objectives of the course are:
1) to inspire students to investigate how companies build competences and how they transfer from local to national and finally to global markets.
2) to increase the understanding of internal and external factors that shape the strategic decision-making process.
3) to equip students with the frameworks that explain why some companies are more capable for succeeding in making transformation and entering to the global markets.
4) to give students practical knowledge on how to study and investigate strategic decision-making processes.

Credits info

3 EC
- Interactive lectures and in-class assignments 30 hours
- Group-work assignments 30 hours
- Workshops 20 hours
Total workload 80 hours.

Fee info

EUR 679: Tuition fee includes attending the course, 1 lunch/day and social activities.

Scholarships

The LUT Summer School does not offer scholarships to attending the courses. However there is a 10% 'early bird' tuition fee discount available for all students who submit their application before 1 March 2023.