Teaching code

4S008090

Teacher

Fabio Cassia

Coordinator

Fabio Cassia

Credits

9

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

SECS-P/08 - MANAGEMENT

Period

Secondo semestre LM dal Feb 17, 2025 al May 23, 2025.

Courses Single

Authorized

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

The course aims at providing students with a set of theoretical and practical tools to manage a firm’s internationalization process covering all its main forms (internationalization of manufacturing, sourcing and selling activities), with a particular focus on exporting. At the end of the course, students will be able to autonomously analyse business opportunities in foreign markets and to design successful strategies and to make operational decisions to successfully exploit such opportunities. In addition, students will be able to understand the main problems faced by firms in their international business development process and to identify proper solutions to manage them.

Prerequisites and basic notions

None.

Program

1) International markets and Italian firms
-the current scenario and the future trends of international markets (globalization, digitalization, mature and emerging markets)
-the position of Italian firms in the international competition
2) The internationalization of the firm
-a short overview of the theories about the internationalization of the firm
-the international strategies and management of international firms
-the specific features of SMEs’ internationalization process
3) Internationalization of manufacturing and sourcing
-internationalization of manufacturing
-global sourcing
-from offshoring to reshoring
4) Exporting
-the identification of opportunities: analyzing country attractiveness and accessibility
-foreign markets entry modes: from “traditional” modes to cross-border e-commerce
-positioning of the offering
-product strategy
-pricing strategy
-communication strategy and cross-cultural management
5) Export manager, export department and organization of the internationalized firm
STUDY MATERIALS
Study materials (identical for students attending and students not attending the lectures) consist of:
-contents of the lectures and slides (the slides are uploaded on Moodle before every lecture).
-Bertoli, Valdani (2023), “Marketing internazionale”, Terza Edizione, Egea (except chapter 1 and the appendix).
All participants are recommended to use the Moodle platform, where lecture slides as well as guidelines about the logical reasoning to integrate the textbook and the lecture slides will be provided.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

TEACHING METHODS
Teaching methods encompass lectures, analysis of practical case studies and discussion with entrepreneurs and managers giving guest lectures. These methods are aimed to provide participants both with the needed knowledge regarding international management and with the ability to apply such knowledge practically and critically.
The students may optionally decide to participate to a teamwork which consists of the analysis of the exporting strategy of a firm. The teamwork is totally elective and is intended as an opportunity for participants to test their ability to apply the acquired knowledge. The instructions for the teamwork will be presented during the lectures. The teamwork will be evaluated with 1 to 3 points, which will be summed to the mark of the exam.
Lessons will be held in person at the times indicated in the specific section of the website. However, the instructional content of the lessons will be recorded, and the recordings will be available on the course’s Moodle platform. Participatory teaching activities will be conducted in the classroom and may not be recordable due to their nature.

Learning assessment procedures

Examination methods and contents are the same for all students (for both students who attend and students who do not attend the lectures).
ASSESSMENT METHODS: Written exam which includes five questions with a limited space for each answer (an example of the exam will be provided in Moodle).
AIMS: The exam aims at evaluating both the level of knowledge acquired by the students and their ability to apply such knowledge to practical business situations.
CONTENTS: The exam covers all the contents of the course (including entrepreneurs’ and managers’ guest lectures).

Evaluation criteria

The evaluation takes into consideration the following elements: level of knowledge, ability to critically apply knowledge, appropriate use of the technical language.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

A grade from 0 to 6 is given to the answers to the 5 questions. The final mark is obtained by summing the ratings obtained in the answers to the 5 questions. A mark equal to or higher than 18/30 is required to pass the exam.

Exam language

Italiano.

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