International Context of the Firm

Internationalization and globalization as we know it, witnessed a remarkable progress in the last 200 years with a shift from Mercantilism to Free-Market Policy. Even the emerging markets are ground for qualified optimism about the continuation of Globalization. While some companies seem to be the passive «victims» of globalization, others are instead its main architects. By deploying their strategies across national borders, these companies are the most direct vectors of the state of mutual interdependence that characterizes today's international economy. Objectives of this course are the following: - Define the forces behind the international business environments; - Assess the real opportunities and challenges that will impact business strategies; - Predict the future evolution of regulations and international doctrines (e.g. intellectual property); - Develop a globalization strategy.