Faculty
Assistent Prof. Jeppe Strandsbjerg, Associate Prof. Joachim Lund,Prof. Lars Bo Kaspersen

Course Coordinator
Jeppe Strandsbjerg

It is a core assumption of most globalisation literature that companies become increasingly ‘footloose’ in terms of their country of origin; that they operate increasingly independently of state boundaries; and, indeed, that they are constructing a new logic of operations that take over functions that were previously the task of the state. This course examines why business still needs the state in general. Not only in terms of a cultural luggage that inevitably frames a large company but also in terms of what is required for a company to conduct business: a legal order, security, predictability, and so forth. Theoretically the course presents perspectives on what the state is and what business is, and it suggests that the state and business operate according to different spatial logics: the state is defined by its territory and companies have always operated in networks. These two spatial logics are at the heart of the difference between a state and company. Empirically, we investigate what businesses did when there were no recognisable state structures in place. We look at: 1) early waves of globalisation where companies rather than states expanded their operations from Europe; 2) business conditions in contemporary areas where states are very weak or are ‘failing’; 3) and finally we look at the practices of companies in the Arctic region where the Arctic Sea states are currently trying to expand their maritime jurisdiction. The question is here, what companies do when territorial jurisdictions are as yet unsettled.

Faculty wise the course brings together expertise in business history (JL), globalisation (LBK, GT), and international relations (JS).

The course promotes the argument that business does need the state with the hope that the students will critically engage, and challenge this claim. The main objective is for the students to be aware of the ‘division of labour’ between companies and the state in order to understand the possibilities and constraints of doing business in ‘less secure’ areas.

Teaching format: the course will primarily be based on lectures but students are expected to contribute significantly to discussions. The students are furthermore encouraged to choose an empirical case which they can work with throughout the course and use for their written assignment. There will be opportunities for students to present work on these cases during the semester. Finally the organisers aim to get representatives from relevant MNCs to present guest lectures.

Learning objectives:

- describe the relationship between business and the state

- apply the concepts ‘network’ and ‘territory’ to analyse this relationship

- select a historical or contemporary case and formulate a research question that allows the student to

- reflect on the implications of weak state structures for business operations.

Written home assignment

The final list of readings depends on current research but the following titles are likely to be part of the curriculum:

Agnew, J. A. and S. Corbridge (eds.)(1995). Mastering Space: hegemony, territory and international political economy. London: Routledge.

Billon, P. L. (2004). The Geopolitical Economy of 'Resource Wars'. Geopolitics 9(1)

Hirst, P. Q., G. Thompson, et al. (2009). Globalization in Question: the international economy and the possibilities of governance. Cambridge, Polity.

Palan, R. (2003). The Offshore World: sovereign markets, virtual places, and nomad millionaires. Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University Press.

Sack, R. D. (1986). Human Territoriality: its theory and history. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Søile, Klaus Solberg (forthcoming): Geopolitical Intelligence, Rowman & Littlefield.