CMF I12 - Globalization, Governance and Corporate Strategy*

Faculty
Anna Leander, Hans Krause, Steen Nepper Larsen, Peter D. Ørberg Jensen, Ole Thyssen, Steen Vallentin

Course Coordinator
Steen Vallentin

The course is open to all students, but demands a significant level of theoretical and conceptual reflection.

The aim of the course is to provide students with a rich and multifaceted understanding of the opportunities and challenges that the globalization of the economy entails for modern business. Also, the course will, almost unavoidably, focus on the impact of globalization on society in general and individual identities. A key premise of the course is that the process of globalization cannot be understood solely in economic terms, i.e. in terms of how it affects economic relations and transactions. It must also be understood in terms of its social implications in a much wider sense, including political, legal, cultural and moral dimensions. Another vital premise of the course is that companies, although to varying degrees, are affected by all these dimensions of globalization. The course will show how globalization is a topic that lends itself not only to economic analysis but also to philosophical reflection.

The importance of knowing about the intricacies of globalization processes, and the tensions they involve, is accentuated by developments such as the proliferation of global mass media and the increasing outsourcing of production from Western to developing countries and the problems this involves in terms of securing responsible business operations in global supply-chains. Indeed, even production aimed at national or regional markets may involve globally dispersed supply-chains. The emergence of China as a new industrial super power, attracting production and resources from all over the world, has also added new dimensions to the globalization debate.

The course will emphasize the corporate point of view in regard to globalization. Thus, it will provide a close-focus on some of the most pressing issues that companies are faced with in the global economy, including regulatory matters, offshoring and corruption. Also, the course will make use of business cases and -examples throughout in order to secure practical relevance

In addition to the corporate view, the course will focus on the historical and conceptual background of globalization and the importance of a broader understanding of the phenomenon – including its societal and individual implications in a wider sense. Indeed, the philosophical and analytical aspects of globalization will be discussed in depth and these discussions will provide general themes for the course.

The first lecture presents the outline of the course and provides an introduction to its theme emphasizing the corporate point of view: what does the globalized economy entail for companies in terms of business opportunities and challenges? How do companies deal with these opportunities and challenges? And what are the general societal and individual implications of globalization? The second lecture looks into the historical and conceptual background of globalization. This retrospective is necessary in order to be able to properly contextualize and analyze the phenomenon and in order to understand what is radically new about the globalization trends we have witnessed within the last decade or so

After these introductory lectures, the course is divided into two modules. The first is entitled Globalization and Governance: Core concepts and critical perspectives. This module deals with the economic, political, cultural, moral and identity aspects of globalization – and with the various criticisms that are levelled at globalization (as phenomenon and concept) and global capitalism. It touches on the social activist forces at play in the anti-globalization movement, and on the constant tension between the local and the global which characterizes the globalization debate as well as corporate approaches to global business. This tension is expressed conceptually in the amalgam: ‘Glocalization’. Also, the module provides insights into issues and perspectives concerning regulation, global governance and global governmentality, with a special focus on one of the most politically charged issues that companies have to deal with on the global scale: (anti-)corruption.

The second module is entitled Globalization and Corporate Strategy, and focuses on matters concerning outsourcing and offshoring. The module provides a broad view of the strategic aspects of doing business in the global economy, including matters relating to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The module establishes a theoretical foundation for an understanding of international business and outsourcing + offshoring, and looks at the latest trends in these areas. The module involves case-work. The students will get a concrete assignment based on a business case and will, in groups, have to do a plenary presentation of their findings.

There may be minor changes to the program.

To make students more aware of what it means to be a global citizen, and to make them aware of the complex interplay between the local and the global in human affairs.

After following the course, students are expected to be able to:

Individual, written 72-hour assignment based on questions (# 3). All aids are permitted.

Graded: passed/failed.