Teaching

Our teaching focus is on organisation and strategy in international contexts. In this regard, the emphasis lies on the analysis and development of corporate and competitive strategies in an international context. Complementarily, another focus is international organisation. An exclusively internal approach on organisation is not sufficient. Internal firm institutions are embedded in external institutions. This has to be considered in an environment which is characterised by dynamic changes. This perspective on organisation not only allows comparing companies with one another but also allows for comparing different institutional arrangements fulfilling the same function (i.e. divisions within a company versus a network of legally independent companies). Thus the focus is not only on internal organisational design but also on dimensions across organisational boundaries (cf. Picot et al., 2012).

Strategy and organisation show relevant interfaces to each other as well as to the market which are explicitly considered. The courses offered provide tools and concepts in order to:

  • identify and systematise the opportunities and threats that an organisation faces on the market and to consider these in the strategic development,
  • identify and systematise the strengths and weaknesses (i.e. special resources or skills) of a firm and to consider these in the strategic development,
  • develop corporate and competitive strategies for different (market)situations based on unique expertise,
  • effectively implement and control competitive strategies,
  • develop and design corporate strategies that balance out the internal and external situation,
  • identify, assess and independently design coordination and motivation mechanisms within and between companies,
  • evaluate and design interfirm forms of organization

The department offers courses in the following study programs:

B.A. International Management - BWL

M.A. International Management Studies - BWL