A93118 Entrepreneurship and Regional Competitiveness

Scuola di Economia e Management
Syllabus
Academic Year 2016/17 First Semester

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course the student will be able:

  • To understand the fundamentals and variables that determine the competitiveness
  • To discriminate relevant levels of competitiveness and the interrelationship between them
  • To identify the characteristics of the business environment in order to enhance productivity, efficiency and social achievements
  • To learn through the use of case studies of competitive success that have taken place in different real situations

Learning targets

At the end of the course the student will be able:

  • To decide on the location of greatest potential in the process of internationalization
  • To define strategies to improve the competitiveness of enterprises and their location
  • To establish the role of entrepreneurial processes in competitiveness
  • To deepen the study of a situation or case that is of your interest

Course Content

This course is concerned with the determinants of regional competitiveness and economic development viewed from a bottom up, microeconomic perspective, i.e. firms and clusters.

  • The strategies of firms, the vitality of clusters, and quality of the business environment in which competition takes place are what ultimately determines a region’s productivity.
  • This course covers both developing and advanced economies, and addresses competitiveness at several levels: nations, states or cities within nations, clusters, and groups of neighboring countries.
  • A major theme of the course is that competitiveness and economic development is affected by entrepreneurial policies at all these levels.
  • The course will explore not only theory and policy, but also the nature of the organizational structure and institutions for sustained improvements in competitiveness.

Course Delivery

The course will be taught using the case method developed at Harvard Business School, together with readings, lectures, videos and guests. Case studies will focus on global firms, clusters and strategies for competitiveness. The case method requires extensive advance preparation for each class, and a significant part of the course grade will be based on participation.

The course also involves a major team project involving the competitive assessment of a particular cluster.

Professor Michael E. Porter together with other faculty from the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School may be involved both in video-recorded or remote live sessions.

Students are responsible for consulting on a regular basis the website of the course accessible via “my.liuc.it”, where updates, additional material and slides about the course are posted. No excuse accepted for any failure during the course you may incur into due to a delayed consultation of the website.  

Sessions will run for three hours with a short break – A typical topic lecture/guest discussion runs for 45-60 minutes – A typical case discussion runs for 75-90 minutes. For sessions in which a distinguished guest is attending or for sessions complemented by video resources, you may be asked  to stay for an additional 15 minutes   

Optional review / Q&A sessions for interested  students during  Instructors’ office hours.  

There will be a wrap-up session at the end of the course. 

Course Evaluation

Grading

  • Class participation: 30%
  • Group project: 70%
  • Attendance adjustment: downward 
Feedback 
  • Class participation: students with insufficient class participation midway through the course will be notified. 
Group project 
  • Instructors reviews 
  • Class discussion of projects presentations 
  • Faculty comments and final mark 
Criteria for evaluating class contribution
  • This is a course about a framework for thinking
    • The cases are intended to allow the class to explore the concepts 
    • The “answer” is less important than the thinking process 
  • Analytical rigor is highly valued 
  • No outside-of-case data is allowed or rewarded 
  • Raise your hand to participate 
  • Build on previous contributions 
  • Be concise; marshal evidence; show your logic'' 
  • Integrate across facts, issues, and cases 
  • Take a constructive approach and tone 
  • Be prepared for follow up questions' 
  • Participate while not speaking 
  • No questions to the instructor are appropriate during the case' discussion'' 
  • What if you are not called on?

Syllabus

Session 1
Hours of lesson: 1
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

Course presentation

Brief introduction to the content and the rules of the ERC course

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 1, 2 and 5

Session 2
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE: I. Firms, Industries and Cross-Border Competition

TOPIC: Competitiveness: Overall Framework

Readings:

CASES/READINGS:

On Competition, ch. 6, 7
Case: Finland and Nokia

ASSIGNMENTS:

How was Finland as a nation able to move from a sleepy economy to one of the most competitive nations in the world by the end of the 1990s? 
Why was Finland able to become a world-leading nation in the mobile communications cluster? Why did this cluster develop in Finland rather than others? 
How did the Finnish firm Nokia become the world leader in mobile handsets? How did its home base in Finland influence Nokia’s success? 
What are the most important challenges for Finland in 2001? For participants in the Finnish mobile communications cluster? For Nokia? 
What economic policy priorities would you recommend to the government? What steps should the private sector take?

Session 3
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE: I. Firms, Industries and Cross-Border Competition

TOPIC: Competitiveness of Italy

Readings:

Session 4
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: E. Pizzurno

Topics:

MODULE: I. Firms, Industries and Cross-Border Competition

TOPIC: Competition Across Locations & Global Strategy for MNCs

Readings:

CASES/READINGS:

Volvo Trucks (A): Penetrating the U.S. Market
On Competition, read Chapter 8

ASSIGNMENTS:

Why has Volvo spread its value chain for heavy trucks around the world? How can you explain why which activities are performed in which locations? (You may want to begin with Exhibit 5). 
Why have European-based truck manufacturers become the global leaders? 
Why is Volvo (as well as other European countries) so committed to entering the U.S. market? 
What steps has Volvo taken towards establishing itself in the United States? Why has the company had so much difficulty? 
What should Volvo do in 2000? 
What are the implications of the Volvo case for the way countries should attract foreign investment?

Session 5
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE: II. Locations and Clusters

TOPIC: The Diamond Model: Advanced Economies

Readings:

CASES/READINGS:

The Japanese Facsimile Industry in 1990.
Facsimile machines are discussed briefly in the reading, and I expect your analysis to go well beyond this in terms of depth and sophistication 

On Competition, review Chapters 6, 7 and 8

ASSIGNMENTS:

Why did companies based in Japan come to dominate the world facsimile machine industry, and sustain their leadership? 
How did the Japanese business environment affect the strategies of Japanese companies?  Why did industry leadership shift over time? 
Why did U.S. firms, where the key technology was invented, lose out in this industry? 
What threats lie ahead for Japan’s leadership in facsimile machines in the new century? What should Japanese companies do? What should the Japanese government do? 
How is the fax case similar to, and different from, the case of mobile communications in Finland?  What are the lessons for government policy to enhance competitiveness? What works? What does not work?

Session 6
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: E. Pizzurno

Topics:

MODULE: II. Locations and Clusters 

TOPIC: The Diamond Model: Developing/Transition Economies 

Readings:

CASES/READINGS:

Estonia in Transition.
On Competition, review Chapters 6, 7 and 8

ASSIGNMENTS:

How has Estonia been able to achieve such success in improving competitiveness compared to other transition countries? What were the key policy decisions?
What allowed Estonia able to make so many difficult changes and progress so rapidly?
What are the competitiveness issues facing Estonia in 2002?
What recommendations would you make to Estonia’s leaders?

Session 7
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE II: Locations and Clusters

TOPIC: Clusters and Cluster Development in Advanced Economies

 

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 6, 7 and 8

Case: California/Australia Wine

Session 8
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: E. Pizzurno

Topics:

MODULE II: Locations and Clusters

TOPIC: Clusters and Cluster Development in Developing Countries

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 6, 7,8

Case: Costa Rica

Session 9
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE IV: The process of Economic Development

TOPIC: Organizing Cluster's competitiveness

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 7, 8

Case: Motor Valley

Session 10
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: E. Pizzurno

Topics:

MODULE II: Locations and Clusters

TOPIC: IFCs in clusters

Readings:

On competition. Ch. 6,7,8.

Case: Energy Cluster

Session 11
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE II: Locations and Clusters

TOPIC: Cluster Internationalization

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 7

Case: Dutch Flower Cluster

Session 12
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: E. Pizzurno

Topics:

MODULE IV: The process of Econmic Development

TOPIC: Cluster Initiatives

 

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 7,8

Case: New Carolina

Session 13
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: E. Pizzurno

Topics:

MODULE III: Competitiveness Strategies for Locations

TOPIC: Competitiveness Strategy: Developing Economies

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 8

Case: Vietnam

Session 14
Hours of lesson: 2
Instructor: E. Pizzurno

Topics:

MODULE: III. Competitiveness Strategies for Locations

TOPIC: Attracting Foreign Investment for Competitiveness

Readings:

On competition. Ch. 8

Case: Indonesia

Session 15
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE: III. Competitiveness Strategies for Locations

TOPIC: Strategies for Economic Development

Readings:

On Competition, ch. 7,8

Case: The Basque Country

Session 16
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: F. Alberti

Topics:

MODULE: III. Competitiveness Strategies for Locations

TOPIC: Competitiveness strategy  - IoT and Competitiveness

Readings:


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