COMM 3705

Large cross-border movements of goods, services, capital and technology increasingly demand a transnational view of firm strategy and operations. Some global corporations seek competitive advantage through the close coordination of geographically dispersed units while others choose to tailor their multinational operations to the legitimate economics, political and social aspirations of diverse national governments. Yet others seek to balance conflicting demands through intensive organization wide coordination and shared decision making. This course examines critically the generic and functional strategies open to multinational enterprises and through numerous industry and business case studies. Classes comprise of case analyses, lectures, as well as independent research, class presentations and guest speakers. As the success depends in large measure on the preparedness and effective participation of course members, attendance is crucial and particular attention is paid to the quality of individual contributions to case discussion.