你将学到什么
How social, political, economic and institutional factors define the business environment of countries
What role history and leadership play in shaping the environment
How companies’ strategies are affected by the environment
How the rules of the game set by global institutions, such as the WTO, affect business and human welfare, for example, through the pricing of AIDS drugs in developing countries like South Africa
How diverse stakeholders, including NGOs, shape the business environment and affect company strategies
How companies and NGOs create value at the bottom of the pyramid
课程概况
This course focuses on the social, political, economic and institutional environment of countries. This environmental context molds the country’s objectives, defines the country’s strategy, programs and policies for achieving objectives, and significantly impacts companies.
The context is affected by historical events, and by the country’s leadership. Many stakeholders shape the environment and the institutions, or “rules of the game”, that affect business. Labor, students, farmers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the military play a crucial role, making the analysis of country environments complex and fascinating.
We will study Japan in some depth, and catch brief glimpses of South Korea, Singapore, Chile, Turkey, India, South Africa and the former Soviet Union, to appreciate the forces that influence diverse country environments, and companies’ strategies.
The course will review aspects of global institutions, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), which set global rules that profoundly affect business strategy and human welfare. It will also explore opportunities and challenges at the bottom of the pyramid, the last frontier for value creation by companies and NGOs.
课程大纲
The course will be three weeks long. The different weeks will focus on the following:
Week 1
In-depth analysis of Japan’s social, political, economic and institutional environment
The contextual underpinning of the economic bubble and how it burst and led to Japan’s Lost Decade of the nineties
Aspects of the historical context, such as Japan’s relations with China, and how that defines contemporary relations between the two countries
The role of charismatic leaders, such as former Prime Minister Koizumi, in changing institutions
The role played by diverse stakeholders, including the mafia
Challenges faced by contemporary Japan, such as the ageing population, redefining the role of women, stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, and meeting skill shortages, possibly through immigration
Prime Minister Abe’s strategy to put Japan on a path of sustainable growth with the three arrows of “Abenomics”
Week 2
Framework for country analysis
Brief review at the South Korean environment after the Second World War and the crisis during the late nineties
Brief glimpses of the environments of Singapore, Chile and Turkey
The strategy of a successful global company, McDonald’s, for addressing challenges when entering a turbulent and unfamiliar environment, that of the former Soviet Union
Week 3
Company strategies for addressing opportunities and challenges in complex environments
Case of ITC in rural India
Case of pricing of AIDS drugs in South Africa
The role of the WTO and important stakeholders, like NGOs, in shaping the global rules of the game and affecting company strategies and human welfare
Wrap up
预备知识
None
