COURSE AIMS:
The course will provide students with a complete understanding of the mechanisms regulating international marketing. The course summarizes the major decisions that international marketing management has to face, in its attempt to harmonize the objective and resources of the companies, with the opportunities in the international environment. The course investigates the issues and challenges in accessing new markets and deal with different cultures. It also explores the methods of analyzing market demand, competition, costs, distribution structure, and other factors influencing marketing management decisions in foreign countries. As part of the course, students have to accomplish a group project and they are requested to propose an original business idea and to design a marketing strategy for the short-term and long-term growth of the business. Subsequently, students have to define the international marketing strategy for adjusting the business to the Italian market.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Cultural dynamics in assessing global management style and business systems, global vision through marketing research, international marketing plan, 4Ps in the international environment, negotiation with international customers, partners, and regulators.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. identify opportunities and threats, problems and challenges in international markets
2. adapt domestic marketing practices and procedures to international markets
3. understand cultural differences and their impact on decision making
4. differentiate negotiation techniques according to different cultures
5. manage the international workforce
6. improve their written and oral skills in presenting international marketing strategies
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Grading policy:
10% Class participation
30% Mid-term Exam
25% Final Group Presentation
35% Final Exam
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
A/A-
This work is relatively rare and is expected to stand out from the work of other students and:
• Directly addresses the question or problem raised
• Provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information
• Critically evaluates concepts and theory
• Relates theory to practice
• Reflects the student’s own argument and is not just a repetition of standard lecture and reference material
• Is very accurate
• Has an element of novelty if not originality
• Provides evidence of reading beyond the required reading
• Displays an awareness of methodological concerns and displays an awareness of the limitations of current knowledge
B/B+
This is a highly competent level of performance and:
• Directly addresses the question or problem raised
• Provides a coherent argument drawing on relevant information
• Shows some ability to evaluate concepts and theory and to relate theory to practice
• Reflects the student’s own argument and is not just a repetition of standard lecture and reference material
• Does not suffer from any major errors or omissions
• Provides evidence of reading beyond the required reading
Displays an awareness of other approaches to the problem area
B-/C+
This is an acceptable level of performance and:
• Addresses the question but provides only a basic outline of relevant arguments and evidence along the lines offered in the lectures and referenced readings
• Answers are clear but limited
Some minor omissions and inaccuracies but no major errors
C/C-
This level of performance demonstrates some knowledge and an element of understanding but is weak and:
• Points made in the answer are not always well supported by argument and evidence
• Relevant points have been omitted from the answer
• There are some errors in the answer
• Parts of the question remain unanswered
• Answers may be unduly brief and possibly in note form
D+/D-
The best that can be said about students in this classification is that they have done just enough to persuade the instructor that they should not be failed and:
• Answers lack a coherent grasp of the problems and issues raised in the question
• Important information has been omitted from the answers and irrelevant points have been included
Answers are far too brief
Fail (F)
Failed students have been unable to convince the instructor that they have benefited from academic study and:
• Fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question
• Reveals fundamental misunderstanding of the subject matter
• Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant
-CLASS PARTICIPATION
The class participation grade will reflect your preparation, attendance and quality and frequency of participation.
More than three absences may results in up to 10 percent being subtracted from your final grade, and you may be asked to withdraw from the class.
Lack of participation for any given class will count as an “F”.