Introduction
Please note that this is a preliminary course description. The final version will be published in June 2027.
As firms become increasingly embedded in international networks and more important activities for a firm get done outside of the firm and in other countries from where a firm is based, the ability to develop and manage relationships has become essential to firm survival and success. This practically-focused course is particularly relevant for startups seeking to grow or larger firms trying to innovate while simultaneously protecting their innovations. However, managers frequently encounter issues in their international collaborations, such as those pertaining to conflicting objectives, cultural differences between partners, and intellectual property rights protection. This course aims to develop students’ understanding of the ways in which firms can collaborate, the challenges associated with collaboration in an international context, practices which can minimize collaboration challenges, and the ways in which conflicts which do develop can be resolved. Students will learn through engaging discussions, cases, simulations, and lectures. The course will also have a number of executives as guests who will not only come from Norway but also other countries.
The goal of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully establish and manage international interorganizational relationships.