Strategic Foreign Trade Management

Lectures and assessments

60 hours

Group work, individual preparation and reading

50 hours

Total duration

110 hours

Objectives

This course covers how the international environment influences the development of business strategies. The primary objective of the course is to help students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to develop business strategies in different international context as part of being an effective global manager. The approach will be strategic and follow the evolutionary stages of initial entry, local market expansion, and global rationalization. The Global market Entry and Expansion project will provide an opportunity to apply the concepts and techniques discussed in class.

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop and understanding of country analysis techniques and national competitivt advantage
2. Develop skills in regional industry analysis
3. Appreciate how firm resources and capabilities are impacted upon by international variables such as national cultures and local infrastructure
4. Be able to identify what are the appropriate business strategies for the local environment
5. Appreciate how to create value in different international environments as firms “go global”

Contents

Module 1
Introduction to the German language and culture, regional studies – 10 hours

Module 2
Key concepts in International Trade and Investments

• Globalization of markets and internationalization of the firms
• Participants in international business
• Foreign market entry strategies of focal firms
• The environment of international business

Module 3
Strategy and Opportunity Assessment for the International Environment

• Global strategy and organization
• Entering and operating in international markets
• Exporting as a foreign market entry strategy
• Cost and sources of export-import financing
• Foreign direct investments
• Licensing, franchising and other contractual entry strategies

Modul 2 and 3 – 50 hours

Teaching method

The teaching material will be presented through lectures and traditional case-based teaching. Cases will be used to develop an understanding of the international context’s influence on industry analysis, analyzing firm resources and capabilities, and developing business strategies for competitive advantage. Team project: the class will be divided into study/ project teams of 3 to 4 students during the second week of class. The purpose of study/project team will be, to provide a study group for discussing the course material and to work together on the Global Market Entry and Expansion (GMEE) project.

Assessment

• Class participation: 20 %
• Group case analysis and presentation of GMEE projects: 30%
• Final exam (90 min. in final session): 50 %

Course text

• Recommended: Svend Hollensen (2007) Global Marketing, 4th.ed.Harlow, England, Prentice Hall
• Recommended: Cavusoglu (2008) International Business, Strategy, Management and New Realities, Upper saddle River, Prentice Hall

Other related materials such as academic articles etc. will be delivered in the class.

Syllabus update/created

February 2009

Faculty

Prof. Dr. Edip Teker

Prof. Teker’s illustrious career spans four decades in Germany, Austria, and Turkey with numerous official and honorary appointments and awards. He was schooled at German Gymnasium, Deutsche Oberrealschule in Istanbul. Winning a scholarship from Turkish National Education Ministry, he studied in Mannheim University in the Department of Business Administration and graduated with a major in Management and Organization, Banking and Finance. After his BA study, he worked for a short time in different banks and insurance firms in Germany. He received his PhD degree from Johannes Kepler Univesity in Linz, Austria, in the Institute of Finance and Banking, under supervision of Prof. Dr. Josef Kolbinger. After returning to Turkey, he began his academic career at Ege University in Izmir, in the Department of Industrial Engineering as an Associate Professor. In 1989 he became a Full Professor at Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering in Izmir, Turkey. In 1990-1995, he also served as a Board member of Guney Sanayi Inc., which was one of the biggest textile firms in Adana, Turkey on behalf of Turkish Finance Ministry. From 2003-2006 he was the Head of the Department at the same university. He has been the Chair of International Trade and Finance Department at Yasar University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences for two years. His research interests are in international trade, small business management, cost accounting, innovation management. He has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in International Trade Management, International Finance, Cost Accounting and Production and Operations Management. Prof. Teker serves as board members of several NGOs and professional bodies such as Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (KOBIDER), Union of Science for Society (TOBIDER), among others

Assist. Prof. Dr. Bora Aktan

Dr. Aktan is an Assistant Professor of Finance and Deputy Chair of International Trade and Finance Department at Yasar University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. Prior to joining the Yasar University, Dr. Aktan worked as both Corporate Strategy and Business Development Directors in international firms largely active in Mexico, England and Turkey. Dr. Aktan’s current research activity focuses on global investing, financial characteristics and performance of firms in emerging countries, emerging capital markets, energy price volatility, and risk-return trade-off in asset prices, corporate governance and business ethics. He has published in different refereed journals such as International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, Investment Management and Financial Innovations Journal, European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences. His teaching specialties include Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management, International Finance, Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions. He is member of some professional bodies such as The International Institute of Forecasters (IIF), The American Finance Association (AFA) and the Financial Management Association (FMA). Dr Aktan is also on the editorial boards of several international scholarly journals such as Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, Journal of Applied Sciences, Asian Journal of Mathematics and Statistics, Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Academy of Banking Studies Journal, among others.  In addition, he serves as a board member of Economics and Financial Affairs Committee for the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry.

2 August 2010
- 15 August 2010