LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In accordance with the learning objectives of Master Degree Program, “Internationalization Strategies and Digital Innovation” course is intended to provide advanced knowledge and specialized skills as to why, where and how undertake international expansion and the related role of digital innovation in support of this process.
This course, firstly, describes the main theoretical perspectives about internationalization of the firms. Then, it examines the different internationalization processes and ways to carry-out it.
At the end of this course students should be able to use and apply the acquired knowledge and skills for planning, developing and taking internationalization strategies, both within the different processes (production, outlet market, R&D, etc.) and according to given more suitable ways. In adding, they should be able to assist, support and lead to carry out the related main operations (e.g., how to start and increase international expansion of the firms, as well as solving some issues arising from this process), by means of surveys, cost-benefit analysis, reports, studying legislation impacts, risks assessment, and the like. Lastly, they should able to use and apply digital innovation in support of internationalization process, and, at the same time, in order to strengthen and sustaining competitive advantage over time.
Therefore, the main purpose is to develop a professional figure (i.e., sales and marketing director, operational marketing manager, strategic marketing director) with the task of, among others, analyzing, studying, and developing actions with which to support the firm in starting and developing of the internationalization process, in solving the related issues and in digital innovation.
General objectives are then those of making acquired to students, knowledge and skills needed to:
Applying the main methods of analysis in order to select the country in which to start internationalization;
preparing reports on measuring and evaluating all variables influencing the starting of the internationalization process as well as about the positive effect of digital transformation on this process;
recognizing the guide principles to enable firms to minimize risks normally occurred in the international expansion, in relation to exploitable opportunities;
studying and understanding the different regulations (both legal and fiscal) featuring the various foreign markets where the firm want to internationally expand in order to assess, among others, the country risk.
In this respect, “Internationalization Strategies and Digital Innovation” course is intended to transfer the following knowledge and skills in terms of specific objectives:
Knowledge and understanding:
recognizing the guide principles to enable firms to minimize the risks and uncertainties related to their international expansion;
preparing the related reports for analyzing the different variables, as well as their effects, in order to support the starting and developing of the internationalization process;
conducting studies (and preparing report) about the effect of the digital innovation on the foreign trading and the internationalization process as a whole;
recognizing the regulation conditions (both legal and fiscal) relative to the different countries as well as forms of government in order to assess the country risk within this process.
Making judgments
examining, from a comparative perspective, and in terms of risks and opportunities, the different foreign markets in which it would be favorable to expand;
examining, from a comparative perspective, the different means with which to proceed in internationalization process;
understanding the company value, purchase price and synergies achievable arising from cross-border mergers and acquisitions as mean of internationalization.
Communication skills:
Oral speaking about all essential aspects (terse and analytical) of the discipline, and under a multidisciplinary perspective.