Universität Wien

040096 KU Special Topics in International Business: Family Firm Internationalisation (MA) (2024S)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 4 - Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 50 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 05.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 09.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 16.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 23.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 30.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 07.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 14.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 6 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 21.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Friday 24.05. 15:00 - 20:00 Hörsaal 6 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 28.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Monday 03.06. 11:30 - 16:30 Hörsaal 6 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 04.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Friday 07.06. 15:00 - 20:00 Hörsaal 6 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 1.Stock
  • Tuesday 11.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock
  • Tuesday 25.06. 16:45 - 20:00 Hörsaal 16 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 2.Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course provides students with theoretical frameworks of how to work entrepreneurially and professionally, in and with family firms, and manage effectively the unique challenges that these organizations face when operating in the international context.
Family firms are the most ubiquitous form of business organization globally and the enduring influence of families on business and society is an essential part of the backbone of any world economy. Family businesses are different from any other profit-seeking organization due to the family’s influence on the firm’s strategic goals, governance structures and competitive resources. We will consider how aspects such as ownership, succession, sibling rivalry and relationships with non-family members affect the international strategic choices of family firms in terms of entry modes, location choices, strategic partnerships, processes and post-entry dynamics. Consistently with its practiceoriented nature, this course will include also guest lectures from family business leaders, consultants and experts, in order to foster interactions between the students and the entrepreneurial community.

By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• Understand the unique strategic and managerial challenges for family firms operating internationally.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of family firms in the international context.
• Critically appraise how family heterogeneity in terms of family structures, functions, interactions and events affect family firm internationalization choices.
• Consider the different strategic drivers of family business behaviour at international level.
• Comprehend how the factors occurring over time to the family and the business affect internationalization process and outcomes.
• Evaluate how contextual factors, such as institutions, market and industry contingencies affect family firm internationalization.

For more information please visit https://international-business.univie.ac.at/studies/master-courses/

Assessment and permitted materials

The examination is structured as follows:
1. Participation in class discussion (10%)
2. Midterm examination: Multiple-choice exam (20% of the final grade)
3. Final exam: Open-ended questions covering the whole content of the course (40%)
4. Report and Presentation of a Group project - further details will be discussed on lecture 1 (30%)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

90% - 100% | 1
80% - 89% | 2
70% - 79% | 3
50% - 69% | 4

Registered students who, for whatever reason, are not able to take the course must de-register electronically by the 13th March 2024. Students who decide to drop the course after this deadline will be graded with 5 (failed).

It is absolutely essential that all registered students attend the first session on 5th March 2024 (Introduction/Vorbesprechung) as failure to do so will result in their exclusion from the course

Examination topics

Exam preparation material.
The study material is based on the following research papers (see reading list). Moreover, at the end of each lesson, slides in .pdf format will also be provided and will be part of the exam preparation material.

Both the course and the exams will be held in English. During the course active participation is required during all lessons.

During the course there will be two guest lectures by scholars or entrepreneurs of international family firms that will be used to observe “on the pitch” some concepts that we will face during the first theoretical lessons. The practical cases discussed with the entrepreneurs/guest speakers will be part of the open-ended questions of the final written exam. Therefore, attendance to guest lectures is mandatory. The dates of the guest lectures will be agreed upon based on the availability of the guest speakers; therefore, the day and time may be different from the usual class. The dates and times of the guest lectures will be communicated during the first class of the course.

Reading list

1. Arregle, J. L., Duran, P., Hitt, M. A., & Van Essen, M. (2017). Why is family firms’ internationalization unique? A meta–analysis. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(5), 801-831.
2. Arregle, J. L., Hitt, M. A., & Mari, I. (2019). A missing link in family firms’ internationalization research: Family structures. Journal of International Business Studies, 50(5), 809-825.
3. Banalieva, E. R., & Eddleston, K. A. (2011). Home-region focus and performance of family firms: The role of family vs non-family leaders. Journal of International Business Studies, 42(8), 1060-1072.
4. Debellis, F., De Massis, A., Petruzzelli, A. M., Frattini, F., & Del Giudice, M. (2020). Strategic agility and international joint ventures: The willingness-ability paradox of family firms. Journal of International Management, 27(1), 100739.
5. Debellis, F., Rondi, E., Plakoyiannaki, E., & De Massis, A. (2021). Riding the waves of family firm internationalization: A systematic literature review, integrative framework, and research agenda. Journal of World Business, 101-144.
6. Debellis, F. & Rondi, E., (2021). How do family firms orchestrate their Global Value Chain?, in: Leppäaho, T., & Jack, S,. Handbook on family firm internationalization. Palgrave.
7. Hennart, J. F., Majocchi, A., & Forlani, E. (2019). The myth of the stay-at-home family firm: How family-managed SMEs can overcome their internationalization limitations. Journal of International Business Studies, 50(5), 758-782.
8. Kano, L., Ciravegna, L., & Rattalino, F. (2021). The family as a platform for FSA development: Enriching new internalization theory with insights from family firm research. Journal of International Business Studies, 52(1), 148-160.
9. Kano, L., & Verbeke, A. (2018). Family firm internationalization: Heritage assets and the impact of bifurcation bias. Global Strategy Journal, 8(1), 158-183.

Optional Reading (book)
• Zellweger, T. (2017). Managing the family business: Theory and practice. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: We 31.07.2024 11:25