S1620 Globalization and Competitiveness: Global Value Chains (Sustainable Development Sp. Track)
Course description
In the last fifteen years, economic integration has been moving faster and farther throughout the world, thus triggering a substantial discussion on globalization and its consequences for industries and individual firms. Particular attention has been dedicated to a variety of topics related to international management and regional competitiveness and development. The course aims at framing the debate on globalization by highlighting the impacts of the international integration of markets for goods, labour and technologies on firms, territories and local production systems.
Introduction and objectives
The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the strategic options and challenges firms and industrial systems face in the global economy. Working towards this goal, the course will expose students to current concepts, frameworks and theories relevant to the study of firms’ international development. The global value chains (GVCs) approach will be used as an analytic and interpretive means to understanding paths of economic growth for both organizations and local production systems.
Students will be encouraged to undertake interdisciplinary team research projects focusing on global industries and related issues.
Course organization and supervision
The overall structure of the course and its thematic organization have been developed by prof. Stefano Micelli (Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Venice International University), and Valentina De Marchi* (lecturer and course coordinator, Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Venice International University). The course is organized around different thematic areas, each developed through classes, seminars and field trips.
*to be confirmed
Course Requirements
Required reading will be designated on a weekly basis according to the themes listed in the course outline. Students will be expected to do the required reading and to attend class on a regular basis, as attendance is compulsory for all the participants.
Field trips for members of the class will be arranged.
N.B. - Ca’ Foscari students enrolled in Bachelor degrees - Management or Economics Department can attend this course and final exam (auditors are not admitted) however they cannot include it in their “piano di studi” as this course is equivalent to a Master degree course.
- As this course is considered equivalent to the course “International Management” and awarded 12 CFU, Ca’ Foscari students enrolled in Master degrees of the Management Department can only include it in their “piano di studi” as equivalent to “International Management” and must integrate the 40 hours of in-class tuition with a minimum of 40 hours in seminars, field trips and VIULECTURES.
Course weekly schedule: to be defined
Course outline:
Week 1 Rethinking competition in a globalizing economy
Week 2 Fragmentation of production and offshore outsourcing
Week 3 The theory of global value chains (GVCs)
Week 4 Innovation in manufacturing GVCs
Week 5 Exploring the nexus between industrial districts and GVCs
Week 6 Doing research in GVCs
Week 7 Team project setup and mid-term examination
Week 8 Exporting the 'Made in Italy' brand in the global economy
Week 9 Entrepreneurship and start-ups: why localism still matters
Week 10 Design thinking
Week 11 Green economy: between marketing and social responsibility
Week 12 Team projects discussion
Evaluation
Readings