Doing Business in China AUTUMN 2021

Introduction

(Max 45 students).

Due to the Covid-19 situation, travelling abroad might be difficult fall 2021. If this still is the case, guest lectures and cases from professionals working in Shanghai and from professors at Fudan University will be arranged.

This course focuses on the topic of globalization and the longer-term underlying processes of global economic change in which currents events can be better understood especially the rise of China and its role in the global economy.

One aim of the course is to demonstrate the fundamentally relational nature of globalization processes by focusing explicitly on global production networks (GPN) and global innovation networks (GIN) and to emphasize the power-laden dynamics of the interactions between companies, political and legal systems, culture and society. This will highlight both the institutional and spatial context of globalization with a special focus on China. Another aim will be to focus explicitly on the perceived company considered opportunities and challenges in such a context.

Following this, there will be two main thematic areas covered in the course:
I: Globalisation and contextual factors for doing business in China.
II: Company considered opportunities and challenges

Ad I: Globalisation and contextual factors for doing business in China
1) Geographies of the global economy and the shift towards Asia
2) Global production and innovation networks – evolution and global dynamics. The role of Transnational corporations. Case examples of inward and outward TNCs.
3) Political and legal influences:
a. The relationship between macro economic development, market development and decision making
b. Rule- and relationships-based governance: Conditions for rule of law and network influences in China and East Asia.

Ad II: Company considered opportunities and challenges
1) Chinese philosophy and its influence on the strategy and leadership styles of East Asian businesspeople.
2) Assessing the market – the consumer and the trade zones
3) Human resources and talent

Course content

The course covers two main topics;
I: Globalisation and contextual factors for doing business in China.
II: Company considered opportunities and challenges