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65305-01 - Lecture: Global Strategy for Multinational Companies (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers | John Bradford Jensen (bradford.jensen@unibas.ch) |
| Content | The course will review and apply foundational conceptual frameworks from international trade [discussed in Rolf Weder’s course Advanced International Trade and Business] for how MNCs should respond in a given policy environment – how best to adjust to changes in exchange rates, tariffs, non-tariff barriers, etc. The course will present foundational ideas from economics, political science, and international political economy regarding how the policy environment is determined. The course will investigate the range of policies that can influence firm behavior (e.g. trade, tax, regulation) and how firms have attempted to influence the policy environment through non-market strategy in the past. The key ideas in the course will be applied in “real-world” settings in a series of case studies. |
| Learning objectives | The objective of the course is to develop an understanding of the range of options multinational companies (MNCs) have for responding to challenges and opportunities in the global economy. The course will investigate how MNCs respond in the market (taking the institutional environment as given) and how MNCs pursue “non-market” strategies to influence their operating environment (seeking to affect public policy). |
| Bibliography | The principle reading for the course consists of academic articles that are available on ADAM. Other articles and all the cases are available from the Harvard Business Publishing website. The readings available from the Harvard Business Publishing website are preceded by “HBP” in the syllabus. The cost of the course pack is approx. US$30 Please note: There is a fair bit of reading for this course. I do not expect you to master all the intricate details of each reading. I am mostly interested in you distilling the main big idea in the reading and being able to apply the idea in more realistic settings. Learning to discern the important idea in a reading and being able to apply it is a key objective of the course. |
| Comments | This course is part of the Summer School in Law, Business and Economic Policy. |
| Weblink | Summer School Homepage |
| Admission requirements | Solid understanding of business and economics on the bachelor level. The lecture 10625 Advanced International Trade and Business is recommended as a prerequisite. Especially recommended for students with a major in "International Business, Trade and the Environment”. |
| Course application | All applications have to be processed through the Summer School office. The enrollment for the course is at the same time the final registration for the exam! The online application is open from 16 February - 16 March 2026. Applications that are submitted by 1 March (23:55) will be handled on a priority basis. Please fill in the application form, which can be found on the weblink: https://wwz.unibas.ch/de/studium/summer-school/ If there are still vacancies, we will accept late applications until 31 May 2026. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| täglich | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 15.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Thursday 16.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Friday 17.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Saturday 18.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Monday 20.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Tuesday 21.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Wednesday 22.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Thursday 23.07.2026 | 09.30-12.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Modules |
Module: Business Field: Strategy and Organization (Master's Studies: Business and Technology) Module: Core Courses in International Business, Trade and the Environment (Master's Studies: Business and Economics) Module: Field Electives in Economics and Public Policy (Master's Studies: Economics and Public Policy) Module: Specific Electives in Business and Economics (Master's Studies: Business and Economics) Module: Specific Electives in International Business, Trade and the Environment (Master's Studies: Business and Economics) Specialization Module Global Europe: Globalized Trade and Business (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Course attendance is compulsory. Attendance and good preparation are prerequisites for being a valuable participant in the class. You are expected to prepare for and attend every class and participate actively. Grading is based on your performance in class participation, a case write-up, a project, and a final examination. The grading weights are as follows: Class Participation (individual): 20% Case Write-up (group): 5% Project (group): 15% Final Examination: 60%. Date of final examination: Friday 24 July 2026. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Registration/deregistration: faculty |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Business and Economics , studiendekanat-wwz@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Business and Economics |