autumn 2021
BED-3077 International marketing - 10 ECTS

Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester. Exchange students and Fulbright students: 1 October for the spring semester and 15 April for the autumn semester.

Type of course

This course can be taken as a singular course.

Admission requirements

Students have to hold a bachelor degree (180 ECTS) in one of the following disciplines: Business, Management, Marketing, Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Electrical engineering, Physics, Health, Energy, Fisheries or Biotechnology. 

The Norwegian grading system is an A-F scale in which A is the highest score and F is fail. An average grade C from a bachelor degree issued in Norway is the minimum requirement for admission to the master's level for students with Norwegian study background. 

Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand must have an average grade C as a minimum, or the corresponding numerical mark/percentage score to be considered for admission. 

Applicants who hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent issued in countries other than the above mentioned region/countries must have an average grade B as a minimum, or the corresponding numerical mark/percentage score to be considered for admission. 


Course content

The course introduces the students to different theoretical perspectives on internationalization and marketing issues in foreign markets. Through various course activities the students will become familiar with different theoretical approaches that help  explain how companies may enter and expand in foreign markets and why. An important part of doing business is to establish business relationships. This course will introduce the students to challenges that business partners may encounter when establishing and developing business relationships in a cross-cultural context, and how these challenges could be managed.   

Objectives of the course

Knowledge 

  • The candidate has knowledge about the ongoing debates within the research field of international marketing of firms as well as specialized knowledge about the key challenges facing business people in foreign markets. 
  • The candidate has thorough knowledge about key theoretical approaches that exist within the field of international marketing. 
  • The candidate can apply the knowledge acquired in the course to new and relevant problems that they identify related to the internationalization process of firms and marketing issues in foreign markets. 

Skills 

  • The candidate is capable of both analyzing information from different sources as well as take a critical approach to how these sources of information could be analyzed. These analyses form the basis from where the candidate develops well-reasoned arguments. 
  • The candidate is capable of carrying out work independently, including reviewing theories and scientific work, and to find solutions to theoretical and practical problems. 
  • The candidate is capable of carrying out a small research project under supervision. 

 

Competence 

  • The candidate is capable of analyzing relevant problems that are of interest to professionals in business and researchers. 
  • Based on the knowledge and skills acquired in the course, the candidate is capable to carry out work tasks and projects related to the internationalization and marketing activities of a firm. 
  • The candidate is capable of presenting and explaining research results and key concepts rooted in international marketing research. 

Language of instruction and examination

English

Teaching methods

The course is offered as an ordinary course at the university campus. It is required that the students are present at campus because the course requires that the students take part in course activities that are compulsory, including group assignment. The teaching will consist of lectures, group work, presentations, discussions, and role-play (cross-cultural communication in a negotiation setting). Each group will present the results of the group assignment. Each member of the groups will take part in the presentations. 

The schedule (timeplan) BED - 3077 offers information about where and when lectures, group work, presentations, supervision and role-play will find place. 

The teaching plan will be available in Canvas just before the start of the semester. 

The student is responsible to ensure that he/she gets the information given during the classroom activities, and which is not given in the schedule, teaching plan, in Canvas or in the required course readings. 

Software tools 

It is expected that the students master the use of word processing. 

Preparations 

The students are encouraged to read the literature given in the lecture plan before attending a class. This will make the student better prepared to ask questions and to take part in discussions. In the first lecture, the students will be divided into groups for the group assignment and presentations of articles in class. It is therefore of great importance that students attend the first lecture. 

Supervision 

For the Group assignment the students will be offered supervision. More detailed information regarding supervision will be made available in Canvas. Prepare questions/issues that you want to discuss before the meeting. 


Information to incoming exchange students

This course is open for inbound exchange student who meets the admission requirements, including prerequisites. Please see the Admission requirements" and the "Prerequisite" sections for more information.

Do you have questions about this course? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412


Assessment

Compulsory requirements 

The students have to complete some requirements in order to write the individual home examination. 

Requirement 1: The student has to take part in presenting an article (together with others) or take the role as a commentator of an article. The schedule for the presentation will be given in the beginning of the semester. 

Requirement 2: Each group will present the group assignment, and each member of the group has to contribute in the presentation. The schedule for the presentation will be given in the beginning of the semester. 

Requirement 3: The students will practice a roleplay (cross-cultural communication in a negotiation setting). The session will last 4 hours. The groups have to prepare, carry out negotiations and take part in the discussions after the negotiations; which challenges emerged due to communication across cultures and how were they managed? The schedule for the role-play will be given at the beginning of the semester. 

The students have to submit documentation like medical certificate to the student administration if the student does not complete one or more of the requirements. Documentation is required in order to find an alternative requirement, and to find a new date for the submission, and/or finding a date for performing the roleplay. 

Examination 

The Group assignment makes up 40% of total grade, and the individual home examination makes up 60% of total grade. A graded scale of marks from A to E for pass and F for fail. 

Group assignment: The students will be divided into groups by the lecturer. Each group has to select a firm or an industry which it wants to use as a case for the assignment. The purpose of the assignment is to apply concepts, theories and models from the international marketing literature in order to analyze and discuss a particular problem related to the firm’s or industry’s internationalization process. It is expected that the students identify relevant literature for their assignment. The assignment should be submitted in Wiseflow. 

The assignment should be about 7500 words (+/-10%) + reference list and appendixes.  

Information about the deadline for the submission of the group assignment will be given in the beginning of the semester. List the candidate numbers of all the group members on the front page of the assignment. 

Home examination: The home examination is an individual assignment. Problems to be discussed by the students in their home examination will be provided by the lecturer. The students are requested to take care of course material, including the student’s own written notes because it could be relevant for the home examination. The home examination should be submitted in Wiseflow. 

The home examination should be about 7000 words (+/-10%) + reference list and appendixes.  

Information about the deadline for the submission of the home examination assignment will be given in the beginning of the semester. List the candidate number on the front page of the assignment. 

It will not be arranged a retake exam for this course. 

The students should structure the group assignments according to the structure explained in the following link: https://en.uit.no/studenter/oppgaveskriving?p_dimension_id=88163&p_lang=1&p_type=217666 


  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 10
  • Course code: BED-3077