General Information

One cannot discuss globalisation and its effect on the international competitiveness of firms without talking about China’s contribution to global economic growth and its rapidly increasing outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). China’s growing importance means that functional areas of management, such as marketing, innovation, finances, HRM or strategy, need to be supplemented by knowledge about different countries, business systems and local production systems. Our knowledge of China’s, firms, business routines and strategic behaviour remains scarce; and yet our ability to coordinate with Chinese firms and to build up joint capabilities will decide on the competitiveness of firms in Europe.

Key reading

Study program

The objective of this Minor is to familiarise students with China’s business system and the Business System approach. The first half of the course is designed to introduce the background of the socialist system, the business system approach, and diversity within business systems. The second half of the course introduces two of the most crucial factors for explaining the success of China’s business system: innovation and entrepreneurship. The course will deal with topics such as innovation systems, innovative capabilities and features of the institutional environment that shape innovative behaviour. Further, the course will stress the interaction between economic and political entrepreneurship which facilitates and constrains the expansion of markets via supply chains, foreign trade, networking or further institutional change.