International Business Skills Minor (MC-INTBUSKEN-07)

Transcription

1 International Business Skills Minor (MC-INTBUSKEN-07) Working language: English Contact person: Daselaar, TWG ( Minimum number of participants: 20 Maximum number of participants: 60 URL: Requirements for enrolment: First of all, the student's level of thinking and working should be at third- or fourth-year level of Higher Professional Education, with particular emphasis on being able to co-operate within groups being interested in aspects of international business having basic knowledge of Intercultural Management currently following a course in marketing and marketing communication having a command of English at B1/B2-level of the European Framework Contents: Doing business in an international context requires a large amount of knowledge and skills. However, doing truly successful business in distant regions means that foreign relations will prefer choosing you as a business partner to choosing other parties, whether they be competitors from that particular country or from abroad. This preference for you is founded on trust, which is given to you on the basis of both the quality of your company and your personal qualities. In this International Business Skills minor you will be working on improving your personal qualities, and thus on strengthening the profile of your company. The trust in you is built on or around the golf course or at the dinner table, and particularly by the display of your capability of adjusting yourself to the local culture. That is why following this minor is not only limited to classroom activities and project work, but also extends to the golf course and the (wine) table. This minor will give you a head start for an international career. Should you wish to continue your studying career, it will help you make a more goal-oriented decision. Ideally speaking, you are an ambitious student with an eye for other people: you set commercial objectives and treat your partners with respect. This minor offers training in international commercial skills: you will develop knowledge and skills in the fields of Intercultural Management, Human Resource Management, Social Business Skills (Golf for(e) Business, Wine and Etiquette) and International Marketing Communication. In addition, you will be offered theories about doing business in an international context, with a particular emphasis on the impediments occurring during the development and implementation of the communication mix (Advertising, PR, Sales Promotion, Personal Selling). The International Business Skills minor is offered in a term model, i.e. full-time in terms A and B (or first semester) of the academic year, and rounded off with a two-day conference to be held just before or after the exams in December or January. It includes the following subjects: 1

2 Term A International Business Skills Minor Term B International Marketing International Marketing Communication 1 Communication 2 International Sales 1 International Sales 2 Human Resource Management: Personal Career Planning Human Resource Management: Managing Culture & Organization World of Diversity: Intercultural Management World of Diversity: Economic Diversity: Local & Global Operations Social Business Skills: Golf for(e) Business International Marketing Communication & Sales Plan 1 (Casework 1) Social Business Skills: Wine, Etiquette & Networking International Marketing Communication & Sales Plan 2 (Casework 2) Student profile: HU students; FEM: IBMS/IBL/CE/MER; SBRM; FCJ: Communication FNT: Technical- Commercial UU: Utrecht School of Economics EBC students Visiting students from abroad Students are expected to have knowledge of marketing and marketing communication, and have an active command of English at intermediate level (European Framework, B1-B2). Labour market perspectives: To give professionals a head start in the realisation of commercial goals abroad To instil or promote sensitivity to marketing products and services in a different culture To give students a competitive edge in their international careers. Programme perspectives: Gaining more in-depth knowledge and improving skills previously learned in the relevant major subjects of the courses outlined above under "Student profile" Being a fully fledged partner for internal and external parties in the context of marketing communication processes Being able to see and create opportunities Being able to pro-actively respond to or anticipate on developments in the market Initiating new marketing communication activities 2

3 Testimonials The International Business Skills minor has proven to be suitable for students of various disciplines. Me and Jaakko are living proof of that! It was an honour to be part of this minor and share it with great people. (Janne Tuominen, visiting student of Industrial Management from Turku University, Finland, 2013) The IBS minor was great, and the concluding two-day conference, including the sports part and the party night, was the icing on the cake. (Tosse Bontje, 4 th -year student of International Business & Languages, 2013) The IBS minor is an amazing experience that gives you the opportunity to improve your English skills, establish international relationships and learn about different cultures in a fun way. This minor has found the perfect balance between learning theory and putting that theory into practice. It is a great way to prepare yourself if you are thinking of doing your graduation internship abroad. (Jos van den End, 4 th -year student of Logistics & Economics, 2013) The International Business Skills minor will be in our hearts forever. (Juliëtte Stroink, 3 rd -year student of International Business & Languages, 2013) 3

4 Course Description International Sales It is necessary for all students participating in the Minor International Business Skills to have a proper knowledge of Sales. With a combination of theory (SPIN selling methodology) and practice in workshops students will learn the aspects of being a good Sales representative In this highly competitive world companies increasingly need to create unique competitive advantages to distinguish themselves. The times that products were self selling (production selling until 1950) are over as consumers and purchasing professionals at companies nowadays have many choices between different product and service offerings from many vendors. Sales has emerged from product push to fulfilling customer needs better than your competition and the hit and run sales culture has changed to building long term customer relationships by creating sustainable mutual value. International Sales has become a profession and the international sales manager is a key position in a company s Sales and Marketing organisation. In this course, students get an introduction to the sales processes and their organisation in companies operating in a business to business (B2B) market. All activities in the sales cycle from lead generation to after sales are presented and practised. Because personal skills are an important factor in becoming a successful sales professional, this course puts special focus on awareness about and development of these. Practise and active participation in role-plays are therefore an important element of the course. 4

5 Course Description International Marketing Communication It is necessary for all students participating in the Minor International Business Skills to have a proper knowledge of Marketing Communication. Although we start with introductory lectures, soon students that have had previous lectures in Marketing Communication will find out that we are really going into the application of Marketing Communication. In term A we will work through the theory more or less parallel to the intended progress of work on the Spaans case. The Spaans case is the central case in the Minor International Business Skills. Student Activities International Marketing Communication program (revised!) The IMC program in this period ends with an exam; IMC 2 with the final report (no compensation between those marks!) Next to exam all students develop a individual portfolio to be handed in before the exam. Week planning period A: Week 1: General Introduction (What is International Marketing and what is International Marketing Communication) Week assignment for week 2: Choose out of your favourite brands one routine purchase product ( like deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, beer, cigarettes etc.) one luxury goods (apparel, cosmetics, restaurants, hi fi, computer, telecom), one ambition products (like a flashy lease car) and one dream product (if you would win the lottery you would buy.. Describe why the products appeal to you, why they make you happy etc., what makes it different from the competitors. This will be the start of your portfolio which will be handed in at the end of week 7. Be prepared to give a short explanation to the class in week 2. Theory Chapter 1: Floor & van Raaij; Article What is Marketing? Flip de Groot on this Sharepoint site. Week 2: Presentations portfolio assignments. After this theory Floor & Van Raaij chapter 8 (Positioning) Portfolio assignment week: Explain whether you appreciate the advertising and positioning of the brand. Apply the theory of chapter 8 to explain which positioning strategy is behind the campaigns of your favourite brands2 Make an assessment of the phase in the PLC and/ or the Brand Cycle and give your opinion based on the theory of chapter 8 if the positioning is matching with the phase in the Life Cycle. Week 3. Presentations Portfolio Theory Floor & Van Raaij chapter 6 Segmentation. Week assignment: make a Domain specific segmentation of the branch of industry of your favourite brands. Week 4: Presentations Portfolio. Theory: Chapter 7 and 4 International Marketing Communication (Marketing communication aims/ goals of campaigns and a framework for Marketing communication plan.. International Marketing strategies Flip de Groot. Article on the Sharepointsite Week 5 Promotion mix. Portfolio assignment: which media are used by your favourite brands? Week 6: Positioning: Theory Riezebos en van der Grinten. Hand out. Presentation Assignment Week 5 Week 7a: Week 7b: Spaans Case work Presentation of the progress of the International Marketing Communication plan Spaans. 5

6 Course Description World of Diversity As the world is getting more and more global it is important to learn how to do business with people from different cultural backgrounds. Cultures affect how one behaves and communicates, so it is expected that working with people from different cultures is a different experience from people from your own culture. To function as a successful international businessperson it is crucial that one develops intercultural competence. Intercultural competence contains knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are used to behave and communicate effectively and appropriately in order to achieve one s goal in a given intercultural situation. Research shows that intercultural competence is a key concept for successful global managers in today s global workplace. Intercultural Management focuses on developing your intercultural competencies through looking at different business themes and how you can adjust your communicative behaviour in order to achieve your business goals in working people from different cultures. At the end of this course one is able to observe a development of own intercultural competencies, which means that one is able to demonstrate appropriate and effective communicative behaviour in a given intercultural setting. You will form country-oriented work-teams, to develop specific knowledge of the country. The countries you will be researching are: Brazil, India, China, Mexico and South-Africa. In order to see other developments of your intercultural competencies other reports, such as self-reflection and research paper, will be produced. Course Description Human Resource Management All managers are HR-managers All managers are in a sense HR-managers because line managers increasingly become involved in recruiting, training, performance and career issues. Essential to the management of human resources is the understanding of the context. This cannot be identified by objective parameters only but more so: by what is referred to as personal competencies and expectations. HRM (Human Resource Management) policies are becoming an increasingly important tool in the realization of the strategic objectives of the organization. The emphasis is away from things and more towards ideas and personal constructs. The management of people is more complicated than the management of processes, and affects motivational theories and applications. HRM is about getting the right person in the right place. And how to make that possible. This requires different skills, e.g. communication skills, (job) interview skills and teambuilding skills. If you know how to deal with your colleagues, employees, team-members, then you can also manage your company and staff in the desired direction. Therefore, it is very important to know your own abilities and capacities and have an insight in your own goals, values and qualities and in the differences between people with different backgrounds. 6

7 Course Description Social Business Skills: Golf for(e) Business "A businessman is someone who talks golf all morning in the office and business all afternoon on the golf course." (Anonymous) Operating in a global market place requires social and cultural flexibility in order to communicate in an optimal manner. One of the aims of this course is to prepare the student for socializing in an international business environment and networking with business relations and prospects. In many fields of the international business world the game of golf is considered to be a useful tool for establishing a favourable business atmosphere and maintaining and improving relationships. This course is designed to help students understand and feel comfortable with this, and to help them make the initial steps that are generally required before being admitted to a golf course, and thus, to give them a head start in the world of business. Probably one of the most revealing ways of illustrating the importance of golf for business purposes is by quoting Michael W., a former participant of the Social Business Skills course, who approached his father for the interview (one of the assignments in the course). Besides the fact that golf can be used as a means to find out how a person acts and reacts to certain situations, it is also used in business in the following ways: hiring, promotions, motivation, team building, selling, and as an alternative way of remunerating staff. And to top it all off, in the words of an IT Project Manager with CAP Gemini, interviewed by Maria Smolkina, another former participant of the Social Business Skills course: "Business is never just business. To a large extent, business is about creating relationships between people and trust. Golf has a lot of characteristics for developing relationships between business partners. For example, it is a sport that allows having conversations It is a sport played in a nice and exclusive environment that allows creating a certain degree of security and seriousness between the partners. Moreover, the ability to play golf, understand its etiquette, and respects its traditions can boost your business career. Suppose that you spend four to six hours with a person. You can get to know them and see them in various situations happiness, sadness and disappointment and so on. That s more than you get from a single business contact." In a nutshell, golf can be used in the business world for many reasons. This is not to say that the ways to use golf in business described above will be successful in all situations and all practices. However, if used properly and with the right people, they can be an effective tool for any businessperson and give them a competitive edge, no matter what their position in the workplace. 7

8 Course Description Social Business Skills: Wine and Etiquette Operating in a global market place requires social and cultural flexibility in order to communicate in an optimal manner. One of the aims of this course is to prepare the student for socializing in an international business environment and networking with business relations and prospects. In the international business world knowledge about wine and etiquette is considered to be a useful tool for establishing a favourable business atmosphere and maintaining and improving relationships. At the same time, networking is also a skill highly valued in today s business environment. The Social Business Skills 2 course is designed to help students understand and feel comfortable with the concepts of wine, etiquette and networking, and to help them make the initial steps, and thus, to give them a head start, in the world of business. In order to achieve this, students are expected to write a Personal Development Plan at the start of this course. After all, Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage, but simply because they have never organised their energies around a goal. (Elbert Hubbard) The above is not to say that being skilful in the fields of wine, etiquette and networking will help one be successful in all situations and all practices in the business world. However, if used properly and with the right people, it can be an effective tool for any businessperson and give them a competitive edge, no matter what their position in the workplace. 8