ESC Dijon Burgundy School of Business Fyne van Breevoort. A. General Report

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1 ESC Dijon Burgundy School of Business Fyne van Breevoort A. General Report Host Institution The host institution was ESC Dijon Burgundy School of Business, which is an Ecole de Commerce, also situated in Paris. It is a private institution with more dedication to the pupils than at a regular university. My program started the 10th of September and my exams ended the 17th of December. Contact with home faculty, preparation and journey The faculty in Dijon was very helpful with guidelines for preparation and arrival. The journey to Dijon was also quick, just 800 kilometres by car. The option of driving there by car, gave me the ability to bring more stuff than just clothes. This was very helpful during my stay. I did not have any problems with my home faculty regarding the learning agreement or whatsoever. Residence abroad - Arrangements Visa/Residence permit Since France is part of the EU, I did not need a visa. - Arrival and departure dates I arrived in Dijon the 8 th of September and I left the 22 nd of December - Accommodation The accommodation for exchange students in Dijon is easy to arrange, since the faculty provides a list of several residences. Also the International Relations Assistant is very helpful in choosing the residence, but you have to respond quickly to her s, since there is a lot of competition. I lived in Residence Courtepee, which is a 2minute walk from the University and a 2minute walk from the city center, with 11 other housemates. The Landlord was very helpful and always ready to fix things in the house. He also speaks English, but we always tried to speak French to him, to practice our skills. The rent is 370 per month, with good wifi reception included. The landlord also cleans every two days the kitchen, the halls, bathrooms and the showers. The rooms, which are on average 12m 2, are furnished with a desk, a chair, a closet, a bed and a sink. From what I have heard about other residences from classmates and other exchange students, was my residence by far the cleanest and the closest to the University. I would highly recommend Residence Courtepee to everyone who is going to spend a semester in Dijon, since I had a great time there without any problems. - Reception and Introduction There was an induction week arranged by the University and a student organization. It consisted of an introduction of how everything worked in the school, such as the computers, the intranet, the rooms, the schedules and the student organizations. It lasted for three days of lectures and tutorials, and it ended with a trip to the nearest city Beaune, which is very famous for its vineyards and wineries. The student organization Melting Potes, was very helpful in the introduction and showed us around the school and the city.

2 - Student life, culture and leisure Dijon has a lot of students, so the population is very young and lively. Unfortunately, the bars are usually closed on weeknights, and on the weekends open until 2 or 3 o clock. Next to the little bars and pubs, there are a lot of clubs that stay open until 6 o clock. Unfortunately, the entrance fee and the drinks in those clubs are usually quite costly. Therefore, almost every week on a Thursday, the student organization arranges a party in one of the clubs where they fix lower prices for entrance and drinks. Every Thursday he party is arranged by a different student organization, where a lot of French and International students attend these parties. Other parties are arranged by the ESN, and there are mostly exchange students. The city center of Dijon has a lot of fashion and shoes shops, a beautiful lake and a lot of good restaurants. There is also an enormous shopping mall, just 10 minutes away by tram, where there are a lot of shops such as the Primark and Zara and there is even a Hema. - Language All of my courses were in English, except for the course French. Some French professors had a heavy French accent, but you get used to it. The course French was for me quite tough because I was put into a higher level than I was capable of, but this helped me to learn the language even more quickly. I already learned French at high school, so I just needed to freshen it up. During the induction week you will need to take a French test in order to for the school to obtain your level. After this the school will put you in the level they think suits you, if you think this level is too high or too low, you can move up or down in between the levels. The French classes are twice a week, both 2 hours and 15 minutes, on Mondays and Wednesdays. In daily live, it is better to first try to speak in French and if that does not work, switch to English, because the French prefer it to speak French. - Grant I received the first 70% of my grant in October, and this was 770. This grant was very useful, considering the freedom of studying abroad. Because Dijon lies central in France, you can easily do weekend trips to large cities around Dijon. The living expenses in France are a bit more expensive than in The Netherlands, for example meat, chicken and fish. - Study (General) Studying at ESC Dijon was very pleasant for me. The school was close to my home, so in between classes or during lunch time, I could go home very easily. The French consider their lunch break as very important, so this allows you to take your time for your lunch. This is very different from The Netherlands, where the standard is eating a sandwich while walking to your next class. Lunch was being served at the school, and because there was a competition between student organizations, they were striving to be as cheap as possible. They offered for example, croissants, crepes (pancakes) with nutella, coffee and juice, all together for less then 4. They library of the school is a little small and it is not as quiet as in the library in Groningen, in France it was common to just speak loudly with your classmates. What I enjoyed the most was that I had great housemates from all over the world and we had the best times with each other, we had fun but we also studied together.

3 B. Specific Report French Intermediate Lectures 2 times a week, each 2 hours and 15 minutes from on Mondays and Wednesdays 11 lecture weeks (22 tutorials in total = 44 hours) No compulsory book or reading list. Handouts were provided in class each tutorial Content Course structure: Determination of the level of French Being able to talk about topics from the news Being able to use the tenses correctly: - L imparfait - L indicatif - Le gerondif - Passé compose - Plus-que-parfait How to debate and give your opinion on topics There were also classes where we prepared for the midterm and final exam. There was also the possibility to take a voluntary French exam to determine your level on business level French, this exam was called: Test Français Internationale. If you took this test, you missed 1 class, which the teacher approved. Course Evaluation Next to the midterm and the final exam, everyone had to prepare a presentation. This presentation needed to be about something interesting but something French. Fore example, some people presented a summary of the movie Intouchable, and other presented background information about Monsieur Eiffel. Relevance to Groningen Study program Relevant to French course in IB Study load Study time and homework 2 hours per week: 22 hours Preparation for exams Midterm exam preparation: 6 hours Final exam preparation: 8 hours Presentation preparation: 4 hours 5 ECTS

4 French Culture and Society Lectures and literature 11 sessions, each 2 hours: 22 hours Final exam 3 hours There was no compulsory reading list Course Content 1. The French: Features and French Values the class was about clichés, French symbols, some French consumption statistics, and there was a general introduction (hand-out: 10 pages) 2. Regionalization and the Weight of History Explanation of the composition of France, with its regions, an introduction to French history (hand-out: 3 pages + 3 pages of notes) 3. Political Life The composition of the French politics (e.g. hierarchy, elections ) (hand-outs: 6 pages + 4 pages of notes) 4. The Town and the Country, Paris/Agriculture The differences of the French way of life and work in cities and the countryside (hand-out: 6 pages + 3 pages of notes) 5. The French Way of Life How the French live and their preferences/ unique characteristics (hand-outs: 2 pages + 2 pages of notes) 6. Employment, Business The work environment of the French, as well as, working laws and business structures (hand-outs: 5 pages + 4 pages of notes) 7. Education The French school system, elementary school to university 8. The French Language, Francophonie the history of the French language, the characteristics of Francophonie (hand-outs: 6 pages + 4 pages of notes) 9. Intellectual and Artistic Life French hobbies, music festivals (hand-outs: 1 page + 4 pages of notes) 10. The Press and the Media French radio stations, TV stations, and printed press, circulation and laws (hand-outs: 4 pages) 11. Religion the different religions in France, their history and religious wars (handouts: 2 pages) Study Load Final exam: 50% - Preparation for exam: 20 hours Individual Assignment: 50% - Paper about the cultural differences between the French culture and your own culture. - Preparation of the paper: 5 hours Continuous Assignment: keeping a diary of all your encounters with the differences between cultures, 15 minutes a day. This should be done in order to help you remember the experience when writing the paper. 3 ECTS

5 Intercultural Management and Communication 4 Course objective To understand intercultural problems that can arise during intercultural meetings and business organizations. Identify all the norms and values of different cultures, so that the basic layer of other cultures is understood. Applying all the cultural differences to the theories of Hofstede, Trompenaars, Mole, Lewis, Adler and Morrison. Course content What is culture? When does a culture shock arise? What is business culture? Are stereotypes good or bad? What is French Business culture? Perform home country analysis, self-analysis. Define organization by characteristics. Study load: 8 sessions of each 2 hours: 16 hours 30% Collective Assignment preparation: 6 hours - Role-play of a business meeting where 3 different culture values clash 70% Individual Assignment: 6 hours - Keeping a journal of in total 7 entries, each with a different topic such as culture shock stages, cultural differences, self-experience.

6 Communication Strategies Course Objective: An exchange of messages, between individuals for the purpose of creating or influencing the meaning, which others assign to an event. Meaning is interpreted from particular experiences. Determining how to develop an effective message, including the key message in order to come across as desired. The course focuses on Crisis Communication what will be assessed in the Group project at the end of the semester. Course Outline: Introduction what is Communication? Communication & Culture Developing Effective Communication Corporate Communication Communication Strategies Crisis Communications Case Studies Media Techniques Study load 10 sessions, each 2 hours Midterm exam: 50% - QCM 25 questions about topics covered in class - Preparation: 15 hours Group project: 50% - Preparation: 20 hours - Case study of company that had to cope with a crisis. Company analysis of how the company responded to the crisis Each group was assigned to one of these cases: 1. Apple & U2's "Songs of Innocence 2. The French Team 2010 World Cup vs 2014 World Cup 3. Malaysia Airlines 4. Victoria s Secret & "Bright Young Things" 5. Findus 6. Lego & Greenpeace Where each group needed to cover these questions: An overview of the crisis What was the issue for the company? How did the company respond to its key stakeholders? How did the company respond to the media? In managing the crisis, what did the company do right? What did the company do wrong? Could the company have handled the situation better?

7 Strategic Analysis Course outline This course contains a case analysis, class lectures, strategic management games, videos, quizzes and a final exam at the end of the semester. The case analysis is about a company called DeBeers; a Dutch diamond company facing problems in the diamond business in Africa. This collective comprehensive case study must be written by 3-4 students, and should contain words including references. The class lectures contain the principles of strategy, all covered by examples and theories. These lectures are made more fun by including particular strategic games, these are called: Game of numbers; Cash in hat; the invading King; and Game of Duel. These interactive games will make the students understand the basic knowledge of strategy more easily and in a fun way. In order to keep the students focused, there are 2 surprise quizzes based on the discussed topics and lectures covered in class and 4 obligatory articles. The final exam is based on everything discussed in class, the slides, the games, the articles and all the theories. The obligatory bibliography 1. Porter «What is strategy», HBR 2. Porter How competitive forces shape strategy HBR 3. Collis and Montgomery Competing on resources, HBR 4. Kim et Mauborgne, HBR 2009 Learning outcomes - Understand the characteristics of strategic decisions. Understand what is meant by, strategy and strategic management, distinguishing them from operational management. - Understand how strategic priorities vary by level: corporate, business, and operational. - Understand the three key elements of the Exploring Corporate Strategy strategic management model. Study Load 10 sessions, each 2 hours: 20 hours Collective Case study DeBeers: 30% - Preparation of the case: 15 hours Continuous Individual Assignment: Surprise quiz 20% - Preparation of quiz: 5 hours Final Individual Exam: 50% - Preparation of exam: 20 hours

8 Management Control and Budgetary Control Course outline Introduction to budgeting: planning and budgeting; budgetary control and variance analysis. Introduction to management control: process, systems and structure of management control. Planning and budgetary control systems. Principles of planning and budgeting. The master budget: sales budget, production budget, direct materials purchases budget, direct manufacturing labour budget, cash budget, budgeted P & L, budgeted balance sheet. Budgetary control: flexible budgets and variance analysis. Behavioural aspects and Conclusion Course Objectives At the end of this module, students will be able to: 1) Understand the role of management control in the organisation. 2) Understand the principles of planning, budgeting and controlling. 3) Know the key methods of planning and budgetary control. 4) Establish a budget and comment the results of a variance analysis. Assesment Case Studies in class Quiz to check students are following: 20% Group work:30% Written final examination 2 hours : 50% Study Load 11 classes, each 2 hours: 22 hours Quiz: 2 hours Quiz preparation: 5 hours Final exam: 3 hours Final exam preparation: 10 hours

9 Human Resource Management Course outline This course is a beginner s course in Human Resource Management. This module aims to prepare students becoming employees in international firms (giving them knowledge on stakes and practices in HRM) and managers in charge of a team (giving them skills on operational human resource management). The main topics associated to this course are: HR Function; HR Planning; Recruitment; Compensation, Performance Appraisal, HR development; Strategic HR and Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Dialogue. Course objective For students integrating the MGE Program in the second year (AST2), we propose preliminary sessions (eight hours) dedicated to selected topics of organizational behaviour and organisational theory (motivation, individual versus collective, organizational design, organizational culture). These knowledge supplied in the first year of the program helps to understand the context of Human resource management and individual and collective behaviors toward some HRM process (for example compensation). To be acquainted with the various dimensions of human resources within a firm Assessment (20%) Continuous Collective Assessment: prepare and present a case study (30%) Final Collective Assessment: prepare and present a serious game (50%) Final Individual Assessment: written exam Study load 2 hours per class, 9 sessions: 18 hours Continuous assessment: 12 hours Collective assessment case: 3 hours Final exam: 10 hours Relevance in Groningen HRM for IB

10 Strategic Marketing Course objective Marketing creates value for customers by focusing on the long-run relationship as well as on short-run sales. This course emphasizes the role of what is traditionally called the marketing mix or the 4 P s - product, price, promotions (communication) and place (distribution) - in creating value for customers, which in turn creates value (revenue and profit streams) for owners, shareholders and employees. The course also highlights the interrelatedness of the different elements of the marketing mix. Course outline At the completion of the course, students should be able to: 1. Define the marketing concept and its shift from transaction-based to relationship marketing. 2. Identify the different components of the marketing environment. 3. Define the concept of product, product policy, and branding and product life cycle. 4. Learn about qualitative & quantitative market research 5. Explain the concept of pricing and approaches to price setting. 6. Describe the marketing channels and the major channel strategy decisions. 7. Describe the communication process, the promotional mix and effectiveness. Course Assessment This is a work-oriented course. Your ability to creatively think, solve problems and to conduct a thorough analysis will have a significant influence on your grade. Thus, your final grade will be jointly based en learning of theoretical concepts and project work. Study load 10 sessions, 2 hours each: 22 hours Homework, case study: 40 hours Exam preparation: revision of slides Collective Continuous Assessment: Study of a chosen brand (20% for the oral presentations + 20% for the final report) Collective Continuous Assessment: Final case study Speculoos (30% for the presentation) Individual Assessment: Written marketing plan proposal for a specific brand (30% for the written exam) All courses are approved by drs. H. A. Ritsema