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Strategic Management of Small-Mid Size Firms
in Italy and the EU

Atlanta: May 1 - May 18, 2010
Italy: May 21 - June 4, 2010

IB 4410 / IB 8410
MGS 4860 / MGS 8860
6 credit hours

THE PROGRAM

This program is designed to provide students with the understanding of how developed markets in the EU differ from the US market for small to mid size firms. The focus is on firms with unique characteristics and those have access to or developed resources and capabilities instrumental in gaining competitiveness in select industries. We will visit Italian firms at various locations and study the dynamics from the business and/or corporate strategy perspectives. This course is designed as follows: one week of class instruction and field study in Atlanta where we visit Italian firms doing business in the US, and two weeks of fielded study in Italy where we visit Italian firms in various cities.

The goals and objectives of the Italy program are to:

• examine the challenges associated with economic, institutional and management development in the context of doing business in developed and mature European markets,
• understand the strategic issues faced by small-mid size Italian firms in dealing with the EU and the US,
• understand and explain why business may be conducted differently in different places based on different cultural perspectives, and the institutional systems and processes that are built upon them,
• analyze business situations in which cultural or institutional differences could limit effective business performance and recommend approaches for managing that situation,
• effectively modify their behavior so as to function successfully as a businessperson in a range of different cultural settings,
• gain new perspectives in managing firms in highly competitive and dynamic business settings,
• apply lessons learned in the course to students' own organizations.

The students will attend lectures in Atlanta, and briefings in Italy for the discussion of key business strategy and corporate strategy concepts. In the Atlanta portion, they will be given HBS cases to orient them in identification of key challenges, and practitioner articles on the topics covered in class. In briefings (in Italy), we will discuss how the concepts we covered relate to what we experience in a foreign market. The students will interview company executives, interact with the locals, and observe first-hand how EU regulations affect small-mid size firms.

The students will learn from on-hands and in-location learning since they will be able to see a very lively and competitive market and observe market dynamics. From an international business perspective, this is an invaluable experience.