Microeconomics of Competitiveness: firms, clusters, and economic development (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Objective

You understand the key determinants of sustainable competitiveness for firms, countries, and regions. You can assess the quality of the business environment. You understand the importance of clusters and how cluster members such as network partners, industry associations, universities, and government can contribute to enhancing sustainable competitiveness.

The competences to develop in this course are sustainable global business management and sustainable development.

Sustainable global business management: You understand the key determinants of sustainable competitiveness for firms and clusters. You apply disciplinary knowledge to analyze their challenges of competitiveness for firms and propose sustainable solutions.

Sustainable development: You understand the key determinants of sustainable competitiveness for countries and regions. You apply disciplinary knowledge to analyze their challenges of competitiveness for countries and regions and propose sustainable solutions.

Content

Sustainable competitiveness of firms, countries, and regions; economic development, prosperity, productivity, social progress index, quality of the business environment, diamond model, clusters, cluster mapping, cluster policies, cluster initiatives, cluster dynamics

Materials

Porter, M. (2008) On Competition. Harvard Business School Publishing. Sölvell, Ö. (2015)On strategy and competitiveness. Ivory Tower AB: Stockholm.

Completion alternatives

Group project Exam Active participation

Student workload

Lectures 19h Assignments 54h Independent study 62h Total 135h ( one credit equals 27 hours of student work)

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Sufficient 1: You understand the key concepts of sustainable competitiveness at a sufficient level but fail to use them to assess the sustainable competitiveness of a company, a country, a region or a cluster. You have challenges to communicate your findings in oral and written form in a well-structured manner. There are issues in complying with JAMK reporting instructions.
Satisfactory 2: You understand the key concepts of sustainable competitiveness at a satisfactory level and attempt to use them to assess the sustainable competitiveness of a company, a country, a region or a cluster. You are able to communicate your findings in oral and written form responsibly. There are some issues in complying with JAMK reporting instructions.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good 3: You have a good understanding of the key concepts of sustainable competitiveness and use them well to assess the sustainable competitiveness of a company, a country, a region or a cluster. You are able to communicate your findings in oral and written form responsibly in a well-structured manner. There are some issues in complying with JAMK reporting instructions.
Very good 4: You have a very good understanding of the key concepts of sustainable competitiveness and use them innovatively to assess the sustainable competitiveness of a company, a country, a region or a cluster. You are able to communicate your findings in oral and written form responsibly in a well-structured manner. There are minor issues in complying with JAMK reporting instructions.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

You have a thorough understanding of the key concepts of sustainable competitiveness and apply them critically to assess the sustainable competitiveness of a company, a country, a region or a cluster. You are able to communicate your findings in oral and written form responsibly and in a well-structured manner, complying fully with JAMK reporting instructions.

Qualifications

Competences of Bacherlor's degree

Further information

This course was originally developed at Harvard Business School by Michael Porter. JAMK is a member of Michael Porter's Microeconomics of Competitiveness network, and delivers this course with the help of resources available from the network.