After this course, students should have a good starting point for working on their Master’s Thesis rather independently - in terms of (1) understanding of different empirical data gathering methods, (2) conceptual thinking and (3) empirical research work and its documentation as well as (4) the structure, content and narrative of a thesis. Different managerial concepts, in the end, are tools for both researchers and managers alike to develop their thinking and understanding on complex issues. Students can solve managerial problems in different organizations with the help of the existing literature and are able to reflect the reality using the existing literature and concepts. The student understands how the active work in the field, in the spirit of interventionist research, can be a way to (1) get access to the organization, (2) become a team member, hence (3) providing access to more interesting research data. Naturally, each student will gain expertise in the content area of the paper.

10 ECTS

Semester 3 (compulsory)

In business organizations, people are increasingly managed with numbers. Thus, after passing the course (Final grade 1), students are familiar with the basic financial concepts and tools used in the industry and are able to use them in simple contexts. However, in the management field, these concepts and tools must be applied in order to provide the foundation for decision-making. With final grades 2 and 3, students are able to understand how such concepts and tools are used to support management decisions making.

In today's knowledge economy, financial information not only is seen as a tool for managing people or organizations. Instead, it is increasingly seen as a source of innovation. Analyzing financial data may, for example, reveal that some customers are willing to pay more of the same product than others, hence helping the company to target its customers better. Understanding of value creation requires that companies are not only able to analyze their own costs but, instead, they also need to analyze the costs of their customers and sometimes even their customer's customers. Similarly, companies are looking for new performance measurement systems or compensation plans to guide the organization to do the right things in order to maximize the value creation and, eventually, outperform the competition. Students passing the course with final grade of 4 and 5 are able to understand the role financial information can play in such business development processes and how financial tools can be applied in innovative ways.

5 ECTS

Semester 3 (compulsory)

This course sets the stage for management studies and provides a solid foundation for more advanced studies in industrial management. After the course, students understand how technology-driven, industrial-scale operations provide goods and services efficiently to the society while, at the same time, make profit for the owners. Understanding of value creation and its relationship to the success of business organisations forms the cornerstone of the course.

5 ECTS

Semester 3 (compulsory)

The objective of the course is to understand the nature of operative sales in B2B markets and the key concepts used for business development in global B2B networks. After the course students understand the key characteristics of B2B markets and operative sales processes. Furthermore, students are familiar with the basic concepts and tools used in the planning, management and improvement of the operative sales processes in B2B context. Guest lecturers will be used to illustrate what development of B2B sales practices and processes mean in practice. In addition, the student papers used as course material will provide an opportunity for 'peer learning' since those papers have been written by first year master's students majoring in International Sales and Sourcing; the papers will illustrate how some 'peers with similar background' have applied business concepts and tools in their practical business development projects.

T o support business development in business networks, the course also includes elements of financial and management accounting, focusing on concepts relevant to sales professionals with the special emphasis on value creation and value capture. Thus, after the course students are able to apply contribution and full costing in simple pricing situations. The students also understand basic principles how business potential of a new offering or a new market can be quantified and are able to use that knowledge in the budgeting process. Finally, the students are able to apply financial key ratios to analyze income statement and balance sheet in order to evaluate and prioritize existing and potential customers.

Selling technology-intensive products and services requires close collaboration with customers in order to help customers solve complex problems, making sales professionals almost consultants. To support that, the course also contains exercise on face-to- face sales negotiation to enable students to evaluate their current communication skills and potential areas of improvement. Thus, after the course students understand principles of good business interaction, are able to prepare and give a short 'pitch' focusing on essential elements from the customer's point of view and are aware of areas in business communication that still need improvement.

5 ECTS

Semester 3 (compulsory)

30 ECTS

Semester 4 (compulsory)