ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy
[Term 3] Competitiveness of Firms & Clusters (Y. Ishikura) (2009/Term 3&4 (Spring&Summer))
Today, competitiveness is discussed extensively at multiple levels: the level of the firm, city, region, and/or country. There are many competitiveness rankings available, addressing different levels, such as the Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum. Competitiveness has become an important issue not only for the firm but also the nation/city/region, partly because of the advancement of ICT (Information & Communication Technology) and of globalization.
This course explores the determinants of competitiveness and economic development viewed from a bottom-up, business perspective. While sound macroeconomic policies, stable legal and political systems, and investment in human and physical capital create the potential for competitiveness, wealth is actually created at the business level. The sophistication and productivity of firms, the vitality of clusters, and the quality of the business environment in which competition takes place are the ultimate determinants of a nation’s or region’s productivity. Wealth is created not by governments, but by companies in the private sector.
This course covers both developing and advanced economies, and addresses competitiveness at the level of nations, regions, or cities within nations, clusters, and groups of neighboring countries. A major theme of the course is that competitiveness and economic development are affected by circumstances and policies at all of these levels.
The course is concerned with the role of government, and also with the roles of firms, universities, and other institutions in determining competitiveness. In modern international competition, the roles of these constituencies have shifted and expanded, and the traditional separation between them has worked against successful economic development.
Under these circumstances, business executives today are expected to play a more active role in shaping the business environment, which determines a nation’s, region’s, or city’s productivity. They are expected to have global and inter-disciplinary perspectives. They can no longer be concerned only with the domestic market or their industry. As world trade continues to increase, an open system for innovation is becoming more prevalent, and financial trouble originating in one market can affect the world very quickly.
Business executives can no longer focus only on the bottom line, as “companies can help create a better society while improving their bottom line, by focusing on contributions aligned with their core competencies and corporate missions…” (quoted from the WEF 2008 summary, Corporate Global Citizenship in the 21st Century”). As was pointed out at the WEF annual meeting in 2008, the collaboration of businesses, governments, and NGOs is perceived to be critical in resolving global issues, such as energy and the environment in today’s globalized world.
This course attempts to address these emerging issues facing future leaders, whether they are in companies, governments, other institutions, or civil society organizations. As such, this course is different from most MBA courses in the following respects. First, it is not purely a management course, but a course focused on economic development and prosperity. While it explores implications for companies and the new, expanded role of business executives, the course discusses the roles of other important constituencies, such as government and social entrepreneurial organizations.
The ability to mount and sustain a competitiveness improvement strategy for a nation or region is a daunting challenge. Thus, the course will explore not only theory and policy, but also the nature of the organizational structure, institutions, and processes required for sustained improvements in competitiveness.
Some of the questions which have emerged from past attempts to deal with the issue of competitiveness, economic development, and prosperity include the following:
• How can the economy move from one that is resource-based (such as those dependent on oil and other natural resources) to one that is investment-based and diversified?
• How can we create an innovative economy?
• How do we make these changes happen, as the process of improving competitiveness involves many diverse organizations with different agendas, mentalities, and thought processes?
The course was originally created by Professor Michael E. Porter at the Harvard Business School. It is offered not only in the Harvard University community, but also simultaneously by professors at other universities around the world.
Course Structure
The course consists of Three Modules. Module I discusses Firms, Industries, and Locations. Module II covers the Microeconomic Business Environment, which is the main topic of the course. Module III refers to the Economic Strategy for Nations, States and Regions. Advanced topics will be covered as well.
The course will build on topics such as “firms and industry competition” (covered in the Competitive Strategy course in Term 1) and problem definition and implementation (covered in the Problem Solving course in Term 2). The course will also touch upon issues such as the Mission, Vision, and Value of individual leaders, which will be covered during the Knowledge Week offered in June.
Teaching Method
The course will be taught using the case method, together with readings, lectures (both real and virtual), and guests (both real and virtual).
As it is a joint course with HBS and other institutions throughout the world, content is shared via the Internet.
We will show some videos of Michael Porter’s lectures and of the guests at the Harvard Business School. In addition, we plan to have some guests just for ICS.