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Please read the course descriptions very carefully and make sure that you meet the pre-requisites before enrolling in a course. Browse through our subject areas and courses to find out more. The subject areas serve as a filter for the courses, thus helping you to find the courses more easily. Courses offered at Geislingen Campus are open for exchange students, too. They are listed in the different subject areas. However, please note that it takes about an hour to travel from one campus to the other, which is important to know when planning a time schedule for a semester.

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101-117-IO-01 Strategic Management in an International Context

Academic Level: 400

Lecture, 6 ECTS Credits (150 hours per semester), 4 hours per week (45 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Carsten Herbes

This course will give students an in-depth induction to the major issues, techniques, and challenges of developing, formulating and implementing strategies in a MNC. Students will learn how to analyze the corporation’s environment in foreign market, become aware of risks and opportunities and how they influence internationalization strategies. They are familiarized with the most important market entry strategies including partnering strategies such as JV and M&A. A comprehensive case will give students the opportunity of applying their market entry strategy know-how. Moreover, this module will help students understand the requirements that international business activities pose to organization, sales & marketing, as well as business ethics. Students will be assigned research tasks on a regular basis and will present and discuss their results with the class. Presentations by international business practitioners will offer ample opportunity for getting insights into the methods and practices of leading companies. Part of the course (2 hours) will be held as a compact course (not weekly), most probably on one or two weekends. This allows evoking the feeling of a real life consulting project.

Assessment: Written exam, presentations
Prerequisites: Background in Business / Economics and Management (intermediate level) and a good knowledge of English is required. The professor reserves the right to refuse students whose English is not sufficient to pass the course and/or whose participation is less than 80%.
Undergraduate students

204-010-IO-01 International Supply Chain Management

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 6 ECTS Credits (150 hours per semester), 4 hours per week (45 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer

Lecturer: GUEST PROFESSOR, Andreas Traub

This course provides the opportunity to more profoundly study the topics of Supply Chain Management and Purchasing with a special focus on the international aspects. Supply Chain Management deals with topics like: - Analysis and planning of production networks - Demand planning and scheduling of lean production systems - Operative purchasing (ordering, dispatching and expediting) - Logistics and material flow on different levels - Sales administration and customer relationship management - Supply chain controlling and leadership - Tools and IT systems International Purchasing deals with topics like: - purchasing function, value contribution of purchasing - basic elements of purchasing contracts - contract negotiation - the sourcing/ RFQ process - cost estimations in purchasing

Assessment: Written exam, presentations
Prerequisites: Background in Business/Economics and introductory class in Management
Undergraduate students (number of Undergraduates is limited to 6), Graduate students

204-007-IO-01 International Human Resource Management

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 2 ECTS Credits (50 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Thomas Bartz

In this course we will think about all the topics HR is responsible for. This means, we will not only talk about HR as an “administrative” function, but try to grasp what value HR can add to the “business”. We will also link every topic to the ledership skills and abilities of Managers. Lectures, classroom discussions, and exercises/cases will center around: Contemporary leadership discussions involving transactional vs. transformational leadership approaches on the basis of motivation theories, Fundamentals of Labor Relations (Workers Councils, Unions, Collective Agreements), Equality and Diversity, International HR, Discipline, Grievance and HR Planning, Personnel Development and Talent Management Programs, Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management (from objective setting to performance rating), Rewarding (Compensation & Benefits), including bonus and incentive scheme.

Assessment: Written exam, presentations
Prerequisites: Background in Business/Economics and a basic understanding of business processes
Undergraduate students (number of Undergraduates is limited to 6), Graduate students

204-007-IO-02 Cases International Management

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 3 ECTS Credits (75 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Erskin Blunck

This course is offered as a mix between lecture and case study discussion. It provides theory and case studies of international management. The students deal with the impact of the cultural, economic, political and legal environment on management of multinational enterprises. They learn to consider the specifics of international trade. Furthermore, the influence of regional economic integrations like NAFTA and EU on organisation's success in business will be studied. The consequences of factor mobility and foreign direct investments for international trade will be discussed. The course concludes with international business strategy.

Assessment: Written exam
Prerequisites: Background in Business/Economics and introductory classes in Marketing and Management
Undergraduate students (number of Undergraduates is limited to 6), Graduate students

204-029-IO-01 Business Challenge

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 6 ECTS Credits (150 hours per semester), 4 hours per week (45 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Erskin Blunck, Prof. Dr. Christian Arndt

The goal of this business challenge is to develop a successful business model for open innovation at FESTOOL, a world leading supplier of power tools. The company has developed a new product for waste management that can be very interesting for urban construction sites that suffer from limitations in space for waste storage equipment like truck containers. Further, it may help to save costs and emissions from dust and green house gases. But Festool is still searching for an innovative service business model to make this product invention a business innovation. Even the creation of a new scalable waste platform business model may be possible. The goal for the students of this Business Challenge is to co-create new service business models for this new product. Thereby, students from different disciplines will engage in open innovation, that is, they will blend external ideas with internal ones. Students will set up and use a Design Thinking process (problem understanding, solution, and value proposition). They will acquire competencies in the necessary methodologies, such as digital tools for project management, the business model canvas, co-working, co-creation, and a high level business plan. Finally, they will work together with innovation experts from Festool and pitch their business model in front of Festool top executives. FESTOOL is a multinational enterprise and is among the world leading companies that produce portable power tools. Company headquarter is in Wendlingen, near Nürtingen. Students will directly report to Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of FESTOOL, Christian Oltzscher, and his top management staff.

Assessment: Presentations, paper
Prerequisites: Background in Business/Economics and introductory class in Management
Undergraduate students (number of Undergraduates is limited to 6), Graduate students

204-032-IO-01 International Commercial Law

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 3 ECTS Credits (75 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Dr. Ulrich Schnelle

Different sections will introduce the students to the crucial aspects of International Commercial Law. The Section “Doing Business Abroad” offers the Choice of the appropriate marketing mode; The second section deals with “Negotiating and Drafting International Contracts”. The third section explores the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG); the Special Features of E-Commerce are content of the last section.

Assessment: Oral exam
Prerequisites: Introductory class in Business Law
Undergraduate students (number of Undergraduates is limited to 6), Graduate students

204-032-IO-02 Commercial Law

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 2 ECTS Credits (50 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Claudia Stachel

Entry into foreign markets, typical contracts in the international commerce (distribution, agency, licensing, cooperation), typical commercial terms (Incoterms, negotiable instruments), dispute resolution, relationship between Civil and Common Law exemplified by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, International Trade and Customs Law (WTO) and the Law of Supranational or Free Trade Organisations (European Union, Mercosur, APEC)

Assessment: Oral exam
Prerequisites: Introductory class in Business Law
Undergraduate students (number of Undergraduates is limited to 6), Graduate students

101-126-IO Intercultural Management

Academic Level: 400

Lecture, 6 ECTS Credits (150 hours per semester), 4 hours per week (45 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Carsten Herbes , Dr. Christian Carstensen

The course introduces theories and concepts of cultures and intercultural management. It enables students to evaluate theories and do further research on theories beyond those introduced in class. The class will start with clarifying why we need concepts and theories. It will then introduce different concepts of culture (Hofstede, Schein, Hall, Trompenaars etc.). Students will then test the concepts by applying them to their own experience (e.g. gathered while studying abroad). Moreover, we will look at the cultures of various regions / countries in detail and their implications for doing business. Students become aware of the implications of national and corporate cultures for international business activities. They recognize that activities of companies are often culturally bound and can apply their knowledge on practical examples. Moreover they learn how to apply concepts of intercultural management in research papers such as their bachelor thesis. Asia will be picked as one region and analyzed in more detail.

Assessment: Written exam, presentations
Prerequisites: Business/Economics, Management (intermediate level) and a good knowledge of English is required. The professor reserves the right to refuse students whose English is not sufficient to pass the course and/or whose participation is less than 80%.
Undergraduate students

104-030-IO-01 Intercultural Management

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 3 ECTS Credits (75 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in fall/winter

Lecturer: Dr. Christian Carstensen

The course introduces theories and concepts of cultures and intercultural management. It enables students to evaluate theories and do further research on theories beyond those introduced in class. The class will introduce different concepts of culture (Hofstede, Schein, Hall, Trompenaars etc.). Concepts of intercultural conflict and intercultural communication will be analyzed. Students will then test the concepts by applying them to their own experience (e.g. gathered while studying abroad). Moreover, we will look at the cultures of various regions / countries in detail and their implications for doing business. Students become aware of the implications of national and corporate cultures for international business activities. They recognize that activities of companies are often culturally bound and can apply their knowledge on practical examples.

Assessment: Written exam
Prerequisites: Business/Economics, Management (intermediate level) and a good knowledge of English is required. The professor reserves the right to refuse students whose English is not sufficient to pass the course and/or whose participation is less than 80%.
Undergraduate students, Graduate students

203-051-IO-01 Intercultural Communication

Academic Level: 200

Lecture, 2 ECTS Credits (50 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Anne-Cecile Graber

The course helps students to understand the different dimensions of culture. They will explore the difference between national and organizational cultures, the relationships and rules, managing time, and they will analyze different case studies.

Assessment: Presentations, paper
Prerequisites: Academic/Business Writing
Undergraduate students

204-009-IO-01 Intercultural Competence

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 2 ECTS Credits (50 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in fall/winter, spring/summer

Lecturer: Dipl.-Kfm. Lars Hauschild

The purpose of this intercultural competence lecture is to gain a better understanding of cultures. It provides an overview of themes and issues in German culture and communication style as well as in foreign cultures. Finally provides help dealing with the different way-of-life’s and integrating in case in the different way-of-life’s. Another focus of the lecture is global strategy and global management and the intercultural challenges associated with it. Finally, current megatrends are highlighted and discussed to find out, which intercultural competencies are necessary to deal with these megatrends successfully today and in the futur.

Assessment: Written exam
Prerequisites: Business/Economics, Management (intermediate level)
Undergraduate students with special permission (number of Undergraduates is limited to 6), Graduate students

900-002 Landscape, Democracy and the European Union

Academic Level: 500

Seminar, 5 ECTS Credits (125 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

This course is also open to Business and Economics students!

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Dr. Ellen Fetzer, Prof. Dr. Michael Roth

The webinar ‘Landscape, democracy in the European Union’ aims to bridge knowledge gaps between the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, relevant EU policies, programmes and instruments in the fields of environment and regional development. This module is funded by the Jean-Monnet-Programme of the European Union. After successful completion of the course, learners are expected to have developed: a holistic understanding of the EU’s overall vision and strategic goals, knowledge of how EU environmental policies are made, knowledge of how the EU’s environmental policy links to related but equally relevant policy fields, in particular agriculture and rural development, regional and urban policy and climate action, knowledge of how EU policy is related to and complementing with other international/European policy actors in the field of environment/landscape and sustainable development, knowledge of European instruments and funding schemes for sustainable development, competence to link a local landscape context to the EU’s policy framework and to conceive sustainable solutions that make constructive use of EU instruments and funding schemes (such as Life+ and Interreg projects, Natural Capital Financing Facility, Green direct payments for farmers) - Online registration until 31 March 2020: http://www.eu-ladder.eu

Assessment: Seminar paper
Prerequisite: a good level of English is required
Undergraduate students, Graduate students

Internationalization Strategies (Geislingen campus)

Academic Level: 400

Lecture, 3 ECTS Credits (75 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Dr. Rudi Holz

This course delivers aspects on internationalization strategies like: Market Entry Strategies, Timing Strategies, Export Strategies, Licensing, Internationalization Strategies, Country Risks with a focus on the automotive industry

Assessment: Written exam, presentations, paperPrerequisite: Background in Business/Economics, Introductory class in Marketing and Management Undergraduate students, Graduate students

Cross Cultural Communication and Business Etiquette (Geislingen campus)

Academic Level: 400

Lecture, 3 ECTS Credits (75 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Dr. Renate Reck

Students will be introduced to strategies and skills of intercultural communication enabling them to better understand and overcome cultural differences needed for conducting international business. They will gain insight into the communicative requirements for doing business abroad by: assessing own cultural themes and patterns, examining various geographic regions, identifying cultural themes and patterns of other geographical regions, identifying business conduct and business practices as well as the protocol of greetings, and titles/forms of address in other countries, understanding where potential obstacles may lie in intercultural communication

Assessment: Written exam
Prerequisite: Introductory class in Management
Undergraduate students, Graduate students

Negotiations in an International Context (Geislingen campus)

Academic Level: 400

Lecture, 3 ECTS Credits (75 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Dr. Renate Reck

Students in this course get comprehensive English language training for different business purposes. They learn how to negotiate in English across different cultures, applying the method of the Harvard Concept and use negotiating terms, phrases, and expressions. The students learn and practise the organisation and communication skills required in an environment with international business partners in different role plays. The course emphasises on cultural sensitivity in business and communicating across cultures with the help of rhetoric, style and body language. The students read articles on selected topics from relevant periodicals to evaluate and discuss the content. The goal is to improve the English language skills to enable students to negotiate in English, improve their non-verbal communication and to make them familiar with international business etiquette.

Assessment: Written exam, presentations
Prerequisite: Background in Business/Economics, introductory class in Management
Undergraduate students, Graduate students

Intercultural Management (Geislingen campus)

Academic Level: 300

Seminar, 2,5 ECTS Credits (62,5 hours per semester), 2 hours per week (25 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Karen Lehle

Students learn how to behave in an international and intercultural environment. On the basis of realistic cases they practise teamwork, role plays and presentations and they are expected to explore the importance of working together as well as leadership. The course prepares the students to work abroad as well as to work in international teams with members coming from different countries. Students learn to understand the differences in intercultural communication and how to use this knowledge in an international work environment.

Assessment: Presentations, paper
Prerequisite: Introductory class in Management, at least 2 years of English
Undergraduate students

International Management I (Geislingen campus)

Academic Level: 500

Lecture, 5 ECTS Credits (125 hours per semester), 4 hours per week (45 hours per semester)

offered in spring/summer, fall/winter

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Wolfram Sopha

This course is offered within the Master Degree Program “Automotive Management”
Sustainable Mobility I - concepts and methodologies: This course describes the integration of (strategic) concepts and tools to improve social, environmental and economic aspects in the organization line. Therefore, the company targets have to be aligned with sustainable development. This orientation or alignment has become a strategically important task of today's corporate policy. It is also necessary to manage the company so that it is permanently endures; the survival is therefore the primary goal of sustainable management. Finally, it should be attempted to make a positive contribution to the company's sustainable development of society. Consequently, the long-term development of the company is at the center in sustainability management. International Market & Sales Structures: Globalization is one of the biggest new challenges for the automotive industry. The mostly national environment has been replaced by an international one. In addition to facts, figures and forecasts this lecture tries to show what trends and challenges are facing the automotive industry in the context of globalization, and what measures it can take. Relevant market entry strategies and sales structures in primarily emerging markets will be developed in small teams based on different case studies.

Assessment: Written exam, presentations, paper
Prerequisite: Background in Business/Economics, Marketing, Management, Finance and Accounting (all intermediate level), Academic/Business Writing
Undergraduate students, Graduate students

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