Calendar

Lec # Topics Key Dates

1

Introduction: What is New in the "New" Global Economy

 

Part One: Competing Interpretations of Globalization

2

The Globalization Perspective

Which jobs are going where, and to whom, depends on the technological factors that affect the international division/distribution of labor. According to this perspective there are many contenders for different segments of work/production.

 

3

The National Perspective

Country specific cultural, institutional factors affect the type of companies that prevail in a given country, their strategies, and organization.

 

4

How does Globalization Affect "National Champions" and Artisanal Producers? Examples from the Car and the Wine Industry

What happens when companies from different cultures merge? Can one still talk about national models when confronted with massive delocalization of industries?

Guest Speaker: Pat Gercik, MIT-Japan Managing Director and MISTI Associate-Director

 

5

Studying and Working Across Cultures: Student Presentations of Their Experiences Abroad

Presentations should be 5-8 minutes long; in describing your experience abroad, please include the most surprising similarities and dissimilarities you encountered, and relate them to broader cultural-institutional features of the country you visited.

First paper topic out

6

The Technological Perspective

The specific technological content that underlays various industries dictates what goes and what stays. Ie: mature industries move to, or prosper in, less advanced countries, innovative ones stay. Is this still- the case? The case of India

Guest Speaker: Prof. Ken Keniston, MIT, Andrew Mellon Professor of Human Development, Science, Technology and Society program and MIT-India Program Director.

First short paper due 3 days after lecture 6

Part Two: Competing in the Global Economy

7

Which Companies succeed and Which Ones Fail? Is there a Recipe for Success?

Guest Speaker: Prof. Suzanne Berger, MIT Professor of Political Science.

 

8

How to Keep Competitive Innovations and Entrepreneurship

Where Do Innovations Come From? Is there one best place or way to be an entrepreneur?

Guest Speaker: Tim Rowe, CEO, Cambridge Innovation Center and Venture Partner, Draper Fisher, Jurvetson, New England Fun.

Deadlines for selecting long paper topic

9

The Importance of Human Capital and the Pursuit of Excellence

Guest Speaker: Bob Buderi, Former Chief Editor of Technology Review, and current MIT-CIS Fellow on "Doing Research in China: Microsoft Bejing Lab"

 

10

Governing Globalization

What is the Relationship between Governance and economic growth? Can Globalization be Governed and Benchmarks be Established? And if So, How and by Whom?

First draft of long paper due

11

Corporate Citizenship in the Global Economy

What are global Corporations Responsible For and To Whom? Are there different models of Corporate citizenship? And How realistic are they?

Discussion based on the Nike, Walmart and Costco cases.

 

12

Conclusion

Student presentations and discussion of their research papers and concluding remarks.

Final draft of long paper due 10 days after lecture 12