Ateneo - UPO

The course provides the basic knowledge that are preparatory to the analysis and interpretation of the markets. In particular, the course aims to deepen such countries can be considered emerging markets and what is the role played by them globally, in terms of competitiveness, investment attractiveness and contribution to development. Some of these markets are considered as case studies.

During lectures will be distributed handouts.The course texts (available at the Department’s Library) are:1. Conti S., Dematteis G., Nano F., Vanolo A. (2022), Geografia dell’economia mondiale, Quinta edizione, Utet, Torino, cap. 1-92. Tadini M. (2017), La geografia del sistema economico globale. Il ruolo dei mercati emergenti, Aracne Editrice, Roma.3. Tadini M. (2023), Analisi dei mercati e strategie internazionali delle imprese, McGraw-Hill, Milano

The course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge to identify and explore emerging markets and interpret recent evolutionary dynamics.
At the end of the course the student:
− will understand the current global system of production;
− will be able to identify emerging markets and to analyse their characteristics;
− will evaluate and select possible alternative locations of enterprise;
− will evaluate and select potential markets (emerging) of entry and how.

The course awards 6 CFU, corresponding to a total of 150 hours of study. Of these, 45 hours are devoted to face-to-face teaching activities, comprising lectures and interactive sessions; the remaining hours are devoted to self-study, through individual study of the reference texts and materials made available on the DIR platform.

None

The teaching will be conducted through lectures, held by the teacher or by experts, and through exercises and group discussions.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The final assessment is based on an integrated system that includes a mandatory written examination and an optional project work activity.

Written Examination (Mandatory): The exam is conducted in written form and covers all teaching content and study materials made available on the course's DIR platform, as well as the required textbooks. The test consists of open-ended questions structured to assess both the assimilation of fundamental theoretical concepts and the development of the student's critical analysis skills.
Project Work / Group Project (optional, for attending students only): Students may choose to develop a practical group project, to be carried out in teams. The final project must be submitted strictly within the deadlines defined and communicated by the instructor.

Final grade calculation criteria (expressed out of 30):
- For those taking only the written exam: the final grade will be entirely based on the outcome of the exam itself (100% of the grade).
- For those participating in the group project: the final grade will be calculated as a weighted average of the two assessments, distributed according to the following weights:
- 2/3 (approximately 67%): outcome of the written exam.
- 1/3 (approximately 33%): assessment of the project work.

To pass the exam and achieve the various assessment levels, students must meet the following criteria:
- Passing criteria (18-23/30): Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental theoretical concepts of economic geography, a basic understanding of market analysis methods, and the identification of emerging markets.
- Criteria for average and good grades (24-27/30): demonstrate good critical analysis skills, the ability to independently connect the topics covered during the course, and, in the project work, propose accurate and well-structured analytical solutions.
- Criteria for excellence (28-30 cum laude): demonstrate in-depth understanding of the subject matter, excellent critical analysis skills, excellent command of the scientific vocabulary of economic geography, and the ability to formulate innovative and integrated application solutions (in the written exam and/or project work).
The written exam assesses knowledge of the topics covered during the course and specific terminology; the project work directly assesses the student's practical ability to analyze and interpret the unique characteristics of an emerging market and its economic sector.

The course is divided into lessons of two hours, whose contents are listed below.
• Internationalization and foreign markets entry modes
• Multinationals corporations and foreign direct investment
• The criteria for analysing localization in foreign markets
• Some useful indexes for market analysis
• The world system
• Emerging markets: definition and representations
• Emerging markets: key features
• BRIC
• Investments in and from emerging markets
• Multinational corporations: cases and strategies
• Sectorial analysis: the coffee market
• Country cases and investment opportunities: Brazil, Poland, China

Although not a specific topic of the course, the gender dimension may be integrated transversally throughout the curriculum, offering a complementary analytical lens.

The written examination will assess the theoretical knowledge and practical skills developed by the student in relation to the following areas:

Knowledge and comprehension
- Basic knowledge of economic geography
- Knowledge of the world system and its representations
- Identification of recent trends in global production
- Understanding of the methodology for market analysis and localisation strategies
- Identification of emerging markets
- Analysis and comparison of the distinctive characteristics of emerging markets

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
- Ability to interpret and analyse foreign markets
- Acquisition of the ability to select foreign markets
- Specific application to the case of emerging markets

Independence of judgement:
To develop a mature ability to analyse the characteristics of foreign markets and the localisation strategies developed by companies (both multinational and non-multinational), with particular attention paid to emerging markets.