Managing Business Relationships (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Content scheduling

This course is compulsory for MBA in Business Management students and therefore meant mainly for them. Some others, mostly students of the MBA in Sales Management (YSMANK25) training program, can be included in the order of registration for the study course, if there is room for them in the Study Course.

The Content and Home-Assignments are described in ITSLEARNING-system.
CONTACT TEACHING DAYS ARE between 9-16 o´clock
1. Day: Thursday 6.3.2025 in the classroom: EDU_1091 in Turku, at TUAS
2. Day: Thursday 8.5.2025 in the classroom: EDU_1090 in Turku, at TUAS

THE CONTENT OF THE COURSE:

Business enterprises and other kinds of organizations operate in many kinds of networks, alliances, and partnerships. It is claimed that a high percentage of these networks, alliances, and partnerships do not work as expected or are in trouble or failure (60-70 % by Hughes, J. and Weiss, J). This rate may be even higher in international co-operation alliances and networks, where cultural differences are apparent and cause extra "pain". BUT the tendency to have and start these kinds of networks, partnerships, alliances and outsourcing activities have not dropped down although of many difficulties in relation to them.

We need to know what kind of capabilities we need in order to operate in these networks/alliances/partnerships at an organizational strategic and operational level and as individual managers/leaders and experts.

This course consists of three kinds of co-operational capabilities:

1. Own organization and its network/alliance/partner relationships level management
2. Individual-level cooperation and negotiation capabilities in general
3. Individual-level cooperative capabilities in international relationships and settings

After completing this course successfully, the student has increased his/her knowledge and capabilities to

1. Design, manage/lead, evaluate and develop networks/alliances/partnerships
2. Participate in negotiations in these networks/alliances/partnerships
3. Manage/lead, cooperate and negotiate in international environments and settings

Objective

This course introduces some of the communication strategies, styles and technologies essential for making networked systems reach their expected performance levels.
After completing this course the student
- is able to organize and manage business relationships within a value chain
- is able to negotiate and manage contracts in international context
- has the collaboration and negotiating skills for demanding business settings and relationships

Content

Core contents:
- alliances and networks, business relationships and their management
- third party companies as a  important part of today's supply chain
- factors affecting the decisions to outsource logistics functions
- contract management regarding international relationships

Materials

The studying materials are in ITSLEARNING.

Teaching methods

Multi-form.

Exam schedules

Home assignments, no tests.

International connections

Multi-form.

Completion alternatives

Home-Assignments in ITSLEARNING-system.
No alternative ways to complete the course.

Student workload

Home-Assignments are described in ITSLEARNING-system.

Further information

Communication with the teacher takes place via e-mail. Student groups are allowed to communicate with each other in a way they agree on together.

Dr. Keijo Varis, Principal lecturer
MBA in Business Management
keijo.varis@turkuamk.fi