Course

Growth, Location and Sustainable Development (MSB305)

In the conventional view of economics, firms are seen as homogeneous entities that operate in isolation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Firms are in fact embedded into different layers and networks of relations with a number of different organizations across many locations. This course introduces students to how firms interact with and utilize their surroundings. It delivers a fundamental understanding of regional development and inter-organizational networks of production and learning, whereby emphasis is put on modern knowledge-based and evolutionary approaches. That is, the course presents students with the scientific underpinnings of the beyond-the-individual-firm perspective that are at the heart of modern approaches to business development. Drawing on core concepts and insights from the fields of Regional Science and Economic Geography as well as Complex System Theories, students will learn about and discuss the role played by location, networks, and system embeddedness for businesses and their development. The course thereby lays the basis for the subsequent courses: BDI: The firm perspective and BDI: The policy perspective.


Course description for study year 2021-2022. Please note that changes may occur.

See course description and exam/assesment information for this semester (2024-2025)

Semesters

Facts

Course code

MSB305

Credits (ECTS)

10

Semester tution start

Autumn

Language of instruction

English

Number of semesters

1

Exam semester

Autumn

Time table

View course schedule

Literature

The syllabus can be found in Leganto

Content

Subject areas that are most likely covered are:
  • Beyond the boundaries of the firm
  • Classical theories of regional development (e.g., agglomeration, urbanization, polarization)
  • Modern theories of regional development (e.g., human capital, evolutionary, institutions, cluster, complexity)
  • Interfirm linkages and spillovers
  • Networks and (social) relations
  • Knowledge- and innovation- based economic development

Learning outcome

Knowledge

  • Students will learn:
    • About different ways of how firms are embedded into regional and inter-regional networks of production and learning
    • How and why economic activities locate in various ways in space
    • How and why externalities arise from agglomeration, urbanization and learning networks
    • About the importance of knowledge and innovation for firm and regional development
    • How and why a system- and network based perspective is crucial to understand the development of firms, technologies, and territories
    • How and why path-dependencies exist and what this means for sustainable business development
    • About the role institutions and long-term regional specifies play in this context 

Skills

  • Students will acquire skills in:
  • Applying multilevel, network, and evolutionary thinking to economic problems
  • Taking different perspectives when analyzing organizations and regions
  • Assessing the roles of location for organizations
  • Work with contemporary academic literature
  • Formulating scientific statements to initialize a discussion
  • Summarise academic arguments and studies
  • Leading a discussion supporting an argument
  • Leading a discussion opposing an argument
  • Writing a critical literature review

Required prerequisite knowledge

None

Recommended prerequisites

Appropriate bachelor background in core business fields.

Exam

Form of assessment Weight Duration Marks Aid Exam system Withdrawal deadline Exam date
Portfolio 1/1 Letter grades Inspera assessment 19.11.2021 —


The folder consists of:

  • individual written assignment 
  • group work

The resit will be an extended written individual report.

Coursework requirements

Presence in all classes with group work, Written critical literature review
  •  Be present in all classes in which the student’s group plays an active role
    • as presenter
    • as opposition
    • as supporter
  • Will write a critical literature review, which is to be submitted through Inspera before the deadline.

Course teacher(s)

Study Program Director:

Ingeborg Foldøy Solli

Course coordinator:

Tom Brökel

Course teacher:

Tom Brökel

Course teacher:

Yong Hao Tan

Method of work

Each student will be assigned to a group. These groups will play different roles during the seminar classes. Each student has to equally contribute to these roles. The roles include:

  • Read scientific papers
  • Prepare and share written questions and statements about the papers on time
  • Respond to questions during the seminar and engage actively in it
  • Organise and contribute to discussions

Workload elements:

Lectures: 25 hours

Seminars: 25 hours

Self-study, including assignments: 200-250 hours

Open for

All master study programs at the University of Stavanger.

Course assessment

Students will have the opportunity to give feedback on the course first in an early dialogue, and in multiple course evaluations. 

Literature

Book

Handbook of Regional Science Manfred M Fischer (editor./redaktør/), Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer Berlin Heidelberg : Imprint: Springer, 1 online resource (238 illu, 98 illu in color. eReference.), 2021, isbn:3662607239, https://bibsys-ur.userservices.exlibrisgroup.com/view/uresolver/47BIBSYS_UBIS/openurl-UIS?ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_id=10_1&ctx_tim=2021-08-24T09:47:17IST&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com-BIBSYS_ILS&rft_dat=ie=47BIBSYS_UBB:51192135400002207,ie=47BIBSYS_UBTO:51185209160002205,ie=47BIBSYS_UBO:51269669390002204,ie=47BIBSYS_SKOFIMUS:5149718670002286,ie=47BIBSYS_NTNU_UB:51282924360002203,ie=47BIBSYS_HIOA:51120962410002212,ie=47BIBSYS_NETWORK:71606906800002201,language=eng,view=UBIS&svc_dat=viewit&u.ignore_date_coverage=true&user_ip=10.16.56.54&req.skin=primoView online

Article

Economic Geography: The Integration of Regions and Nations, by Pierre-Philippe Combes, Thierry Mayer, and Jacques-François Thisse Südekum, Jens, Malden, USA, Blackwell Publishing Inc, 214-215, Journal of Regional Science, 1, 51, 2011-02, 214-215, https://bibsys-ur.userservices.exlibrisgroup.com/view/uresolver/47BIBSYS_UBIS/openurl-UIS?ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_id=10_1&ctx_tim=2021-08-19T16:08:32IST&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com-gale_cross&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Economic%20Geography:%20The%20Integration%20of%20Regions%20and%20Nations,%20by%20Pierre-Philippe%20Combes,%20Thierry%20Mayer,%20and%20Jacques-Fran%c3%a7ois%20Thisse&rft.jtitle=Journal%20of%20Regional%20Science&rft.au=S%c3%bcdekum,%20Jens&rft.date=2011-02&rft.volume=51&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=214&rft.epage=215&rft.pages=214-215&rft.issn=0022-4146&rft.eissn=1467-9787&rft_id=info:doi/10.1111/j.1467-9787.2010.00711_13.x&rft.pub=Blackwell%20Publishing%20Inc&rft.place=Malden,%20USA&rft.series=Journal%20of%20Regional%20Science&rft_id=info:bibcode/&rft_id=info:hdl/&rft_id=info:lccn/&rft_id=info:oclcnum/&rft_id=info:pmid/&rft_id=info:eric/&rft_dat=%3cgale_cross%3eA248510147%3c/gale_cross%3e%3curl%3e%3c/url%3e,language=eng,view=UBIS&svc_dat=viewit&user_ip=10.16.56.56&req.skin=primo&rft_galeid=A248510147View online

Contact

Study Program Director:

Ingeborg Foldøy Solli

Course coordinator:

Tom Brökel

Course teacher:

Tom Brökel

Course teacher:

Yong Hao Tan

Offered by

UiS Business School

UiS School of Business and Law

The course description is retrieved from FS (Felles studentsystem). Version 1