New Trends in Leadership and Management 5 ECTS

Knowledge capital providing a competitive edge will be emphasised during this course, while providing students with a grounding in quality leadership, activity-based management in business leadership and the significance of leadership and management in the implementation of an organisation's basic tasks.
Course contents: Knowledge capital, quality leadership, activity-based management and accounting, leading and leadership
Assignments: Long essay
Evaluation: 0 - 5 

Business Transfer and Succession 3 ECTS

This course aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the preparatory requirements, practical implications and continuity of business through a successful transfer and/or succession. This course will focus on business transfer in the context of SMEs and family businesses. On completion, this course will provide a holistic understanding of the business transfer process, the stakeholders and activities to ensure a successful ownership change. The course is structured sequentially to answer the question of how can we ensure the survival of existing enterprises through a successful business transfer?
Course contents:
- Societal and economic importance of business transfer, the business transfer process
- Stakeholders and advisory services
- Sensitiation and awareness raising
- Family business succession
- Valuation and maintenance of value
- Matchmaking
- Financing/ financial instruments to support business transfers
- Different target groups of potential buyers
- Post transfer growth and innovation, knowledge transfer
Evaluation: 0 - 5 

Risk Management 3 ECTS

Students will be conversant with the concept of risk management and the risk management process. They will be able to identify, assess and manage business risks. Students will complete a risk management plan of a real or fictitious company according to the instructions given on the course pages.
Course Contents: Risk management, the risk management process. Identification, assessment and management of business risks.
Evaluation: 0 - 5

Organizational Psychology 3 ECTS

The role and responsibility of leadership in conflict situations, dealing with problems in the work community, work satisfaction, encouragement, reward and skills development. This course provides in depth knowledge of organisational behaviour.

HRM Practices for SME's 5 ECTS

The course provides great opportunities for course participants to apply the general HRM theories and knowledge learned from the basic HRM course to specific situations of SMEs (Small-Medium Sized Enterprises) identified by the partner universities based on the above scope. Through real-life cases and cooperations with SMEs and other related organizations in the partner university regions.

The common HR issues are identified:
- Uncertainty regarding future HR needs and requirements
- Current focus only on technical competencies
- Problems with finding and integrating young professionals/ university graduates
- Lack of knowledge about the (ever faster) changing expectations of younger people
- Lack of knowledge about the importance of non-financial rewards
- Problems with conducting interviews and implementing suitable assessments

Course content:
- Appreciate the importance of human resource management in SMEs
- Understand the application of HRM theories and knowledge to the context of smaller organizations/institutions
- Observe the changing global trends (e.g. globalization, digitalization, diversity, changing demographics etc.) and how these affect the role of HRM and international managers
- Competency-based HRM model and its application in the selective HRM processes such as recruitment/selection, learning/development and reward management

Assingments: Six quizzes with a minimum of 70% score each and write one self-reflection essay.
Evaluation: Pass / Fail

Learning outcomes of the course
Student
* understands the theoretical foundation of Human Resource Management (HRM)
* appreciates the global trends and the implications on strategic workforce planning
* recognises the importance of human resource management and human resources as a strategic success factor for an organisation
* develops evidence-based HR management competencies to support the building of recruitment, reward management performance management etc. strategies
* strives for a fair, supportive, and inclusive approach in managing its work community, taking into account the diversity of the workforce and implement a work-life balanced approach that enhance the well being of its human resources

Course contents
-The theoretical basis of human resource management
-Strategic human resource management and the global trends
-Human resource management in practice
o Strategic workforce planning
o Recruitment and recruitment process
o Employees orientation and onboarding
o Training and development
o Performance management
o Rewards management

-Managing workforce diversity

Teacher(s): Ruey Komulainen
Mode of delivery: Face-to-face
Timing: 01.08.2022 - 16.12.2022

Teacher(s): Jaana Lappalainen, Tommi Kyllönen
Mode of delivery: Face-to-face
Timing: 01.08.2022 - 16.12.2022

 Learning outcomes of the course

The objective of this course is to introduce the main concepts and methods of business research and development activities. These include the most practical terms and ideas applied in Master studies and Master thesis process. Student will get knowledge and skills to select and define the research and development problem and research question in the case company. During this course student will prepare a research proposal of the Master thesis.
Students will get practical knowledge and skills on choosing and defining the research strategy and methods to be applied in the final thesis to complete the development task in the case company. Student will learn to choose and use different kind of data collection methods, analyses and interpretation methods and cooperative development methods.

Course contents

• Key concepts of business research
  
• Research process
  
• Research strategies
  
• Research methodology
  
• Qualitative and quantitative research
  
• Data collection methods
  
• Cooperative development methods
  
• Responsible conduct of research
  
• Open science principles 

Teacher(s): Päivi Karhu
Mode of delivery: Face-to-face
Timing: 01.08.2022 - 16.12.2022

Learning outcomes of the course

Student will learn the methods how to use, handle, analyze and interpret both qualitative and quantitative data. She/he will learn how to combine qualitative and quantitative data, i.e. use mixed methods/triangulation.

Course contents

Qualitative data analyses
Quantitative data analyses

Teacher(s): Päivi Karhu, Aki Kortelainen
Mode of delivery: Face-to-face
Timing: 01.08.2022 - 31.12.2022

 Learning outcomes of the course

The student understands the importance of innovations and knows the stages of the innovation process, the most important concepts and financing models of innovation activities, and is able to apply the innovation process in their own work tasks. He gets the skills to apply innovation management methods as part of the development of their field.
After completing the course, the student has the ability to develop research and work community activities development project planning.
Future research methods provide tools to identify the future of the industry alternative developments. Students gain the ability to apply future research methods as part of their own field and business development.
After completing the course, the student is able to develop the company's business in accordance with a flexible strategy process

Course contents

• The importance of innovation
  
• Key concepts of innovation
  
• Innovation process and its management
  
• Examples of innovation activities
  
• Innovation environment and financing of innovation activities
  
• Utilization of scenarios in business development
  
• Foresight tools and operating environment analysis
  
• Exploring the future
  
• Foresight in strategic decision making

Teachers:  Päivi Karhu, Tommi Kyllönen
Mode of delivery:  Distance learning
Timing:  01.01.2023 - 31.05.2023

Learning outcomes of the course

The students will develop his/her skills, knowledge and attitudes regarding the principles, techniques, and tools used in project planning, control, monitoring and reviewing and assessing of projects.
Student is able to manage projects from a new perspective and use and apply project management tools and methods. Student is able to integrate and apply management and technology skills to lead and manage projects.
Business ventures are increasingly project-based and proper project management allows companies to make good use of their resources and deliver their product or service on time and within budget. Student will gain confidence by working through real work cases and conclude the course will the skills to manage future projects effectively and efficiently.

Course contents

• Conceptual framework of project and process management
  
• Project organization and its responsibilities
  
• Project scope and project budjeting
  
• Developing a project network plan
  
• Progress and performance measurement
  
• Risk management
  
• Project marketing
  
• Key processes in projects
  
• Documentation, audit, termination and closure

This course has been designed to provide practical, tangible knowledge by taking the student step by step through the life cycle of project work. The course will present the tools and methods needed to create a plan, define the project budget, allocate resources, manage product development, assess and alleviate risks, and take a project to completion.

Teacher(s): Antti Rimpiläinen
Mode of delivery: Distance learning
Timing: 01.01.2023 - 31.05.2023

Learning outcomes of the course

The aim of this course is to increase the knowledge and awareness on possibilities how to boost business performance by using emerging technologies.
The student is able to recognize the development or focus area in the sales or marketing and learn to enhance digital service competence in the organization. Student will have ability to utilize new emerging technologies in the digital context. Student will learn to apply new digital solutions innovatively within their own business field.

Course contents

• Emerging technologies
  
• Future technological trends
  
• Digital ecosystems, their components and architectures
  
• Utilization of intelligent solutions in business context
  
• Change and disruptive innovation
  
• New useful purposes – innovative thinking

Teacher(s): Tanja Korhonen, Antti Rimpiläinen
Mode of delivery: Distance learning
Timing: 01.08.2022 - 16.12.2022

Learning outcomes of the course

This course will open the student to the different possibilities of what entrepreneurship is and has to offer as a potential career. After the course, the student should understand what it means to be an entrepreneur, how a business is run and have a possibility to consider it as a potential career option for them.

Course contents

The student will learn the basics of the business life cycle, what it takes to get from an idea to a business, what aspects are involved in running a day-to-day business, assess and understand different traits and skills related to being an entrepreneur as well as learn about different tools available for the entrepreneur to use in taking their business forward.

Teacher(s): Antti Rimpiläinen
Mode of delivery: Face-to-face
Timing: 01.08.2022 - 16.12.2022

 Learning outcomes of the course

Understanding ones customers, existing or potential, is the key to providing them the right added value and stay ahead of competition. The students will learn methods and tools for market research, industry analysis and creating customer understanding. The students will engage in examining the side of the supply chain and how to manage it correctly and managing it in a way it serves the identified needs of the customer base in a competitive manner.

Course contents

The course will focus on principles and implementation of different market research methods available to businesses and analyzing the industry they operate in order to support decision making. Furthermore, the aspect of supply chain management, mapping and analysis is studied in order to understand how the supply chain is affecting the procurement of the company and how value is delivered to the customer accordingly.

Teacher(s): Antti Rimpiläinen
Mode of delivery: Distance learning
Timing: 01.08.2022 - 16.12.2022

Learning outcomes of the course

Student will learn to apply the all-encompassing knowledge and skills in international business management to a specialized area of the student’s choice in her/his stakeholder organization or in a regional development project.
Student will learn to apply the theories into practice and develop own research and development comptencies.
Detailed instructions are described in the Master Thesis Guide.

Course contents

Master´s thesis
Teacher(s): Mervi Väisänen, Perttu Huusko, Maarit Vuorinen, Ruey Komulainen, Jaana Lappalainen, Antti Rimpiläinen, Päivi Karhu
Mode of delivery: Face-to-face
Timing: 01.01.2022 - 31.05.2023

The following studies are offered during the academic year 2022 - 2023