M. A. Business Management - specialization in International Management and Sustainability

Climate change, global social inequalities, dwindling resources... - the global community is facing major and urgent challenges, which the United Nations has formulated in 17 sustainability goals to be achieved by 2030. In order to achieve these goals, the way in which companies do business and consumers consume must also change. But how can companies be economically successful and at the same time act in an ecologically and socially sustainable manner in an international context? This question is complex, challenging and requires a comprehensive understanding of Business Studies that is based on analytical and strategic thinking, innovative approaches and international cooperation. On the one hand, digitalization is increasing the speed of development, the transparency of markets and international (price) competition. On the other hand, due to their economic power and innovation potential, companies have a special responsibility to be a key driver in achieving sustainable development goals. At the same time, national governments as well as international and supranational institutions and organizations have a central role to play as (co-)shapers of the institutional framework conditions of a society, for example by setting the "right" incentives for sustainable action and Business Studies.

The International Management and Sustainability stream therefore offers a holistic module portfolio that meets these complex challenges and provides students with intensive analytical skills in international strategy and marketing development on the one hand and places entrepreneurial sustainability and innovative sustainability-oriented business models (e.g. circular economy) at the core of the course on the other. The stream also teaches a management-related examination of the logic, development and design possibilities of the informal (e.g. culture, customs, values, norms, language, attitudes, etc.) and formal (e.g. laws, tax law, guidelines, constitutions, etc.) institutional framework of a society. Without knowledge of these interrelationships, management approaches run the risk of failing to recognize the differences between societies and markets with overly standardized instruments - risks are overlooked and opportunities are not exploited. Ultimately, these elements form the framework conditions for sustainable Business Studies and these framework conditions are by no means as irrevocable/exogenous or even neutral as is assumed in many economic models.

The stream is aimed at students who want to drive sustainable change both in their future organizations and in society.

• Understand sustainability as a challenge for society as a whole.
• Analyze business models from an economic, ecological and social perspective and develop sustainable competitive strategies.
• Identify success factors as well as risks and limits of international competitive strategies.
• Understand the relevance of digitalization for the development of intelligent and sustainable business models.
• Understand and strategically utilize the logic, development and design options of a company's informal institutional framework.
• Analyze international markets from a macroeconomic, microeconomic and institutional perspective and identify market opportunities.
• Organize cross-border cooperation and successfully lead teams while taking cultural differences into account.
• Understand stakeholders' expectations of a company, integrate them into strategy development and communicate them in a targeted manner.
• Identify the opportunities of digitalization in terms of sustainability and competitive advantages.
• Act confidently in global and international companies.

• ... sustainability is a central social challenge and taking responsibility for social and ecological objectives is a core task of future management.
• ... ... being sustainable in international competition requires holistic management skills, which are taught in this stream.
• ... case study and project-oriented work are addressed in a largely English-language study program.
• ... application-oriented cooperation with companies.

Example: Three-semester study option

Anyone wishing to study this stream must have:

A Bachelor's degree in business administration or economics, business studies, economics or similar, whereby the economics component of the Bachelor's degree must be at least 75%.

• works in senior management, in staff departments or as an assistant to the management of medium-sized and large companies and other organizations or as a company founder or management consultant.
• takes on initial management tasks in (international) marketing, (international) strategic management, sales or works in the sustainability management of larger companies,
• or completes a doctorate, for example cooperatively at Fachhochschule Dortmund!