ClassInfo - Spring 2018 Public Affairs Classes

Spring 2018 | PA 5590 Section 001: Topics in Economic and Community Development -- Econ Competitiveness: Firms, Clusters & Econ Dev (65860)

Instructor(s): Lee Munnich, Jr
L. Burke Murphy
Matt Schmit
Class Component:: Lecture
Credits:: 3 Credits
Grading Basis:: A-F only
Instructor Consent:: No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:: In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:: Topics Course
Times and Locations:: Regular Academic Session

01/16/2018 - 05/04/2018

Thu 06:00PM - 08:45PM

UMTC, West Bank

Hubert H Humphrey Center 30
Enrollment Status:: Open (5 of 30 seats filled)

Course Catalog Description:: Selected topics.
Class Notes:: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?munni001+PA5590+Spring2018 http://classinfo.umn.edu/?murphy+PA5590+Spring2018 http://classinfo.umn.edu/?schm1327+PA5590+Spring2018
Class Description:: PA 5590
Economic Competitiveness: Firms, Clusters and Economic Development
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The course examines both advanced and developing economies and addresses competitiveness at multiple levels -- nations, sub-national units such as states or provinces, particular cluster, and neighboring countries. The course is concerned not only with government policy, but also with the roles that firms, industry, associations, universities, and other institutions play in competitiveness. In modern competition, each of these institutions has an important and evolving role in economic development. Moreover, the process of creating and sustaining an economic strategy for a nation, state or region is a daunting challenge. The course explores not only theory and policy but also the organizational structures, institutional structures, and change processes required for sustained improvements in competitiveness. The course is based on a case-study course developed by Professor Michael Porter and a team of his colleagues at the Harvard Business School. The course explores the determinants of national and regional competitiveness building from the perspective of firms, clusters, sub-national units, nations, and groups of neighboring countries. It focuses on the sources of national or regional productivity, which are rooted in the strategies and operating practices of locally based firms, the vitality of clusters, and the quality of the business environment in which competition takes place. The course is taught using case studies drawn from all major regions of the world. Part of the purpose of the course is to expose students to some of the most successful countries and regions. The class format will consist of case studies, readings, lectures, guest speakers, and a strong emphasis on teamwork and class participation. Team members will be expected to prepare and present a regional economic and cluster analysis and strategy, to give an oral presentation to a guest jury, and to assess their own performance as a team. Teams of 3 to 5 students will prepare a competitiveness report for a country, state or region, which will include a chosen industry cluster, analysis and policy recommendations related to the cluster.
Who Should Take This Class?:: Graduate students interested in economic development, the forces that influence economic competitiveness, and public policies to promote economic development. Public policy, urban and regional planning, business, applied econ, geography and other graduate students will benefit from this course. International students may also benefit from the course, since it includes both international and U.S. case studies.
Learning Objectives:: To understand the dynamics of competitiveness in advanced, developing and regional economies. To learn and apply an industry cluster approach using case studies to explain regional economic competitiveness in the U.S. and other countries. To examine and critique public policies related to economic development. To conduct an economic competitiveness study of a specific country, state or region and industry cluster with policy recommendations.
Grading:: 35% Competitiveness Report
10% Reflection Papers
15% In-class Presentations
30% Class Participation
10% Other Evaluation Other Grading Information: Other Evaluation: Teamwork -team member assessments 10% Class Participation (30%) includes case study participation, a cluster study critique and team case study presentation in class. See syllabus for more details.
Class Format:: Each week students read and prepare for a case study discussion related to economic competitiveness. Topics will be presented through lectures by the instructors, discussions with policy leaders and experts, phone conferences with national experts, and class discussions. Students should read case studies before class and be prepared to answer case study questions. Students will be given access to case studies and questions through the University of Minnesota Moodle website.
Workload:: The workload consists primarily of reading and preparing for case study discussions each week and a team project involving an economic competitiveness report and oral presentation.
Textbooks:: https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/65860/1183
Syllabus:: http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/munni001_schm1327_lbmurphy_PA5590_Spring2018.doc
Past Syllabi:: http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/munni001_schm1327_lbmurphy_PA5590_Spring2017.doc (Spring 2017)
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/munni001_schm1327_lbmurphy_PA5590_Spring2016.doc (Spring 2016)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:: 10 November 2017

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2018 Public Affairs Classes

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