Managing Business Relationships

• Understanding business markets
• Development of relationships
• The role and importance of the purchasing and supply function in business
• Supplier relationships and strategies
• Management of customer portfolios and supplier portfolios
• Relationships and customers
• Management of business networks
• Strategy in relationships and networks
• The impact of business relationships and networks for sustainable development

Knowledge: Students should be able to understand

• the nature of the complex network in which business companies operate
• the substance of business relationships and networks
• business relationships with customers and suppliers
• how business relationships are developed
• the role of relationships in the process of technological development

Skills: Students will develop their skills in

• Analyzing what it means for a company to be a part of a network of relationships
• Examining the abilities, uncertainties and problems of companies and how these affect the behavior of companies in relationships

General competence

• Having completed the course the students should have created theoretical and practical insight into how companies can manage business relationships and networks.

The course will consist of a combination of lectures, group work, case discussions and student presentations.