Course Objectives

Students will learn how to meet the challenges that enterprises face when they distribute goods and services to the end-customers. The development of good distribution systems appears to be increasingly vital in an age of sharp international competition. All enterprises must possess adequate insight into the structure, conduct and mode of operation of various distribution systems in order to find solutions which work for all the parties involved. In basing our course on theories of how organisations interact, we take a comprehensive approach which is necessary to understand these relationships. This kind of background is essential in seeking the right strategies within the field of distribution.

Course Description

The course will give the students an appreciation of how distribution systems are built up and how they function. Central concepts are power and relationships. Distribution as part of a logistics system will be discussed separately, but the main emphasis will be on the external relationships between the participants in a distribution channel. Of course, the relationships between the distribution systems and the customers will also be an important part of the course. Competition has evolved from rivalry between individual participants to competition between vertically integrated systems. An important element in the course will be international retail trade, which provides a good example of how distribution systems are integrated across national boundaries

Learning Methods

3-4 hours of lectures per week during the spring semester

Assessment Methods

Portfolio assessment. The portfolio includes an obligatory submission (group assignment) with an oral presentation, which counts for 40% of the final grade, and an individual 3-hour final written examination which counts for 60% of the final grade. The group will normally consist of 2-3 students, but individual submission is also possible, subject to special assessment. All course component assessments must receive passing grades.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean