The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the latest key theories in human resource management and that they gain understanding and proficiency in using key HRM theories. Theories of HRM are covered in detail and the goal is that students understand the importance of HRM as a field of study and as an important function within organizations. Key aspects of HRM will be covered and it is important that students familiarize themselves with the course concepts through lectures and discussion sessions where they will work on the solution of practical cases.

The course covers both the management of individual projects and the management of projects in an organization. Both theoretical and practical aspects will be covered. Students will gain a good understanding of the elements of project work and project management in business operations and the ability to manage individual projects. Students will learn the structure of the program, progress, and termination of projects. Students will also learn to use software and technology for project management. Students are introduced to projects in an international environment and Agile ideology. The student will be an emphasis on putting on project management in Icelandic business environment and use of information technology.

Please note, students must log in and purchase the book Project Management, The Managerial Process on the McGraw-Hill website. Further information can be found on the course's Canvas page.

The aim of the course is to give students an insight into management of innovation, whether it is development of a new product, technology or services. The course will discuss the nature of innovation, how the environment can support innovation and how it can aid in the management of the innovation process. The course will study both applied application of innovation as well as academic research of innovation and its management.

This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.

The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics 

Organisation

The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.

The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.

The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.

The course is based on a series of cases according to the course outline. Each case is carefully prepared for this course and a guideline for the reading material is also provided and the readings are related to the cases in question. It is the case discussion that drives the learning process. The order of the cases reflect the design of the course. The first case addresses competitiveness from an overall point of view. Then the focus is on how international and specialized the distribution of the value chain has become in the developed countries, which has resulted in clusters and cluster activities. The cases also address the role of government and the role of institutes of collaboration. The cases covered address different key issues in many industries and in many parts of the world, both in developed and developing countries. The key subject is how to understand the key aspects of National Economic Strategy. The class uses the case teaching method (the Harvard model) and it is the students that do analyse the cases through their discussion which is facilitated by the teacher. The students also prepare an extensive team project (a cluster analysis) and present their results in class. In addition the student write an individual report on the subject.

The goal of the course is to give students insight into qualitative research methods, and their use in gatherin and analysing data on the individual and organizational level. Stuents will be trained in defining a research problems and presenting them in a research question. Students will further plann and execute data gethering and analysing, as well as presenting the findings in a written report. Students will learn about the strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research so as to be able to chose the best method to study a given problem.

The development of knowledge about effective leadership has progressed in recent decades, from viewing leaders as unique great men with innate abilities to viewing leadership as a process of communication and collaboration through which leaders develop their strategies and priorities.

A successful leader enhances his own ability to motivate, mobilize and support staff for good deeds and cooperation towards an important purpose. Increased knowledge about factors that create effective leadership underscores the importance of leaders keeping up-to-date with the latest knowledge about effective priorities and using it to support the well-being and success of employees and workplaces.

This course will discuss leadership theories and effective leadership. It will shed light on which elements of leadership enhance the success of organizations and its link to, for example, the well-being of staff, efficient operations, equal opportunities, ethics, sustainability and the development of growth. Special emphasis will be placed on the focus and methods of servant leadership and its relationship to success.

The aim of the course is for students to understand the main characteristics and competences of leaders, to know the main leadership theories that have emerged in recent decades with an emphasis on the philosophy of servant leadership. The goal is for students to have an insight into the results of research on the relationship between a leader's focus and success in terms of employees, workplace culture, operations and the external environment of organizations.

Students examine real examples of individual leadership and leadership within organizations, examine their own priorities when it comes to leadership, and examine the main challenges facing leaders in business operations and public service leadership.

In this course, the state of knowledge in the field is communicated, student participation is activated in a conversation about the topic and about analyzes of cases that shed light on the manifestation and success of leadership based on diverse focuses and leadership theories. Curriculum and projects focus on theoretical and practical knowledge about leaders and leadership, and students examine new research in the field.

The aim of the course is to introduce to students how research methods in marketing can be used to increase the success of organizations and to give them insight into how to work with challenging research questions. The course is also intended to prepare students for working on independent research assignments.
The course is based on working on projects, aiming to build students’ competence in conducting research. Students design a research study and write a research proposal, plan and execute data gathering, analyze the data, present the results in a research report, and finally, present the research and findings in a seminar. In addition to this, students get comprehensive training in various analytical methods commonly used in marketing research. Data will be analyzed using the SPSS (or PSPP) software. Students will also get training in critical assessment of the quality of research and methodology used in various research.

The goal of this course is to strengthen the statistics and methodology knowledge of the students to enable them to better understand research methods and research findings. State-of-the-art research will be reviewed and the statistics and methodology required to conduct this research will be discussed. Students will also conduct their own research project in preparation for analytical work in their professional life and their Master’s thesis.

This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.

The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics 

Organisation

The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.

The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.

The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.

The course examines theories of organisational structure and organisational fields.  Different theoretical perspectives will be discussed in organizational theory and the strengths and weaknesses of the theories highlighted. The course discussion based without a textbook based on academic articles with a short introduction from the teachers. The focus of the course is to train students in understanding and discussing academic texts, which is an important part of writing a master's thesis. The course will review how scholarly sources are used in an academic writing and students will receive guidance and training in writing a literature review. Students submit a literature review which they can use as a foundation for their master's thesis.

This course covers negotiation, with a focus on negotiating skills, behavior in negotiation, and the legal aspects of contracts. The objective of the course is to prepare students, through active practice, to be effective in identifying opportunities for creating value, solving conflicts, conducting negotiations, designing deals and implementing them. The course is based on lectures, practical assignments and simulations. Lectures introduce theories and concepts in the field of negotiation, as well as the structure and common terms of contracts. Simulations allow students to participate in realistic negotiations that address common issues that arise in real-life business negotiations.

The aim of the course is through lectures, class discussions and teaching material to get the students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in strategy and strategic management. In addition to the reading material the course focuses on cases and examples from the business environment in Iceland. An emphasis is put on different theoretical perspectives in the course and different types of organisations. The approach to teaching is based on interactive participation, openess and inclusiveness. Empowerment of the student is the main goal – and for that to be realized it is necessary for all the participants to be fully committed to the course

This course aims at improving the participants’ knowledge in the areas of knowledge management and knowledge assets.  The course offers detailed coverage of theories and models relating to companies’ knowledge assets, knowledge enterprises and knowledge workers. The course deals with the shaping of processes and organisational development for the purpose of stimulating and registering new knowledge as well as how it is shared within organisational units and applied to improve company performance.  Reference will be made to different types of organisational and knowledge cultures within organisational units and how knowledge strategies are formulated.  Social media are discussed together with the mediation of knowledge. Finally, the impact of Artificial Intellegience on knowledge management will be discussed.

This course will cover the key areas of change management, such as the implementation of change, employee reactions, key barriers to change, and the positive and negative forces that affect the change process. The theories and concepts that change management is based on will be discussed in detail as well as the key approaches and methods for managing change. The role of the leader, manager, and the middle manager in managing change as well as crises will be discussed. Organizational culture will be discussed and why it is an important element of the change process.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of corporate governance and how corporate governance influences corporate performance. More specifically students will learn to identify and analyze corporate governance problems, learn to assess how corporate governance shapes the behavior of the board and learn to analyze how the corporate governance structure of a particular company is likely to influence its performance. The following topics and concepts are covered: The course will introduce the students to corporate governance issues and teach them to analyze how different corporate governance mechanisms – like ownership and board structure, legal systems and incentives – contribute to the solution of agency problems and thereby influence corporate performance. Using this framework, the course will then study the impact of corporate governance on corporate performance depending on comany-specific factors. The course will enable students to undertake a corporate governance review of an individual company including an assessment of how ownership, board structure, managerial incentives and system characteristics influence company performance.

The course is taught in English.

The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS which equals 200 hours within a company or an organization. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies. Each student can only complete one internship position. Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.

Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.

Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is

The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.

In this short version of the course students will cover at least half of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.

The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.

In this short version of the course students will cover at least one fifth of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.

Wellbeing at work gains increasing attetion and discussion about prevention og job burnout has incresed. Leaders of organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the value of a healthy work environment and staff wellbeing being linked to better performance. The purpose of this interdisciplinary course is to introduce students to the emerging field of healthy work environment models that impact the wellbeing and health of people and how this links to leadership philosophy and behavior. The course is designed to discuss the context of determinants of wellbeing at work and different types of healthy work environment models in relation to wellbeing at work. Also to examine health promoting and servant leadership approaches and successful strategies to prevent burnout. Students visit successful organizations in this regard and get insight into managers' experience. Course materials and activities will challenge students to connect theory to practice. Students will be required to analyze current research on the topic and to identify an issue of unhealthy work environment and to develop an implementation of successful work environment model.

Students look at international trade between the West and Asia (China and Japan) from a macroeconomic point of view. Also use micro-perspective on companies doing business in Asia (China and Japan).

• Students look at how trade and investment patterns in the Asian region are shaped by the global political economy.
• Students will analyze individual companies and their business in the Asian market, how investments (FDI) are conducted by these companies and analyze their value chain.
• Students work on real-life examples (group projects) of companies doing business in Asia

More specific description:
This course is intended as an introduction to business operations and macroeconomic issues with special reference to Asia i.e. Japan and China. The course uses both theoretical definitions as well as real-life examples. The course is divided into 3 main parts:

• In the first part, the macroeconomic perspective on trade and investment in the Asian region will be discussed on the basis of individual data on trade, the consequences of the WTO as well as free trade agreements and their consequences, especially the China-Iceland free trade agreement and its consequences.
• The second part of the course will introduce a microperspective of companies doing business in Asia. Foreign direct investment (FDI) and international value chains (GVC) will be examined. A theoretical approach will be used to explain companies' choice of location due to FDI. Western companies entering Asia as well as Asian companies entering the western market will be in focus.
• The third part of the course goes into project work where students analyze a company that has operations in China or Japan or those Chinese / Japanese companies that have established themselves in Iceland. Students conduct a case study.

Understanding consumer behaviour and their preferences is crucial for effective marketing. It allows you to optimize marketing strategies, develop successful products and service, helps you to identify appropriate consumers to target and develop communication material that is relevant and successful in getting to your target consumers. All aspects of the marketing plan benefit from an understanding of consumers and with rapid changes of consumer markets today, consumer insight is becoming more important.
The course is based on lectures and assignments. The lectures will focus on both key models of consumer behaviour and also introducing state of the art literature on the subject. Students will complete both individual assignments and group assignments in order to gain deeper knowledge and understanding of consumer behaviour.

In this course, students will gain insight into one of the cornerstones of the Icelandic economy, fisheries and aquaculture. Emphasis is placed on innovation, sustainability, full utilization of marine products, and the opportunities presented by technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy. Participants will also learn how Icelandic fisheries and aquaculture compete internationally, contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and utilize Icelandic ingenuity to create added value.

Through project-based learning, students will work on realistic projects in collaboration with companies and institutions in the industry, addressing real-world challenges related to marketing, sustainability, technological advancement, and full utilization for increased value creation.

This course deals with the internationalization of firms, the global trade environment, strategic management of international firms, intercultural communication and other issues of international business. In the course cases and articles from scholarly journals will be used. The students will also carry out project work and in-class assignments, participate in discussions of cases etc. In this course students are expected to be very active in discussions and the course will be taught in English.

The aim of the course is to give students an overview of the theoretical foundations of innovation and entrepreneurship and prepare them for further studies, both academic and applied.

The course will cover the most prominent theories and unresolved questions within the field; students will review the latest academic articles and learn about tools to analyze major innovation trends.

In the foreground throughout the course is the role of the manager, at all levels of the hierarchy, its nature and its challenges. Human resource issues and communication are the focus area and connected to all of the course topics and assignments. The leadership role of the manager is examined; particularly in relation to general human resource management and the management of employees through reform projects and radical changes. Leadership is also examined in relation to successful teamwork and approaches to managing and solving conflicts and challenging human resource issues.

The main objective of the course is that the students gain knowledge of the meaning of the key concepts and a solid understanding of the theoretical principles, methods, and options that the manager can employ in order to successfully fulfil his/her role. Diverse teaching methods are used to encourage the interest, interaction, and participation of students.

The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.

In this course, students will acquire good and practical knowledge of service management. The course covers the key aspects of service management theories, not least regarding the design and provision of services.

There is a strong emphasis on working with case studies in the context of practical solutions. The success and satisfaction of students depends on their preparation and participation in classes.

The course provides insight into the theories and the generations of theoretical development in Services Management. During the course the students do research on how service organisations in Iceland are working on their service activities and introduce the results in class. The key issue in this course is engaged involvement and active participation of all involved.

This course seeks to explore the responsibility of companies towards the environment. Active participation of students is required by analysing issues related to companies, the natural environment and various stakeholders, but that is for instance done through a simulation and case studies.

The aim of the course is to create an understanding of and teach students to choose and employ the necessary tools to assess goals and make decisions when it comes to environmental and resource management in the context of sustainable development. Among the tools used are the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative and more.

The course is divided into three parts. In part one, we will explore the origins and meaning of corporate liability. The second part focuses on how to manage and implement corporate responsibility. In the third part, we will learn about corporate responsibility from the perspective of impact, criticism, and future prospects.

At a minimum, the successful completion of this course assumes that students have acquired a theoretical understanding of the subject, are able to apply the methods that have been taught and are literate in case of information related to companies and their environmental issues, outcomes, and impacts.

This introductory course in public administration provides students with a holistic overview over how public administration is organized and how it has developed over the last decades. The main characteristics of the public administration in Iceland is introduces, its foundations and main formative elements. The course covers the basic theories and concepts of the discipline of public administration and its scholarly endeavour. It introduces the main organizational theories, and the main theories on decentralization and delegation of power and decision-making. The focus is on the relationship between public administration and politics and how that relationship shapes organizational practices and public policy making. The emphasis is on analysing and understanding the differences between the private and the public sector.

The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies.Each student can only complete one internship position.
Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.

Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is

The objective of the course is for students to be able to prepare, implement, and utilize the results of service quality measurements in prioritizing improvements. The course is based on quantitative methodology and students’ ability to use statistics according to the methodology of social science.

The main objective of the course is to  introduce to students the rage of developments that will affect organizations in the future and the role of sustainability in future of business. Furthermore, students will develop good overview regarding how these new developments are interconnected within organizations and across markets.

Rapid changing environment surrounding organization requires to look at the present developments, but even more importantly, the future of organizations. Therefore in this course the most contemporary management phenomenon already present in today’s business world are addressed. This course is unique in its focus on the future of organizations, within sustainability context, presenting holistic view of the organization and its context. The curriculum is built on most currect scientific findings, practical examples and assignments.
The aim is to:

• To introduce students to the most current developments in business environment.
• To examine the effects of the current micro and macro developments in business and its effects for the future organizations.
• To apply theoretical knowledge to an understanding of real-world processes through class discussion, research, and application essays.
• To promote critical thinking about the interconnectedness of elements within organization and its context at mezzo and macro level.
•  To provide insight regarding how theoretical lens can help us to prepare better for the future.

The aim of the course is that students gain theoretical and practical knowledge of human behavior in the workplace and can use that knowledge to enhance job satisfaction and performance of staff. The course will, among other things, review workplace studies, selection of personnel, evaluation of performance, motivation, job satisfaction, communication in the workplace, leadership and corporate culture. Certain concepts and theories in I/O Psychology will be thoroughly reviewed in order to understand and their limits and usefulness.

This course offers students the opportunity to recognize the need to develop inclusive work environments that operate on equity principles as well as value, support and engage all employees. Students learn to identify social justice/exclusion issues related to nondominated culture cohorts associated with race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity in organizations and apply their knowledge to analyzing and implementing inclusion initiatives in organizations. Students are engaged in the study of recent scholarly research in the field in order to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, diverse teams, (un)conscious bias, and equality of opportunity in organizations and how they relate to the value of diversity in organizations.

The course is taught in English

Performance management is a central part of every organisation and project. It helps to ensure our actions are aligned with our strategic priorities. This course will help students to connect the dots between strategic and operational levels in work settings, and how performance management philosophies and frameworks can be used by leaders and managers to ensure the achievement of our strategic objectives.

This course relies on case studies and in-class activities to take students as close as it is possible in a classroom setting to real-life scenarios where performance management can be used to support decision making towards achieving success.

 This course follows a hybrid structure. Half of the course is delivered online—students are provided flexibility and can watch pre-recorded lecture videos at their convenience. However, no later than indicated in the teaching plan.
The rest of the course material will be delivered in workshops that will be held on-campus, and must be attended in-person by the enrolled students. These workshops account for up to 70% of the grade (course assessments).

The course covers the theories, tools, and ideologies on which strategy development and strategy implementation are based. Methods of analysis and preparation of strategic planning and its implementation are introduced. Different ways for companies to create and maintain a competitive advantage are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the aspects of strategy development related to strategy execution, performance measurement, and implementation and follow-up of strategy. Students get the opportunity to express themselves and apply strategic planning methods in project work with a company, organization, or non-profit organization. It is worth emphasizing that good policy work is based, among other things, on the students' previous experience and their knowledge of human resources, finance, marketing, operations, management, etc. Students will, therefore, build on their experience and previous studies. Work on the final project begins after the first week and lasts until the presentation in the last week of the course, but the presentations will be at the end of the course. The course's final project is discussed in more detail later in this syllabus.

The course is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills to prepare and implement market expansion abroad and enable them to carry out professional marketing activities in foreign markets.

Through the course, students get a good insight into the opportunities and challenges inherent in the marketing activities of companies in international markets. Among other things, the influence of culture and various factors in the external environment will be discussed. Ways to obtain information about consumers and competitors in different markets will be covered. Students receive good training in analyzing different markets, determining a marketing strategy based on the analysis and designing tactics to implement the strategy.

The main emphasis of the course is on the role of financial markets and institutions. The interplay between central bank and commercial banks is explored in relation to interest rate - and exchange rate determination. Furthermore, the connection between monetary and fiscal policy is mapped out, regarding both price and financial stability. The second emphasis of the course is on the role of the banking system in the economy and on the function of main asset markets. The main structural characteristics of Icelandic financial markets are described in comparison to foreign markets.

The course is based on the process of integrated marketing communications (IMC), focusing on analysis, goal setting, planning, and performance evaluation. The teaching methods encourage student participation. Lectures, discussions and work on projects. In addition to guest lecturers.

This is an intensive course with the active participation of students. It is taught over 13 weeks. The course takes as its starting point the idea that although governments and nonprofits are crucial to modern society, businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends, while also being a part of the problems created. As they create that wealth, their actions affect society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the natural environment. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e., Goals 1-5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Global Reporting Initiative, and more. This interaction between corporations, society (in its broadest sense) and the natural environment is the concern of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the issues need to be addressed from a strategic point of view. 

Regardless of one’s viewpoint about the interaction of business and society, the continued co-existence of for-profit organizations is essential. This course seeks to explore the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective. That exploration is intended to be interactive, with the journey of exploration involving an analysis of CSR-related issues, simulation, and case studies.

The course is organized into six broad sections. In the first section, we will explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) means and the driving forces of CSR. The second section focuses on the stakeholder perspective, and in the third section, we study the legal perspective. In the fourth section, we will explore the behavioral perspective, in the fifth section the strategic perspective and in the sixth section the focus will be on the sustainable perspective and sustainable value creation.   

The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.

The thesis amounts to 30 credits and must be presented at a departmental seminar.

The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates that are announced before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an outside reader.

The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.

The thesis amounts to 30 credits and must be presented at a departmental seminar.

The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates that are announced before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an outside reader.

The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.

The thesis amounts to 30 credits and must be presented at a departmental seminar.

The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates that are announced before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an outside reader.

The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the latest key theories in human resource management and that they gain understanding and proficiency in using key HRM theories. Theories of HRM are covered in detail and the goal is that students understand the importance of HRM as a field of study and as an important function within organizations. Key aspects of HRM will be covered and it is important that students familiarize themselves with the course concepts through lectures and discussion sessions where they will work on the solution of practical cases.

The course covers both the management of individual projects and the management of projects in an organization. Both theoretical and practical aspects will be covered. Students will gain a good understanding of the elements of project work and project management in business operations and the ability to manage individual projects. Students will learn the structure of the program, progress, and termination of projects. Students will also learn to use software and technology for project management. Students are introduced to projects in an international environment and Agile ideology. The student will be an emphasis on putting on project management in Icelandic business environment and use of information technology.

Please note, students must log in and purchase the book Project Management, The Managerial Process on the McGraw-Hill website. Further information can be found on the course's Canvas page.

The aim of the course is to give students an insight into management of innovation, whether it is development of a new product, technology or services. The course will discuss the nature of innovation, how the environment can support innovation and how it can aid in the management of the innovation process. The course will study both applied application of innovation as well as academic research of innovation and its management.

This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.

The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics 

Organisation

The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.

The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.

The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.

The course is based on a series of cases according to the course outline. Each case is carefully prepared for this course and a guideline for the reading material is also provided and the readings are related to the cases in question. It is the case discussion that drives the learning process. The order of the cases reflect the design of the course. The first case addresses competitiveness from an overall point of view. Then the focus is on how international and specialized the distribution of the value chain has become in the developed countries, which has resulted in clusters and cluster activities. The cases also address the role of government and the role of institutes of collaboration. The cases covered address different key issues in many industries and in many parts of the world, both in developed and developing countries. The key subject is how to understand the key aspects of National Economic Strategy. The class uses the case teaching method (the Harvard model) and it is the students that do analyse the cases through their discussion which is facilitated by the teacher. The students also prepare an extensive team project (a cluster analysis) and present their results in class. In addition the student write an individual report on the subject.

The goal of the course is to give students insight into qualitative research methods, and their use in gatherin and analysing data on the individual and organizational level. Stuents will be trained in defining a research problems and presenting them in a research question. Students will further plann and execute data gethering and analysing, as well as presenting the findings in a written report. Students will learn about the strenghts and weaknesses of qualitative research so as to be able to chose the best method to study a given problem.

The development of knowledge about effective leadership has progressed in recent decades, from viewing leaders as unique great men with innate abilities to viewing leadership as a process of communication and collaboration through which leaders develop their strategies and priorities.

A successful leader enhances his own ability to motivate, mobilize and support staff for good deeds and cooperation towards an important purpose. Increased knowledge about factors that create effective leadership underscores the importance of leaders keeping up-to-date with the latest knowledge about effective priorities and using it to support the well-being and success of employees and workplaces.

This course will discuss leadership theories and effective leadership. It will shed light on which elements of leadership enhance the success of organizations and its link to, for example, the well-being of staff, efficient operations, equal opportunities, ethics, sustainability and the development of growth. Special emphasis will be placed on the focus and methods of servant leadership and its relationship to success.

The aim of the course is for students to understand the main characteristics and competences of leaders, to know the main leadership theories that have emerged in recent decades with an emphasis on the philosophy of servant leadership. The goal is for students to have an insight into the results of research on the relationship between a leader's focus and success in terms of employees, workplace culture, operations and the external environment of organizations.

Students examine real examples of individual leadership and leadership within organizations, examine their own priorities when it comes to leadership, and examine the main challenges facing leaders in business operations and public service leadership.

In this course, the state of knowledge in the field is communicated, student participation is activated in a conversation about the topic and about analyzes of cases that shed light on the manifestation and success of leadership based on diverse focuses and leadership theories. Curriculum and projects focus on theoretical and practical knowledge about leaders and leadership, and students examine new research in the field.

The aim of the course is to introduce to students how research methods in marketing can be used to increase the success of organizations and to give them insight into how to work with challenging research questions. The course is also intended to prepare students for working on independent research assignments.
The course is based on working on projects, aiming to build students’ competence in conducting research. Students design a research study and write a research proposal, plan and execute data gathering, analyze the data, present the results in a research report, and finally, present the research and findings in a seminar. In addition to this, students get comprehensive training in various analytical methods commonly used in marketing research. Data will be analyzed using the SPSS (or PSPP) software. Students will also get training in critical assessment of the quality of research and methodology used in various research.

The goal of this course is to strengthen the statistics and methodology knowledge of the students to enable them to better understand research methods and research findings. State-of-the-art research will be reviewed and the statistics and methodology required to conduct this research will be discussed. Students will also conduct their own research project in preparation for analytical work in their professional life and their Master’s thesis.

This course provides an introduction at a master's level to the theory and practice of bussines. The aim is to prepare students for a variety of management tasks, both in the private and public sectors.

The course consists of five introductory modules:
Finance
Business law
Accounting
Macro economics
Micro economics 

Organisation

The course is offered twice a year, in August and in January and students should complete the coure in the first year of their master studies. Students that start the programme in the autumn should sit the course in August, but can postpone doing so until January. Those beginning in January should preferably take the course in January, but may postpone doing so until August.

The course opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 31st. All course material will be available on the course website on Canvas on the 1st.

The course cannot be used for credits in the master's programmes.

The course examines theories of organisational structure and organisational fields.  Different theoretical perspectives will be discussed in organizational theory and the strengths and weaknesses of the theories highlighted. The course discussion based without a textbook based on academic articles with a short introduction from the teachers. The focus of the course is to train students in understanding and discussing academic texts, which is an important part of writing a master's thesis. The course will review how scholarly sources are used in an academic writing and students will receive guidance and training in writing a literature review. Students submit a literature review which they can use as a foundation for their master's thesis.

This course covers negotiation, with a focus on negotiating skills, behavior in negotiation, and the legal aspects of contracts. The objective of the course is to prepare students, through active practice, to be effective in identifying opportunities for creating value, solving conflicts, conducting negotiations, designing deals and implementing them. The course is based on lectures, practical assignments and simulations. Lectures introduce theories and concepts in the field of negotiation, as well as the structure and common terms of contracts. Simulations allow students to participate in realistic negotiations that address common issues that arise in real-life business negotiations.

The aim of the course is through lectures, class discussions and teaching material to get the students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in strategy and strategic management. In addition to the reading material the course focuses on cases and examples from the business environment in Iceland. An emphasis is put on different theoretical perspectives in the course and different types of organisations. The approach to teaching is based on interactive participation, openess and inclusiveness. Empowerment of the student is the main goal – and for that to be realized it is necessary for all the participants to be fully committed to the course

This course aims at improving the participants’ knowledge in the areas of knowledge management and knowledge assets.  The course offers detailed coverage of theories and models relating to companies’ knowledge assets, knowledge enterprises and knowledge workers. The course deals with the shaping of processes and organisational development for the purpose of stimulating and registering new knowledge as well as how it is shared within organisational units and applied to improve company performance.  Reference will be made to different types of organisational and knowledge cultures within organisational units and how knowledge strategies are formulated.  Social media are discussed together with the mediation of knowledge. Finally, the impact of Artificial Intellegience on knowledge management will be discussed.

This course will cover the key areas of change management, such as the implementation of change, employee reactions, key barriers to change, and the positive and negative forces that affect the change process. The theories and concepts that change management is based on will be discussed in detail as well as the key approaches and methods for managing change. The role of the leader, manager, and the middle manager in managing change as well as crises will be discussed. Organizational culture will be discussed and why it is an important element of the change process.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of corporate governance and how corporate governance influences corporate performance. More specifically students will learn to identify and analyze corporate governance problems, learn to assess how corporate governance shapes the behavior of the board and learn to analyze how the corporate governance structure of a particular company is likely to influence its performance. The following topics and concepts are covered: The course will introduce the students to corporate governance issues and teach them to analyze how different corporate governance mechanisms – like ownership and board structure, legal systems and incentives – contribute to the solution of agency problems and thereby influence corporate performance. Using this framework, the course will then study the impact of corporate governance on corporate performance depending on comany-specific factors. The course will enable students to undertake a corporate governance review of an individual company including an assessment of how ownership, board structure, managerial incentives and system characteristics influence company performance.

The course is taught in English.

The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS which equals 200 hours within a company or an organization. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies. Each student can only complete one internship position. Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.

Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.

Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is

The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.

In this short version of the course students will cover at least half of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.

The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.

In this short version of the course students will cover at least one fifth of the course´s material. Further and detailed information will be given before teaching begins.

Wellbeing at work gains increasing attetion and discussion about prevention og job burnout has incresed. Leaders of organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the value of a healthy work environment and staff wellbeing being linked to better performance. The purpose of this interdisciplinary course is to introduce students to the emerging field of healthy work environment models that impact the wellbeing and health of people and how this links to leadership philosophy and behavior. The course is designed to discuss the context of determinants of wellbeing at work and different types of healthy work environment models in relation to wellbeing at work. Also to examine health promoting and servant leadership approaches and successful strategies to prevent burnout. Students visit successful organizations in this regard and get insight into managers' experience. Course materials and activities will challenge students to connect theory to practice. Students will be required to analyze current research on the topic and to identify an issue of unhealthy work environment and to develop an implementation of successful work environment model.

Students look at international trade between the West and Asia (China and Japan) from a macroeconomic point of view. Also use micro-perspective on companies doing business in Asia (China and Japan).

• Students look at how trade and investment patterns in the Asian region are shaped by the global political economy.
• Students will analyze individual companies and their business in the Asian market, how investments (FDI) are conducted by these companies and analyze their value chain.
• Students work on real-life examples (group projects) of companies doing business in Asia

More specific description:
This course is intended as an introduction to business operations and macroeconomic issues with special reference to Asia i.e. Japan and China. The course uses both theoretical definitions as well as real-life examples. The course is divided into 3 main parts:

• In the first part, the macroeconomic perspective on trade and investment in the Asian region will be discussed on the basis of individual data on trade, the consequences of the WTO as well as free trade agreements and their consequences, especially the China-Iceland free trade agreement and its consequences.
• The second part of the course will introduce a microperspective of companies doing business in Asia. Foreign direct investment (FDI) and international value chains (GVC) will be examined. A theoretical approach will be used to explain companies' choice of location due to FDI. Western companies entering Asia as well as Asian companies entering the western market will be in focus.
• The third part of the course goes into project work where students analyze a company that has operations in China or Japan or those Chinese / Japanese companies that have established themselves in Iceland. Students conduct a case study.

Understanding consumer behaviour and their preferences is crucial for effective marketing. It allows you to optimize marketing strategies, develop successful products and service, helps you to identify appropriate consumers to target and develop communication material that is relevant and successful in getting to your target consumers. All aspects of the marketing plan benefit from an understanding of consumers and with rapid changes of consumer markets today, consumer insight is becoming more important.
The course is based on lectures and assignments. The lectures will focus on both key models of consumer behaviour and also introducing state of the art literature on the subject. Students will complete both individual assignments and group assignments in order to gain deeper knowledge and understanding of consumer behaviour.

In this course, students will gain insight into one of the cornerstones of the Icelandic economy, fisheries and aquaculture. Emphasis is placed on innovation, sustainability, full utilization of marine products, and the opportunities presented by technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and the circular economy. Participants will also learn how Icelandic fisheries and aquaculture compete internationally, contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and utilize Icelandic ingenuity to create added value.

Through project-based learning, students will work on realistic projects in collaboration with companies and institutions in the industry, addressing real-world challenges related to marketing, sustainability, technological advancement, and full utilization for increased value creation.

This course deals with the internationalization of firms, the global trade environment, strategic management of international firms, intercultural communication and other issues of international business. In the course cases and articles from scholarly journals will be used. The students will also carry out project work and in-class assignments, participate in discussions of cases etc. In this course students are expected to be very active in discussions and the course will be taught in English.

The aim of the course is to give students an overview of the theoretical foundations of innovation and entrepreneurship and prepare them for further studies, both academic and applied.

The course will cover the most prominent theories and unresolved questions within the field; students will review the latest academic articles and learn about tools to analyze major innovation trends.

In the foreground throughout the course is the role of the manager, at all levels of the hierarchy, its nature and its challenges. Human resource issues and communication are the focus area and connected to all of the course topics and assignments. The leadership role of the manager is examined; particularly in relation to general human resource management and the management of employees through reform projects and radical changes. Leadership is also examined in relation to successful teamwork and approaches to managing and solving conflicts and challenging human resource issues.

The main objective of the course is that the students gain knowledge of the meaning of the key concepts and a solid understanding of the theoretical principles, methods, and options that the manager can employ in order to successfully fulfil his/her role. Diverse teaching methods are used to encourage the interest, interaction, and participation of students.

The course covers ethical issues regarding business operations, executives’ connections with government, communication with government officials, and corporate social responsibility in general. A broad range of ethical concepts, codes of conduct, and business ethics will be discussed. Students will, furthermore, be introduced to different theories and analytical tools for use in handling ethical challenges in the business environment. Emphasis will be on case studies on ethical dilemmas in business operations. Guest lecturers will be sought from business and the community to share their practical experience and students will work on the solution of practical problems.

In this course, students will acquire good and practical knowledge of service management. The course covers the key aspects of service management theories, not least regarding the design and provision of services.

There is a strong emphasis on working with case studies in the context of practical solutions. The success and satisfaction of students depends on their preparation and participation in classes.

The course provides insight into the theories and the generations of theoretical development in Services Management. During the course the students do research on how service organisations in Iceland are working on their service activities and introduce the results in class. The key issue in this course is engaged involvement and active participation of all involved.

This course seeks to explore the responsibility of companies towards the environment. Active participation of students is required by analysing issues related to companies, the natural environment and various stakeholders, but that is for instance done through a simulation and case studies.

The aim of the course is to create an understanding of and teach students to choose and employ the necessary tools to assess goals and make decisions when it comes to environmental and resource management in the context of sustainable development. Among the tools used are the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative and more.

The course is divided into three parts. In part one, we will explore the origins and meaning of corporate liability. The second part focuses on how to manage and implement corporate responsibility. In the third part, we will learn about corporate responsibility from the perspective of impact, criticism, and future prospects.

At a minimum, the successful completion of this course assumes that students have acquired a theoretical understanding of the subject, are able to apply the methods that have been taught and are literate in case of information related to companies and their environmental issues, outcomes, and impacts.

This introductory course in public administration provides students with a holistic overview over how public administration is organized and how it has developed over the last decades. The main characteristics of the public administration in Iceland is introduces, its foundations and main formative elements. The course covers the basic theories and concepts of the discipline of public administration and its scholarly endeavour. It introduces the main organizational theories, and the main theories on decentralization and delegation of power and decision-making. The focus is on the relationship between public administration and politics and how that relationship shapes organizational practices and public policy making. The emphasis is on analysing and understanding the differences between the private and the public sector.

The objective of the internship program is to develop students’ skills and expand their network of professional relationships and contacts. The internship for graduate students is 7.5 ECTS. Students complete work assignments under the guidance of specialists in public and private organizations. The tasks shall be relevant to the specialization of the student’s studies.Each student can only complete one internship position.
Further stipulations regarding the internship are laid out in each particular internship contract and contract addendum.
Internships are advertised separately at the beginning of each semester. Further information can be found here.

Please send inquiries to vidskipti@hi.is

The objective of the course is for students to be able to prepare, implement, and utilize the results of service quality measurements in prioritizing improvements. The course is based on quantitative methodology and students’ ability to use statistics according to the methodology of social science.

The main objective of the course is to  introduce to students the rage of developments that will affect organizations in the future and the role of sustainability in future of business. Furthermore, students will develop good overview regarding how these new developments are interconnected within organizations and across markets.

Rapid changing environment surrounding organization requires to look at the present developments, but even more importantly, the future of organizations. Therefore in this course the most contemporary management phenomenon already present in today’s business world are addressed. This course is unique in its focus on the future of organizations, within sustainability context, presenting holistic view of the organization and its context. The curriculum is built on most currect scientific findings, practical examples and assignments.
The aim is to:

• To introduce students to the most current developments in business environment.
• To examine the effects of the current micro and macro developments in business and its effects for the future organizations.
• To apply theoretical knowledge to an understanding of real-world processes through class discussion, research, and application essays.
• To promote critical thinking about the interconnectedness of elements within organization and its context at mezzo and macro level.
•  To provide insight regarding how theoretical lens can help us to prepare better for the future.

The aim of the course is that students gain theoretical and practical knowledge of human behavior in the workplace and can use that knowledge to enhance job satisfaction and performance of staff. The course will, among other things, review workplace studies, selection of personnel, evaluation of performance, motivation, job satisfaction, communication in the workplace, leadership and corporate culture. Certain concepts and theories in I/O Psychology will be thoroughly reviewed in order to understand and their limits and usefulness.

This course offers students the opportunity to recognize the need to develop inclusive work environments that operate on equity principles as well as value, support and engage all employees. Students learn to identify social justice/exclusion issues related to nondominated culture cohorts associated with race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity in organizations and apply their knowledge to analyzing and implementing inclusion initiatives in organizations. Students are engaged in the study of recent scholarly research in the field in order to develop their critical thinking on topics such as identity, diverse teams, (un)conscious bias, and equality of opportunity in organizations and how they relate to the value of diversity in organizations.

The course is taught in English

Performance management is a central part of every organisation and project. It helps to ensure our actions are aligned with our strategic priorities. This course will help students to connect the dots between strategic and operational levels in work settings, and how performance management philosophies and frameworks can be used by leaders and managers to ensure the achievement of our strategic objectives.

This course relies on case studies and in-class activities to take students as close as it is possible in a classroom setting to real-life scenarios where performance management can be used to support decision making towards achieving success.

 This course follows a hybrid structure. Half of the course is delivered online—students are provided flexibility and can watch pre-recorded lecture videos at their convenience. However, no later than indicated in the teaching plan.
The rest of the course material will be delivered in workshops that will be held on-campus, and must be attended in-person by the enrolled students. These workshops account for up to 70% of the grade (course assessments).

The course covers the theories, tools, and ideologies on which strategy development and strategy implementation are based. Methods of analysis and preparation of strategic planning and its implementation are introduced. Different ways for companies to create and maintain a competitive advantage are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the aspects of strategy development related to strategy execution, performance measurement, and implementation and follow-up of strategy. Students get the opportunity to express themselves and apply strategic planning methods in project work with a company, organization, or non-profit organization. It is worth emphasizing that good policy work is based, among other things, on the students' previous experience and their knowledge of human resources, finance, marketing, operations, management, etc. Students will, therefore, build on their experience and previous studies. Work on the final project begins after the first week and lasts until the presentation in the last week of the course, but the presentations will be at the end of the course. The course's final project is discussed in more detail later in this syllabus.

The course is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills to prepare and implement market expansion abroad and enable them to carry out professional marketing activities in foreign markets.

Through the course, students get a good insight into the opportunities and challenges inherent in the marketing activities of companies in international markets. Among other things, the influence of culture and various factors in the external environment will be discussed. Ways to obtain information about consumers and competitors in different markets will be covered. Students receive good training in analyzing different markets, determining a marketing strategy based on the analysis and designing tactics to implement the strategy.

The main emphasis of the course is on the role of financial markets and institutions. The interplay between central bank and commercial banks is explored in relation to interest rate - and exchange rate determination. Furthermore, the connection between monetary and fiscal policy is mapped out, regarding both price and financial stability. The second emphasis of the course is on the role of the banking system in the economy and on the function of main asset markets. The main structural characteristics of Icelandic financial markets are described in comparison to foreign markets.

The course is based on the process of integrated marketing communications (IMC), focusing on analysis, goal setting, planning, and performance evaluation. The teaching methods encourage student participation. Lectures, discussions and work on projects. In addition to guest lecturers.

This is an intensive course with the active participation of students. It is taught over 13 weeks. The course takes as its starting point the idea that although governments and nonprofits are crucial to modern society, businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends, while also being a part of the problems created. As they create that wealth, their actions affect society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, and the natural environment. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. These include the Sustainable Development Goals, i.e., Goals 1-5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 16, the Paris Agreement, the UN Global Compact, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the Global Reporting Initiative, and more. This interaction between corporations, society (in its broadest sense) and the natural environment is the concern of corporate social responsibility (CSR), but the issues need to be addressed from a strategic point of view. 

Regardless of one’s viewpoint about the interaction of business and society, the continued co-existence of for-profit organizations is essential. This course seeks to explore the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective. That exploration is intended to be interactive, with the journey of exploration involving an analysis of CSR-related issues, simulation, and case studies.

The course is organized into six broad sections. In the first section, we will explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) means and the driving forces of CSR. The second section focuses on the stakeholder perspective, and in the third section, we study the legal perspective. In the fourth section, we will explore the behavioral perspective, in the fifth section the strategic perspective and in the sixth section the focus will be on the sustainable perspective and sustainable value creation.   

The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.

The thesis amounts to 30 credits and must be presented at a departmental seminar.

The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates that are announced before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an outside reader.

The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.

The thesis amounts to 30 credits and must be presented at a departmental seminar.

The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates that are announced before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an outside reader.

The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen after consulting the thesis advisor(s), who must be full-time faculty at the School of Business.

The thesis amounts to 30 credits and must be presented at a departmental seminar.

The thesis must be submitted online no later than the specified dates that are announced before each graduation. Grades for a master's thesis are awarded by the thesis advisor(s) and an outside reader.