CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT

Contact person:

Lea Wagner, M.A.



Time & Place:

Lecture: Mondays, 16:15 - 17:45

Room: ZHG 006

Start: 13.04.2026




Examination:

Written exam: 60 Minutes (6 C)




Examination date:

Date: 27.07.2027, 16 - 17 Uhr

Room: ZHG 011




Examination requirements:

Students:

• demonstrate a profound knowledge of and ability to manage challenges in
corporate development,

• document a thorough understanding of how to actively design an organizations’
development processes,

• demonstrate the ability to discuss different measures, strategies, and tools to
manage corporate development,

• show a profound understanding of empirical studies and theoretical implications
and be able to transfer findings on current practical examples in case studies.




Requirements:

None. Basic knowledge in the areas of management and organization as well as organizational design and change is recommended.




Learning outcomes, core skills:

After successful completion of this course, students are able to:

• demonstrate a profound knowledge of different perspectives and drivers of
corporate development,

• identify and define options of actions and strategies for the growth of companies
and the conditions necessary to obtain success,

• identify and define options of actions and strategies for the reduction of company
size and the conditions necessary to obtain success,

• apply and critically discuss the tools, strategies, and concepts that have been
acquired in order to analyze as well as to tackle case studies,

• deal with the ambiguity of real situations and make reasonable decisions.




Contents:

a) Introduction to corporate development

• Definition and practical relevance of ”Corporate Development”


b) Tracks and drivers of corporate development processes

• In which different tracks do companies develop over time and why?

• Models and theories about patterns of change

• Measures and mechanisms to manage corporate development and to ensure
sustainable success

• Models on driving forces of corporate development

• Empirical studies discussing tracks and drivers of corporate development
processes


c) Growing company size

• Strategies of corporate development, direction of growth and shifting boundaries of
companies

• Cooperation and M&A as different growth strategies

• Potentials and challenges of different growth strategies


d) Reducing company size

•When and how do companies reduce their size and how can they do so
successfully?

• Outsourcing and Downsizing as different strategies to reduce company size
•
Potentials and challenges of different strategies to reduce company size