The seminar allows PhD students to present their research, receive valuable feedback, and discuss their progress as well as theoretical/methodological challenges in their dissertation projects.

Topic-wise, the seminar addresses (but is not limited to) research questions at the intersections of international business and (international) entrepreneurship with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and young firms. Focal areas include, for example:

• Firms’ strategic decisions in the internationalization process (such as the foreign market entry mode choice or foreign location choice) and their performance implications.
• How and what firms learn during the internationalization process and how experience and learning affect future strategic decisions as well as the firm’s innovation output.
• How the heuristics and biases of individual decision-makers shape the internationalization patterns of firms.
• The unique internationalization patterns of born globals as well as family firms and their performance implications.
• Broader strategic management, entrepreneurship, and innovation management topics.

As this seminar relies heavily on personal interactions between students and faculty, presence in all sessions is mandatory.

The overall seminar grade is based on three individual assessments:

1. Research presentation and discussion (40%)
2. Quality of the presentation document (30%)
3. Individual participation and contributions to the academic discussions (30%)