MOC Course Overview

Course Content

The MOC course is concerned with the determinants of competitiveness and economic development viewed from a bottom up, microeconomic perspective. While sound macroeconomic factors affect the potential for competitiveness, wealth is actually created at the microeconomic level. The strategies of firms, the vitality of clusters, and quality of the business environment in which competition takes place are what ultimately determines a nation or region’s productivity.

This course covers both developing and advanced economies, and addresses competitiveness at multiple geographic levels, from groups of countries to cities. A major theme of the course is that competitiveness and economic development is affected by policies at all these levels.

The MOC course focuses especially on the role of business in driving competitiveness and economic prosperity. In modern international competition, the roles of key stakeholders, including companies, government, and NGOs, have shifted and expanded, and the traditional separation between them works against successful economic development. Moreover, the process of creating and sustaining an economic strategy for a nation or region is a daunting challenge. The MOC course not only explores theory and policy, but also the organizational structures, institutional structures, and change processes required for sustained improvements in competitiveness.

Course Structure & Pedagogy

MOC is a university-wide course offered to graduate students from around the Harvard community, including the Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and other Harvard and MIT graduate schools. The course provides a sufficient foundation in industry competition and competitive strategy to allow students without management training to grasp course concepts, although advanced training in economics or management is recommended.

The course is taught using the case method, together with readings, lectures, and distinguished guest speakers. The case method requires extensive advance preparation by students for each class, and a significant part of the course grade is based on class participation. The course also involves a major team project involving the competitive assessment of a particular country and cluster.

Typical MOC Class Session

• Class sessions run for 80 minutes
• Each week will include one or two cases and, during some weeks, a concept lecture