Corporate strategy

MGT-400 / 4 credits

Teacher: Schad Jonathan Leon Fabian

Language: English

Withdrawal: It is not allowed to withdraw from this subject after the registration deadline.

Summary

Why are some firms more successful than others? This is the fundamental question of strategy. The course aims to familiarize the student with the most important themes relevant for corporate strategy. We will take the a top management perspective to better understand decisions' underlying complexity

Content

What is strategy (in a business context)? And why are some firms more successful than others?

This course is designed to study competition and strategy from the perspective of top management. A principal concern of leaders is the relationship between a company, its strategy, its environment and the firm's performance. This relationship is complex, uncertain, and always changing.

Students will learn to take a birds-eye point of view and learn about different strategic themes and how they are interrelated, both in theory and in practice. Top management such as CEOs shape and lead activities around corporate strategy and we will analyze in depth the complexity they face and how they work through it.

This course introduce participants to the different external and internal aspects of corporate and business strategy. We will tackle the complexity and ambiguity of strategic decision making through discussions of case studies and by analyzing companies and industries, which helps understand the ambiguities top executives have to navigate.

Keywords

Corporate strategy, business strategy, competitive advantage, firm performance.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • Discuss key concepts, models and tools of strategy, in a business context.
  • Apply a few basic indicators of firm performance.
  • Synthesize firm level information and facts.
  • Assess / Evaluate firm level corporate and business strategies of real firms.
  • Make strategic recommendations for a real firm, to the top management of a company.
  • Discuss key concepts, models and tools of strategy, in a business context
  • Apply a few basic indicators of firm performance
  • Synthesize firm level information and facts
  • Assess / Evaluate firm level corporate and business strategies of real firms
  • Make strategic recommendations for a real firm, to the top management of a company
  • Discuss key concepts, models and tools of strategy
  • Apply strategic management frameworks to challenges that company leaders experience
  • Assess / Evaluate aspects of firm level corporate and business strategies

Transversal skills

  • Identify the different roles that are involved in well-functioning teams and assume different roles, including leadership roles.
  • Take feedback (critique) and respond in an appropriate manner.
  • Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
  • Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.

Assessment methods

50% on individual assessments and 50% on team assignments

In the programs

  • Semester: Fall
  • Number of places: 50
  • Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Corporate strategy
  • Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: optional
  • Semester: Fall
  • Number of places: 50
  • Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Corporate strategy
  • Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: optional
  • Semester: Fall
  • Number of places: 50
  • Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Corporate strategy
  • Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: optional

Reference week

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