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Faculty
Yvonne Borkelmann / Stefan Linder

Course Coordinator
ISUP Secretariat

Prerequisite/progression of the course

None.

Course content, structure and teaching

The aim of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the key schools of thought in strategic management with special emphasis on the conflicting perspectives that arise in an increasingly comptitive and globalized world.

All three major areas of strategic management - strategy process, strategy content and strategy context - will be covered. These are the three dimensions of strategy that can be recognized in every real-life strategic problem situation:

Strategy Process: The manner in which strategies come about is referred to af the strategy process. Stated in terms of af number of questions, strategy process is concerned with the how, who and when of strategy - how is, and should, strategy be made, analyzed, dreamt-up, formulated, implemented, changed and controlled; who is involved; and when do the necessary activites take place?

Strategy Content: The product of af strategy process is referred to ad the strategy content. Stated in terms of a question, strategy content is concerned with the "what" of strategy - what is, and should be, the strategy for the company and each of its constituent units?

Strategy Context: THe set of circumstances under which both the strategy process and the strategy content are determined is referred to ad the strategy context. Stated in terms of a question, straregy context is concerned with the where of strategy - where, that is in which firm and which environment, are the strategy process and strategy content embedded.

Hence, the course will introduce students to paradoxes such as, for example, intended vs. emergent strategies, revolutionary vs. evolutionary change, make or buy decisions, creating global synergy vs. adapting to local environment etc.

The sessions will consist of lectures introducing the theoretical background, followed by student presentations of the opposing perspectives, and finalized by discussing a case study illustrating how these theories are applicable in practice. Our aim is to provide students with both a strong theoretical understanding and p practival grasp of strategic management.

Course overview:

1. Introduction to course, group formation, technicalities
2. The nature of strategy and strategy formation
3. Strategic change and renewal
4. Business level strategy
5. corporate level strategy
6. Network level strategy
7. Industry context
8. Organizational context of strategy
9. International context of strategy
10. Organizational purpose, wrap-up of course, and exam Q&A

The course's development of personal competences

The course aims at providing students with an arena for enhancing personal competences while at the same time acquiring business and management knowledge. It thus offers opportunity for further developing key personal competences such as critical reasoning and scientific discourse. Furthermore, it provides the option to increase one's competence in evaluating concepts as well as their usefulness and dangers in practical use. Moreover, it offers room for training one's abilities to present ideas to an audience.

Learning Objectives

The aim of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the key schools of thought in strategic management with special emphasis in the conflicing perspectives that arise in an increasingly competitive and globalized world.

After having attended the course, students are expected to have both a sound theoretical understanding and a practical grasp of strategic management. This implies that students should

• have an understanding of the continuing debates within strategic management and the corresponding paradoxes (e.g. emerging vs. intended strategies etc.),
• be capable of providing a reflected analysis of the pros and cons of competing perspectives in stratecig management and potential solutions for resolving the paradoxes,
• be able to apply the theories and concepts discussed to case examples,
• be in the position to demonstrate their ability to critically and thoroughly evaluate case situations of strategic management problems and provide clear recommendations
• present their thoughts and analysis in a well-structured and clear manner.

Teaching methods

The teaching will be based on lectures and student presentations of readings and cases and following plenum discussions based on readings/cases. The emphasis in class is on 2-way dialogue rather than a one-way communication from teacher to student. Thus students are expected to prepare the readings/cases in advance, to answer questions in class, and to participate actively in discussions. In addition, this course provides students with an arena to learn/improve the use of information technology, which is intenede to help the student locate and present useful information and analyses and to guide him/her in work with (a) class projects and assignments, and (b) current and future practical management issues.

Lectures: The lectures will create an overview, present examples, clarify and elaborate on selected areas, as well as respond to questions from students. External professionals from leading companies may be invited to guest lecture on selected topics and illustrate straregic management in practice.

Examination

Final exam: Project/home assignment (written individually), 10 A4 pages.

Re-take exam: Project/home assignment (written individually), 10 A4 pages.

Recommended literature

The course will mainly rely on the De Witt & Meyer (2004) textbook, which comprises both most of the readings and cases used in class. To balance reading-load for an undergraduate level, Chapter 2 will not be covered and only 2 out of 4 readings per chapter as well as only one case per chapter will be used.

• De Wit, Bob and Meyer, Ron (2004) "Strategy: Process, Content, Context". 3rd Edition, Thomson Publishing (exept Chapter 2; only assigned pages/case per chapter).
• Burgelman, R. & Grove, A. S. (2007). "Let Chaos Reign, then reign in chaos", Strategic Management Journal, Volume 28, pp 965-979 (access via CBS Library E-resources).
• Johanson, J. & Vahlne, J.-E. (1977), "The Internationalization Process of the Firm - A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Foreign Market Commitments", Journal of International Business Studies, Volume 8, pp. 23-32 (access via CBS Library E-resources)

Sidst opdateret af ISUP Secretariat 29.01.2010