Man­aging Strategy Im­ple­ment­a­tion in the Mod­ern Cor­por­a­tion

Course content

This course deals with strategic and operational challenges of strategy implementations in modern corporations. Strategy implementation refers to the implementation of strategic decisions such as actions to be taken, resources to be devoted, or precedents set. For example, a firm deciding to internationalize its operations needs to gear its organization for the many cultural and operational challenges associated with this type of change. Relatedly, a firm deciding to change product markets must ensure its employees acknowledge and adapt to the new strategic directions. Often, however, firms experience several challenges when implementing strategic decisions. Organizational inertia may prevent the firm from changing strategic direction. Employees may lack the motivation to enter new product markets. Firms may realize that the actual implementation costs significantly exceed the anticipated costs. As a result, too many firms cannot successfully implement the strategies intended to ensure future growth.

In contrast to other courses focusing on strategic planning, this course centers on the actual implementation of strategies that have already been taken. We will do this by providing the relevant theoretical and empirical background of the core components of modern strategy implementation, such as strategic decision-making, ‘Management by Objectives’, the role of subunits, and leadership. In sum, this course aims to provide students with a theoretical and practical understanding of strategy implementation.

The course will fully adhere to building disciplinary skills and transformational capabilities around the Nordic Nine, and will specifically focus on #1 ("You have deep business knowledge placed in a broad context"), #2 (You are analytical with data and curious about ambiguity), #4 ("You are competitive in business and compassionate in society"), and #6 ("You are critical when thinking and constructive when collaborating").