Strategic Management: the Challenge of Creating Value, 3Rd Edition

Strategic Management: The Challenge of Creating Value, 3rd Edition

Sample Course Guide

Course Description

This course will build your knowledge and insight into how to craft and execute strategy for an organization. You will develop understanding of the strategic management process and application ofthe tools and techniques of strategic analysis. The importance of design, innovation and the social interactive aspects of strategy work will be discussed. The course will develop your understanding of business-level, corporate-level and network-level strategy in an international business setting. Class activities may include case studies, reading workshops, simulation exercises and/or experiential exercises that will build your knowledge and skill in this course.

Overview of Learning Activities

This course will increase your understanding of the importance of strategic management and the range of forces in the internal and external environment that influence the crafting of strategy for an organization. You will explore the challenges of strategy process and practice, and learn to apply the tools and techniques of strategic analysis. Understanding of strategy process including the social process of strategizing, design principles, creating future direction, managing change and fostering innovation is developed. In relation to strategy content business-level, corporate-level and network-level strategy is addressed, including explaining the role of the corporate head office and how these issues present an integrated decision-making challenge for the strategy practitioner. Finally, you will develop your awareness of the influence of the strategy context and the interaction of the industry and international context. Strategic positioning of the organization and the prudent and careful management of financial, human, marketing, operational and other resources is discussed. Knowledge and skills on case study reading and analysis, report writing, business communication skills and running strategy workshops is developed.

This course can be delivered using Routledge Publishing case resources or Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) case studies.

The course can also be delivered using a Simulation Exercise and/or Experiential Exercises.

Learning Activities

Strategic Management is a course designed to expose you to a strategic perspective on issues that concern the organization as a whole.

The course draws on and integrates concepts from most of the other MBA Program courses which focus on specific areas of operating a business (i.e. functional areas of marketing, finance, accounting, human resource management, operations management) and uses these insights to aid in the development of novel and competitive solutions to complex organization problems and opportunities. The course covers the evolution of the field of strategy and the need to balance strategy process, content and context.

Early strategists tended to focus on the strategic plan itself, handing the planning document to line managers for implementation. However, in the uncertain world of the 1980s and 1990s this approach was discredited. Recent developments in the strategy field emphasize the importance of involving all staff in the strategy process, allowing strategies to emerge from the ‘grass roots’ of the firm, giving greater attention to the well-being of the firm as a whole, and incorporating thought with action. The emphasis has become strategy creation tempered with some thoughtful rational analysis. Design thinking and innovation have become important aspects of strategy work in recent years. In general, across organizations and industries, strategy practice is more generative and people-oriented than rational and analytical; having said that the discipline and focus given to the organization by strategic planning remains of value.

There is a rich tradition of teaching and assessment using case studies in the field of strategic management and this course embraces this tradition.

Topics covered in the course include strategy process, strategy practice, interpreting the business environment, managing resources and capabilities, creating future direction, business-level strategy, corporate-level strategy, managing innovation and the dynamic scope of the firm including network alliances, organizational change, design and organizational architecture, measuring organizational performance, corporate governance and social responsibility.

An important aspect of the unit is class discussion where the lecturer will encourage students to discuss crafting and executing strategy in their commercial life.

On completion of Strategic Management, you will have developed a better understanding of the strategy process in organizations and its evolution. In particular you will have an awareness of:

the tools and techniques of strategic analysis;
strategy formulation and implementation;
business-level, corporate-level and network-level strategy content issues;
the preparation ofa strategic plan and the effective management of resources;
the need to align strategy, structure, culture, systems, human resources, employee skills and leadership style;
application of the case study technique to solving business problems;
the strategic management process;
the influence of the firm’s internal and external context on the strategy process within organizations;
the impact of globalization;
design thinking;
the value of innovation and how innovation can be encouraged;
the importance of staff at all levels of the firm participating in the strategy process;
the increasing importance of the social interactive aspects of the strategy process;
the tension between shareholders and stakeholders with implications for economic and social outcomes;
scenario planning; and,
the relationship between creative, people-oriented strategy practice and change management.

Strategic Management addresses the following MBA program capabilities:

self-management;
operational leadership;
contemporary business perspective;
analytical and technical competency;
strategic decision making;
corporate responsibility; and,
effective communication.

Learning activities can include:

lectures;
reading workshops;
case study presentations;
case study class discussions;
experiential exercises;
simulation exercises;
onlinediscussion board; and,
general class participation.

Unit / Topic / Text Chapter/Reading/Suggested Case Study
1 / Introduction, Case Study Reading Technique and Case Study Analysis / Chapter 1
Finkelstein, S. 2016,‘Managing yourself: Secrets of the superbosses’, Harvard Business Review, January–February, pp. 104–107.
Porter, M. 1996, ‘What is strategy?’ Harvard Business Review, November–December, pp. 61–78.
Briefing on How to Read and Analyse a Case Study
2 / Strategy Process and Practice / Chapter 2
Mintzberg, H. 1994, ‘The fall and rise of strategic planning’, Harvard Business Review, January–February, pp. 107–114.
Whittington, R. 2007, ‘Strategy practice and strategy process: Family differences and the sociological eye’, Organization Studies, 28, pp. 1575–1586.
Case Study: Apple Inc in 2015 (HBSP)
3 / Interpreting the Business Environment / Chapters 3, 4
Walsh, S. 2016,‘How I did it…the CEO of Rio Tinto on managing in a hypercyclical industry’, Harvard Business Review, March, pp. 33–36.
Reeves, M, Levin, S. and Daichi, U. 2016,‘The biology of corporate survival’, Harvard Business Review, January–February, pp. 46–55.
Case Study:Intel’s Mobile Strategy in 2015 and Beyond (HBSP)
Unit / Topic / Text Chapter/Reading/Suggested Case Study
4 / Managing Resources and Capabilities / Chapter 4, 5
Barney, J. 1991, ‘Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage’, Journal of Management, 17, pp. 99–120.
Teece, D. 2010 ‘Alfred Chandler and “capabilities” theories of strategic management’, Industrial and Corporate Change, 19 (2), pp. 297–316.
Case Study: Colgate-Palmolive: Staying Ahead in Oral Care (HBSP)
5 / Creating Future Direction / Chapter 6
Breene, T., Nunes, P. and Shill, W. 2007, ‘The Chief Strategy Officer’, Harvard Business Review, October, pp. 84–93.
Hodgkinson, G., Whittington, R., Johnson, G. and Schwarz, M. 2006, ‘The role of strategy workshops in strategy development processes: Formality, communication, co-ordination and inclusion’, Long Range Planning, 39, pp. 479–496.
Case Study: Louis Vuitton (HBSP)
6 / Business-Level Strategy / Chapter 7
Collis, D. and Montgomery, C. 2008, ‘Competing on resources’, Harvard Business Review, July–August, pp. 140–150.
Raynor, M. and Bower, J. 2001, ‘Lead from the center: How to manage divisions dynamically’, Harvard Business Review, May, pp. 92–100.
Case Study:Raffles Holdings Limited: Valuation of a Divestiture (HBSP)
Unit / Topic / Text Chapter/Reading/Suggested Case Study
7 / Corporate-Level Strategy / Chapter 8
Campbell, A., Goold, M. and Alexander, M. 1995, ‘Corporate strategy: The quest for parenting advantage’, Harvard Business Review, March–April, pp. 120–132.
Prahalad, C.K. and Hamel, G. 1990, ‘The core competence of the corporation’, Harvard Business Review, May–June, pp. 79–91.
Case Study: Emirates Airlines: Connecting the Unconnected (HBSP)
8 / Managing Innovation and the Dynamic Scope of the Firm / Chapter 9
Pisano, G. 2015, ‘You need an innovation strategy’, Harvard Business Review, June, pp. 44–54.
Martin, R. 2016, ‘M & A: The one thing you need to get right’, Harvard Business Review, June, pp. 42–48.
Case Study:Survey Monkey in 2014 (HBSP)
9 / Leading Organizational Change / Chapter 10
Abrahamson, E. 2000, ‘Change without pain’, Harvard Business Review, July–August, pp. 75–79.
Watanabe, K. with Stewart, T. and Raman, A. 2007, ‘Lessons from Toyotas long drive’, Harvard Business Review, July–August, pp. pp.74–83.
Case Study: The Park Hotels: Designing Experience (HBSP)
Unit / Topic / Text Chapter/Reading/Suggested Case Study
10 / Design and Organizational Architecture / Chapter 11
Porter, M. and Heppelman, J. 2015, ‘How smart connected products are transforming companies’, Harvard Business Review, October, pp. 96–114.
Tushman, M., O’Reilly, C. 2004,‘The ambidextrous organization’,Harvard Business Review, April, pp. 74–81.
Case Study: Tesla Motors (in 2013) (HBSP)
11 / Measuring Organizational Performance / Chapter 12
Schoemaker, P. and Tetlock, P. 2016, ‘Superforecasting: How to upgrade your company’s judgement’, Harvard Business Review, May, pp. 72–78.
Kaplan, R. and Norton, D. 1992, ‘The balanced scorecard – measures that drive performance’, Harvard Business Review, January–February, pp. 71–79.
Case Study:Making Balanced Scorecard Work to Implement Business Strategies at Magic Technology (HBSP)
12 / Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility / Chapter 13
Subramanian, G. 2015, ‘Corporate Governance 2.0’, Harvard Business Review, March, pp. 97–105.
Beard, A. and Hornik, R. 2011, ‘It’s hard to be good’, Harvard Business Review, November, pp. 88–96.
Case Study:Social Strategy at Nike (HBSP)

Assessment Tasks
Overview of Assessment Tasks
Assessment for this course may include individual business reports and essays, group projects and presentations, assignments, class participation, case study analyses, simulation exercises, experiential exercises, online discussions and activities and examinations.
Assessment Task 1
‘Small Group’ Class Case Study Presentation and Written Submission
Word Limit: 2000 words for the Paper with a 200word (maximum) Executive Summary. Tables and Figures are included in the word count but not the Reference List. This is a ‘hard’ word limit and marks will be deducted for going over the word limit.Tables and Figures are included in the word count. Words in picture files will be counted. In a workplace reports in excess of guidelines are returned to be re-written with performance management consequences. The ‘hard’ word limit here gives more workplace authenticity to this assessment task.
Time Limit (Presentation): 15 minutes, 5 minutes for Question and Answer
Total Weight: 40% of the marks for the course (25% Paper, 15% Presentation)
Due: The facilitator will arrange groups to deliver case study presentations and submit case reports due in class from Week 2 to Week 12in the week agreed. The report will be due in class on the day of the week the case study appears in the schedule and is delivered.
Purpose: To apply the tools and techniques of strategic analysis and the ‘Small Group’s’ understanding of the strategy process to a practical case study situation.
Process/Assessment: Refer to in-class instructions on reading and analysing a case study. All the information needed to respond to the case is provided in the case, the text and class materials. The External Links available in the Distributed Learning System provides another useful and practical available resource. No specific questions are given for the case. ‘Small Groups’ should analyse the case situation and also make recommendations as to what the company and/or individual(s) in the case should do. The analysis should address four issues (totalling 90% of available marks):
1. External Environment, Industry Environment and Critical Success Factors (20%).
2. Company Analysis (20%).
3. SWOT (15%).
4. Recommendations, including justifications, of how the organisation should address these key issues (35%).
The recommendations should be consistent with the analysis and pick up all major issues identified in the analysis. The subject leader will be looking for the ‘Small Group’ to identify, prioritise and address the key issues impacting shareholder and stakeholder value and discuss/debate this in class. This requires knowledge of the course and some business acumen.
‘Small Groups’ will be assessed on their Question and Answer performance.
The Case Study is a valuable teaching and learning tool and an exercise in business writing. Attention should be given to grammar, presentation and the logic of the argument (10% of available marks). If you would not give the case you have prepared to your immediate report in the workplace, then think again about presentation before submission to the Course Leader.
‘Small Groups’ to be no greater than four (4).
The Case Study must be referenced using the Author/Date system.
Assessment Task 2 – Case Study Analysis
Total Weight: 10% of the marks for the course
Due: 5 p.m., End Week 6
Purpose: This task is a key component of the teaching and learning activity this semester. To encourage students to analyse a case study in a 1000 word business report format with an Executive Summary strictly limited to 200 words. The 1000 word format (approximately three pages) presents a particular business writing challenge to students. The case must be chosen from the list of case studies covered in class in Strategic Management this semester (refer to this document). The case study chosen must not be the case study students are presenting and reporting on in class in their group assignment. The limit is strictly 1000 words for the report. 2.54 cm margins are required top, bottom, left and right.
Any references beyond the case study must be included in a Reference List which is not included in the 1000 word limit for the business report.
This is a ‘hard’ word limit and marks will be deducted for going over the word limit. Tables and Figures are included in the word count. Words in picture files will be counted. In a workplace reports in excess of guidelines are returned to be re-written with performance management consequences. The ‘hard’ word limit here gives more workplace authenticity to this assessment task.
The case study itself does not need to be referenced in the business report.
Process/Assessment: In Assessment Task 2 students will be assessed on their ability to do the following (totalling 100% of available marks):
• Identify the key issues in the case (10%).
• Succinctly analyse the external environment (10%).
• Succinctly analyse the industry context (10%).
• Identify critical success factors (5%).
• Succinctly report a company analysis (10%).
• Present a SWOT (15%).
• Make strategy recommendations that have a positive influence on shareholder and stakeholder value (30%).
• Overall favourable impact of the report on the reader, i.e. clear writing, arrangement, grammar (10%).
Assessment Task 3 – Take Home Examination Briefing Note
Examination: Take Home
Total Weight: 50% of the marks for the course
Examination Period:Exams are held in the three weeks following the end of session. A date will be provided by the facilitator.
Length: 45 minutes reading time, 6 hours writing time. Submission through Turnitin.
The examination has two parts.
Part 1: Theory and Practice
Weighing: 25%
Purpose: To test the individual students understanding of the theory component of the course. To encourage reflection. To work to time.
Process/Assessment: The student will be required to respond to two (2) of three (3) theory and practice questions developed for the test. The questions will be challenging, focusing on classic tools of strategic analysis and/or contemporary events in the strategic management field – i.e. the course delivered. Students will need strong familiarity with the text and readings materials provided. Questions will be topic specific but may include a part asking the student for reflection.
Students are encouraged to start exam preparation early in the semester for this exam.
Part 2: Case Study
Weighing: 25%
Purpose: To apply the individual students’ knowledge of the tools and techniques of strategic analysis and understanding of the strategy process to a practical situation. To work to time.
Process/Assessment: The case study will be provided on exam day. All the information needed to respond to the case is provided in the case, the text and class materials. Specific questions are given for the case and students will need to directly address these questions in their answer to score a Credit grade or higher.
Students should analyse the case situation and also make recommendations as to what the company and/or individual(s) in the case should do. The analysis should address four issues (totalling 90% of available marks):
1. External, Industry Environment Analysis and Critical Success Factors (20%).
2. Company Analysis (20%).
3. SWOT (15%).
4. Recommendations, including justifications, as tohow the organisation should address these key issues (35%).
The recommendations should be consistent with the analysis and pick up all major issues identified in the analysis.
The subject leader will be looking for students to identify, prioritise and address the key issues impacting shareholder and stakeholder value. Attention should also be given to the logic of the argument under exam pressure giving authenticity to the assessment task (10% of available marks).
Students are encouraged to start exam preparation early in the semester for this exam.
All relevant University Policies on assessment apply.