Corporate Strategy

Course objectives

• Learn how to analyse an organization’s environment
• Discuss and apply various strategic frameworks and models
• Identify an organization’s valuable resources and capabilities
• Determine the sources of competitive advantage

Course description

This course focuses mainly on business strategy, examining issues central to its long and short-term competitive position. We will explore a variety of conceptual frameworks and models to analyse and gain insight about how to achieve or sustain competitive advantage. This journey starts by analysing the external environment’s influence on a firm’s performance. We will subsequently analyse the impact of the internal context (resources and capabilities) on firm performance. After covering both the external and internal perspectives, we bring these concepts together to discuss firm level competitive advantage. This first part of the course focuses on single business or business unit strategy and will take up the first part. The final part explores corporate or multi-business strategy and international strategy.

Learning methods

In the lectures, we will discuss the theory, frameworks, tools and models relevant to corporate strategy. In the exercises, we will apply these tools and theories to specific cases.

Examination information

50% Homeworks (group)
50% Final exam (individual)

Required material

R. M Grant (2010) Contemporary Strategy Analysis, Wiley (10th Edition)
Additional material will be distributed as needed.