MG106: Strategic Management

Course Content         

This course is an introduction to the field of Strategic Management. It covers the key concepts and theories in the field and how they can be applied to real business situations.

The main objective is to learn how to formulate and implement successful strategies that grant competitive advantage to a firm, where a strategy is a plan that guides managerial decisions. Theoretical background is founded on the “resource-based view” of the firm and its complementarity to microeconomic theory, game theory and organizational theory.

Topics covered include:

• The business model of the firm
• Industry structure and strategic interactions
• Value creation and competitive advantage
• Strategic resources
• Dynamic capabilities
• Diversification and synergies

The course is illustrated with thought-provoking case studies about real companies in various industries.

Course outcomes

The objective of the course is to illustrate how strategic management supports companies in achieving competitive advantage. At the end of the course students should be able to:

• Efficiently structure a competitive situation amidst an excess of data
• Use analytical reasoning to evaluate competitive scenarios
• Critically evaluate strategic alternatives for a firm
• Recognize competitive patterns among firms in the global economy

 Texts

There is no set text for this course. Students will be given a set of photocopied materials, and will additionally be expected to make use of reading materials available electronically in the Library.

A pack of business case studies will be distributed at the beginning of the course.

*Course content, faculty and dates may be subject to change without prior notice