Strategic management
Course objectives
General objectives The Strategic Management course provides students with the knowledge necessary for the formulation and implementation of business strategy, with particular regard to processes and analysis tools. Through the study of the main theories in strategic management, case studies, classroom exercises and group work, students will be able to acquire knowledge with reference to the tools and models of analysis in the strategic field, such as business model, positioning, competitive forces, competitive advantage, resources and capabilities, internal organizational system, both in the application of these to business realities and in the nature and conceptual assumptions underlying these models. Specific goals Knowledge and understanding: The Strategic Management course provides students with knowledge that is useful for setting up and implementing a strategy at the business level. In particular, it allows the student to deepen aspects such as the business model, competitive positioning, generic strategies, competitive forces, strategic resources and capabilities, the design of the internal organizational system and the implementation of the strategy. Applied skills: Through the performance of classroom exercises, case studies and group work, the Strategic management course supports students in the application of theoretical concepts to case studies introduced by the teacher during the lessons and developed by students through individual and group work. At the end of the course, students will be able to understand the company's current strategy, evaluate contextual threats and opportunities and then set up a new strategy to take into account the context dynamics. Critical and judgment skills: The contents and methods of conducting the course allow you to discern the content of strategic decisions, understand the alternatives available and choose those that guarantee the company greater development potential. In particular, the course aims to develop the skills of future vision, analysis, identification of strategic alternatives, selection of alternatives and implementation of the selected alternatives in specific business contexts. Communication skills: The Strategic Management course aims to strengthen oral exposure skills, with particular reference to the formalization of a corporate strategy and its communication to third parties through written and oral presentations. Learning skills: The course guarantees the acquisition of a high level of autonomy in the management of the study and of one's own learning. This is made possible through participation in lessons, interaction with the teacher and other students, the study of the course's teaching material and further study by reading the in-depth bibliography published on the teacher's website.
Channel 1
GIANLUCA VAGNANI
Lecturers' profile
Program - Frequency - Exams
Course program
The course aims at developing in-depth knowledge of the principles, processes, and tools for formulating and implementing firm strategies.
Strategic management has been facing an extremely dynamic and complex scenario in recent years. Globalization, sectoral convergence, new technologies, and economic crisis are only some of the phenomena that have profoundly changed the environment, the competitive arena, and firm key success factors. Within this framework, the strategic management course aims at providing students with all concepts and tools needed for dealing with firm survival and development. The course starts with the definition of the strategy notion and from the strategic management model and then explores how strategies are formed, how long-run orientations emerge, and what pushes firms to adopt a strategy and modify it over time. The course also analyzes firm environment, which is the array of factors that are exogenous to management control but able to impact firm survival and strategies success. Students will therefore learn the issues and methodologies to identify the variables relevant to the firm, understand its dynamics in terms of threats and opportunities and consequently adapt the firm strategy. The strategic management process additionally includes an internal analysis, i.e. the valuation of firm strengths and weaknesses with the identification of the sources of competitive advantage and the strategies to defend and strengthen them over time.
Topics
• The notion of strategy and the strategic management process
• Analysis of the external environment
• Dynamics of the external environment
• Positioning and competitive advantage
• Resources, capabilities, and competencies
• Developing resources, capabilities, and competencies
• Organizational adaptation and change
• Strategies Implementation
Prerequisites
There are no pre-required exams. However, students are to possess the basic knowledge acquired in such modules as the principle of management.
Books
A) GRANT R.M. Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 9th edition, Wiley, 2016, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
B) MARKIDES, C. All the Right Moves: A Guide to Crafting Breakthrough Strategy, Harvard Business School Press, 2000, chapter 6, “Create the right organizational environment”, pp. 129-145.
C) Case studies:
C1. Innovation and renovation. The Nespresso story, IMD046, v.15.12.2003.
C2. African Communications Group, HBS, 9-796-128, March 4, 1996.
C3. Leadership Online (A): Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.com, HBS, 9-798-063, March 16, 2004.
C4. Fairmont Chateau Lake Luise, Ivey, 9B03A032, 2009-10-15.
C5. Rebirth of the Swiss Watch Industry, 1980-1992(A), HBS, 9-400-087, June 12, 2000.
C6. McKinsey & Company: Managing knowledge and learning, HBS, 9-396-357, January 4, 2000
C7. Revolution at Oticon AS: The spaghetti organization (condensed), IMB083, v.27.12.2002
C8. Sabena Belgian World Airlines, Ivey, 94M003, (A) 2000-05-05.
Frequency
Class attendance is not compulsory.
Exam mode
The exam aims to evaluate a student's level of theoretical and applied knowledge developed thanks to the course. The exam intends also to evaluate the developed problem-solving, analysis, and discussion skills of a student.
The final exam is both written and oral.
For students with 9 CFU credits, the written exam comprises both open and closed questions for a total of 17 questions. The open questions are 10 in total. The closed questions on multiple choices (“a, b, c, d, e”) are 3 in total. The closed questions on “true/false” questions are 4 in total. The maximum number of points granted by each answer to each question is indicated on the last page of the written test.
For students with 6 CFU credits, the written exam comprises both open and closed questions for a total of 13 questions. The open questions are 8 in total. The closed questions on multiple choices (“a, b, c, d, e”) are 2 in total. The closed questions on “true/false” questions are 3 in total. The maximum number of points granted by each answer to each question is indicated in the last page of the written test.
On the written exam, a student can achieve an overall maximum of 30 points out of 30.
Students are given 90 minutes to complete the written test. During the written test, it is strictly prohibited the use of telephones, tablets, computers, or similar electronic devices as well as books, notes, summaries, etc. It is also strictly prohibited for students to talk with each other during the written examination. For students who violate the previous rules their written test will be annulled and, subsequently, he/she will be invited to quit the written test room.
With a minimum grade of 18 out of 30, students access the oral exam. The oral exam is compulsory for students who scored on the written exam with an overall number of points less or equal to 22 out of 30. The oral exam is also compulsory for students who showed critical logical weakness in, at least, three open questions (two questions for students with 6cfu). For all other students, the oral exam is left at each student's discretion.
The oral exam is based on 3 questions related to topics included in the course program, with correct/wrong answers increasing/decreasing the grade of the written exam of maximum 3 points each. The exam is passed if the total points achieved in both written and oral tests are greater or equal to 18 points out of 30. In case the total score is greater or equal to 18 out of 30, it will be increased by a maximum of 3 points for students who made at least an individual presentation during the course.
Laude is for brilliant students, capable of making connections among topics, showing critical thinking, and proposing personal considerations, also connected to current economic events.
Lesson mode
Lectures, application examples of the topics, analysis, and use of databases, preparation and classroom discussion by students of specific case studies aimed at deepening particular aspects of the program.
GIANLUCA VAGNANI
Lecturers' profile
Program - Frequency - Exams
Course program
The course aims at developing in-depth knowledge of the principles, processes, and tools for formulating and implementing firm strategies.
Strategic management has been facing an extremely dynamic and complex scenario in recent years. Globalization, sectoral convergence, new technologies, and economic crisis are only some of the phenomena that have profoundly changed the environment, the competitive arena, and firm key success factors. Within this framework, the strategic management course aims at providing students with all concepts and tools needed for dealing with firm survival and development. The course starts with the definition of the strategy notion and from the strategic management model and then explores how strategies are formed, how long-run orientations emerge, and what pushes firms to adopt a strategy and modify it over time. The course also analyzes firm environment, which is the array of factors that are exogenous to management control but able to impact firm survival and strategies success. Students will therefore learn the issues and methodologies to identify the variables relevant to the firm, understand its dynamics in terms of threats and opportunities and consequently adapt the firm strategy. The strategic management process additionally includes an internal analysis, i.e. the valuation of firm strengths and weaknesses with the identification of the sources of competitive advantage and the strategies to defend and strengthen them over time.
Topics
• The notion of strategy and the strategic management process
• Analysis of the external environment
• Dynamics of the external environment
• Positioning and competitive advantage
• Resources, capabilities, and competencies
• Developing resources, capabilities, and competencies
• Organizational adaptation and change
• Strategies Implementation
Prerequisites
There are no pre-required exams. However, students are to possess the basic knowledge acquired in such modules as the principle of management.
Books
A) GRANT R.M. Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 9th edition, Wiley, 2016, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
B) MARKIDES, C. All the Right Moves: A Guide to Crafting Breakthrough Strategy, Harvard Business School Press, 2000, chapter 6, “Create the right organizational environment”, pp. 129-145.
C) Case studies:
C1. Innovation and renovation. The Nespresso story, IMD046, v.15.12.2003.
C2. African Communications Group, HBS, 9-796-128, March 4, 1996.
C3. Leadership Online (A): Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.com, HBS, 9-798-063, March 16, 2004.
C4. Fairmont Chateau Lake Luise, Ivey, 9B03A032, 2009-10-15.
C5. Rebirth of the Swiss Watch Industry, 1980-1992(A), HBS, 9-400-087, June 12, 2000.
C6. McKinsey & Company: Managing knowledge and learning, HBS, 9-396-357, January 4, 2000
C7. Revolution at Oticon AS: The spaghetti organization (condensed), IMB083, v.27.12.2002
C8. Sabena Belgian World Airlines, Ivey, 94M003, (A) 2000-05-05.
Frequency
Class attendance is not compulsory.
Exam mode
The exam aims to evaluate a student's level of theoretical and applied knowledge developed thanks to the course. The exam intends also to evaluate the developed problem-solving, analysis, and discussion skills of a student.
The final exam is both written and oral.
For students with 9 CFU credits, the written exam comprises both open and closed questions for a total of 17 questions. The open questions are 10 in total. The closed questions on multiple choices (“a, b, c, d, e”) are 3 in total. The closed questions on “true/false” questions are 4 in total. The maximum number of points granted by each answer to each question is indicated on the last page of the written test.
For students with 6 CFU credits, the written exam comprises both open and closed questions for a total of 13 questions. The open questions are 8 in total. The closed questions on multiple choices (“a, b, c, d, e”) are 2 in total. The closed questions on “true/false” questions are 3 in total. The maximum number of points granted by each answer to each question is indicated in the last page of the written test.
On the written exam, a student can achieve an overall maximum of 30 points out of 30.
Students are given 90 minutes to complete the written test. During the written test, it is strictly prohibited the use of telephones, tablets, computers, or similar electronic devices as well as books, notes, summaries, etc. It is also strictly prohibited for students to talk with each other during the written examination. For students who violate the previous rules their written test will be annulled and, subsequently, he/she will be invited to quit the written test room.
With a minimum grade of 18 out of 30, students access the oral exam. The oral exam is compulsory for students who scored on the written exam with an overall number of points less or equal to 22 out of 30. The oral exam is also compulsory for students who showed critical logical weakness in, at least, three open questions (two questions for students with 6cfu). For all other students, the oral exam is left at each student's discretion.
The oral exam is based on 3 questions related to topics included in the course program, with correct/wrong answers increasing/decreasing the grade of the written exam of maximum 3 points each. The exam is passed if the total points achieved in both written and oral tests are greater or equal to 18 points out of 30. In case the total score is greater or equal to 18 out of 30, it will be increased by a maximum of 3 points for students who made at least an individual presentation during the course.
Laude is for brilliant students, capable of making connections among topics, showing critical thinking, and proposing personal considerations, also connected to current economic events.
Lesson mode
Lectures, application examples of the topics, analysis, and use of databases, preparation and classroom discussion by students of specific case studies aimed at deepening particular aspects of the program.
- Lesson code1047905
- Academic year2024/2025
- CourseEconomics
- CurriculumEconomics and policy evaluation - in lingua inglese
- Year2nd year
- Semester1st semester
- SSDSECS-P/08
- CFU6
- Subject areaAziendale