Course 2021-2022 a.y.

The course is divided in two parts – we will first learn about corporate strategy, and then put the learning in practice.

To accomplish the former objective, we will go through 20 regular sessions, which correspond to Blocks 1 to 3 in the detailed schedule that follows. Most of these sessions will be devoted to case discussion where the task of analyzing the issues in the case will be undertaken by the class as a whole. As is recommended with the case teaching method, all discussions, and presentations will occur in the first part of class, with a debrief in the second half. We lead most in-class discussions in this course using the Socratic Method. Consistently, we will mostly act as moderators, and you should feel comfortable responding to in-class questions (aka “cold calls”). Such an interactive, hands-on approach is used to reveal the complexity and ambiguity of real-world situations.

Once we have discussed the main concepts associated to corporate strategy, we will put our learning in practice through a business simulation that will take place over two full days (see Block 4 in the schedule). The aim of this simulation is to allow you to experience first-hand the concepts learned in class in an environment where each of you will be part of the board of directors of a company operating within a tech industry. In this role, you will be crafting and implementing your company’s corporate strategy by analyzing data and taking decisions pertaining to scope and growth modes, while interacting with other board members and negotiating with other companies.

• At the end of the course student wilRecognize and understand the relationships between strategy, competitive context,
• organizational structure, management systems, and leadership style within the large
• corporation and appreciate the tasks involved in implementing strategy.
• Know the concepts, frameworks and tools required for analyzing global and corporate
• strategy.
• Be more aware of the broader economic and social forces currently impacting
• international corporations and the ways in which companies are responding to these
• challenges.
• Be familiar with the strategic management issues that concern executives.

• Apply the concepts, frameworks and tools for analyzing global and corporate strategy to new companies, cases, and situations.
• Choose and execute a complex strategy in a demanding competitive situation.
• Present a post-mortem evaluation of the successes and failures of a strategy.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Online lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Individual assignments
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance): guests may be scheduled in some years/semesters
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.): group activities in class based on cases and readings
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online): case discussions for most classes
• Individual assignments: two individual case memos based on cases in the course
• Group assignments: a final business simulation and presentatoin based on the simulation experience
• Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls): final business simulation

All of the learning objectives are assessed by all of the assessment methods.

-      The class discussion of cases allows students to practice and be evaluated for their ability to apply concepts from class and readings to actual business cases. In addition, they are assessed for their ability to communicate their ideas while speaking and discussing in the group

-      The homeworks on business cases for class assess understanding of concepts and ability  to apply them to real  world cases, only in written language rather than spoken.

-      The final project requires student teams to participate in a business simulation, cooperate and compete with other teams, and to reflect on their experience. Thus, this final activity requires synthesis and problem solving, as well as analysis and deduction. The students are evaluated based on their performance in the complex simulation along combined dimensions of profitability, efficiency, and social/environmental impact. In addition, their reflection is assessed based on their ability to apply course concepts to understand their performance and learn from both failures and successes in the simulation.

Final written exam based on the textbook by Puranam and Vanneste (see below), aimed at assessing whether students have achieved the required knowledge of concepts, of the relationships among them, of the economic, and social forces of the external environment, of the strategic management issues, and whether students have developed adequate skills for strategic analysis and for proposing appropriate solutions.

All course materials will be distributed through Blackboard, except for the cases identified in the schedule below as “distributed in class”.

Readings that are copyright protected are available through the Library’s reserve service.

-Puranam P, Vanneste B. 2016. Corporate Strategy. Tools for analysis and decision-making. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 978-1-107-54404-8