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Course 2020-2021 a.y.

30269 - COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES IN CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

CLEACC
Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 11 - 12

CLEACC (7 credits - I sem. - OB  |  SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
PEDRO ACEVES

Classes: 11 (I sem.) - 12 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 11: PEDRO ACEVES, Class 12: PEDRO ACEVES


Class-group lessons delivered in blended format (part online and part on campus)

Mission & Content Summary
MISSION

The focus of this course is on how managers can enhance and sustain superior business performance by making sound strategic decisions within creative industries. Business strategy is concerned with answering two central questions: “How and where should a business compete?” In this course, we consider analytical techniques for diagnosing the competitive position of a business, evaluating business strategies, and identifying what organizational form a business should take. These concepts and frameworks help you to structure complex problems in business strategy and provide a solid foundation for strategic decision making. The course also address the topic of operations management. An understanding of operations management is important because it is central to constant changes in customer preferences, networks of supply and demand, and developments in technology. The analysis of these topics are conducted within the context of creative industries.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course covers analytical and conceptual models that help in the development of strategic thinking. The main goal of the course is, to improve students’ analytical skills and to foster the development of strategic thinking. The topics of logistics and production are also extensively studied. The topics of this course include:

  • What is strategy?
  • Structure of creative industries.
  • Industry Analysis.
  • Competitive advantage.
  • The internal sources of competitive advantage.
  • Organizational structure as a source of competitive advantage
  • Industry evolution and strategic change.
  • Operations and processes.
  • Operations strategy & design.
  • Supply Chain Management.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Identify, understand, and describe the institutional and competitive environment within diverse creative industries.
  • Explain processes for transforming competitive advantages into sustainable competitive advantages.
  • Describe and use foundational concepts in strategy such as industry dynamics, competitive advantage, resources and capabilities, organizaitonal structure and how they relate to creative industries. 
  • Describe and use foundational concepts in operations such as planning and control, supply chain management and corporate social responsibility.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Evaluate strategic situations faced by different kinds of organizations.
  • Apply the frameworks from the class to novel market contexts and organizations.
  • Create organizational strategies for new and exisiting firms. 
  • Develop critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills.
  • Work effectively within a team.

Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Online lectures
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Individual assignments
  • Group assignments
  • Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)
DETAILS
  • Cases are discussed in class with the purpose of bringing to life the concepts and frameworks learned during the course.
  • Individual assignments are used to develop critical thinking and analytical skills through the use of course concepts.
  • Group assignments and simulations develop critical communication skills required to address strategic decision-making in group and organizational contexts.

Assessment methods
  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  •     x
  • Individual assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
  • x    
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
  • x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
  • x    
    ATTENDING STUDENTS
    • Through real-world case analyses (18% of the final grade), students learn to analyze and understand complex environmental and organizational phenomena related to business strategy. These case studies give the students the ability to examine and evaluate how business strategies affect, and are affected by, an organization’s environment.
    • Through a team-based business plan project (22% of the final grade), students actively use the concepts and frameworks learned in class to create the business strategy for a new entrepreneurial venture. Students gain the ability to organize and manage a project within a team, the ability to develop an effective business plan strategy (e.g., analysis of the market, understanding of requisite resources and capabilities, necessary organizational structure, etc.), the ability to think about the main problems that might emerge by launching such a plan, and the ability to structure and deliver a winning presentation.
    • Through a team-based operations simulation and case (10%), students will gain the ability to engage in real-world operational situations while working as a team.
    • ​​​​​​A final exam (50%) composed of approximately 30 multiple-choice, true-false, and open-ended questions, will test general understanding of course concepts and frameworks. Students should be prepared to answer any combination of these questions, this means that the exam could include all open-ended questions, all multiple-choice questions, all true-false questions, or varying combinations of question types. 
    NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

    ​​​​​​A final exam composed of approximately 30 multiple-choice, true-false, and open-ended questions, will test general understanding of course concepts and frameworks. Students should be prepared to answer any combination of these questions, this means that the exam could include all open-ended questions, all multiple-choice questions, all true-false questions, or varying combinations of question types. 


    Teaching materials
    ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

    R.GRANT, Contemporary Strategy Analysis, Wiley, 2016, 9th Edition.

    N. SLACK, A. BRANDON-JONES, R. JOHNSTON, Operations Management. Prentice Hall, 8th edition.

    Business cases for attending students.

    Last change 29/08/2020 14:58