MODULE LEADER:
Ailson J. De Moraes Room MX107 Ailson.DeMoraes@royalholloway.ac.uk
WORKSHOP TUTORS:
Ailson J. De Moraes
Mahmoud Abdelrahman
Gideon Azumah
Najib Murad
Sumanta Barua
Brief Outline and Aims of the Course
The course provides the student with an understanding of the principal theories and modules of strategic management and how to set them in the context of key developments in which contemporary business operates.
The course consists of 16x one-hour lectures and 9 one-hour workshops. The lectures are used to illustrate the key points under each topic as well as real business examples. Workshops will be used for case studies and applications of the material covered in the lectures. The aim of the module is to introduce the student to the way in which a firm can achieve sustainable competitive advantage through strategy.
The course aims:
1. To discuss key concepts and debates in the theory of corporate and business strategy.
2. To examine the changing context in which the corporate strategy is formulated and implemented.
3. To illustrate how theoretical debates can be related to corporate strategies via the analysis of case studies covering a variety of industrial settings and situations.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to (1) understand the concepts of strategic management, (2) evaluate the factors that need to be considered in analysing a firm’s external environment, (3) evaluate the internal core competences of a firm, (4) formulate strategy for the firm, (5) understand the nature of corporate strategy, and (6) understand the nature of international strategy. Additional learning outcomes are specified for each session.
Assessment
This course will be assessed by the followings:
1. Assignment One: Group work Presentation and Report - Case study based report of max. 2,000 words.
All case studies are from De Moraes, Ailson J. (2014), Strategy International Perspectives, McGrawHill.
*Case studies will be presented in class, starting in workshop 2.
*All students must present.
A Guide to Case Analysis can be found in the book above. Please read carefully when preparing your assignment.
This assignment carries 15% of the total grades
Deadline: Thursday 26th noon March 2015 (turnitin)
2. Assignment Two: Individual Essay
ESSAY Questions: select ONE question and submit a maxim 2,000 words essay.
Minimum 15 references including academic papers, books, lectures, workshop materials, and reliable internet sources.
A word document with with some info on Analysis and Structure for an essay can be found on moodle.
This assignment carries 15% of the total grades
Deadline: Monday 16th noon March 2015 (turnitin)
Essay Questions:
1. The SWOT analysis became a basis from which a company’s strategy is built. However when used it in a wrong manner it can jeopardize the future of a company. Using some specific examples of your choice, evaluate the SWOT model.
2. According to Porter (1985:12), ‘if a firm is to attain a competitive advantage, it must make a choice about the type of competitive advantage it seeks to attain and the scope within which it will attain it.” Critically discuss the three generic strategies using some examples.
3. Choose a Multinational firm of your choice and Identify and critically analyse the key resources, capabilities, and core competencies of the firm. How difficult is it for competitors to emulate your organization’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies?
4. Critically examine the argument that firms in emerging economies should pursue a diversification strategy.
3. Examination: 3 hours Exam
The three-hour examination requires ‘three essay style’ answers chosen from an ‘unseen’ exam paper containing eight questions based on the course.
