Introductory description

This is an elective module available for WBS and non-WBS students.

The module provides students with a sound basis for understanding corporate strategy. The managerial perspective may be of use for students intending to work in the corporate world, and provides frameworks for business analysis and strategy. The module also provides multiple perspectives upon corporate strategy which broadens perceptions of the scope of the academic subject.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

What is Strategy
Analysing the External Environment
Analysing the Internal Environment
Creating a Competitive Strategy
Formulating a Corporate Strategy
Executing a Corporate Strategy: Game Theory and Alliances
Executing a Corporate Strategy: Mergers and Acquisitions
Corporate Strategy and Organization Design
Corporate Strategy and (Sustainable) Innovation

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Critically analyse a company's strategic situation.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature of the changing business environment and carry out comparative analysis of strategy choices within various business situations.
• Think strategically i.e. not be limited to functional myopia but be capable of perceiving a wider and picture and begin to tackle functional and intra-organisational tensions.

Indicative reading list

Grant, R. 2018. Contemporary Strategy Analysis (10th edition). John Wiley & Sons.
Whittington, R., Regner, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., Scholes, K. 2019. Exploring Strategy (12th edition). Pearson Education Ltd.
Additional Reading
Stout, L. A. (2012). The problem of corporate purpose. Issues in Governance Studies.
Porter, M. E. (2008). The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review.
Articles
Bower, J. L., & Paine, L. S. (2017). The Error at the Heart of Corporate Leadership. Harvard Business Review, 95(3): 50-60.
Durand, R., Grant, R. M., & Madsen, T. L. (2017). The expanding domain of strategic management research and the quest for integration. Strategic Management Journal, 38(1): 4-16.
Furrer, O., Thomas, H., & Goussevskaia, A. (2008). The structure and evolution of the strategic management field: A content analysis of 26 years of strategic management research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 10(1): 1-23.
Jensen, M. C. (2001). Value maximisation, stakeholder theory, and the corporate objective function. European Financial Management, 7(3), 297-317.
Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. (1996). Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System. Harvard Business Review, 74(1), 75-85.
Mintzberg, H. & Lampel, J. (1999). Reflecting on the strategy process. MIT Sloan Management Review, 40(3), 21-30.
Nag, R., Hambrick, D. C., and Chen, M. J. (2007). What is strategic management, really? Inductive derivation of a consensus definition of the field. Strategic Management Journal, 28, 935-955

Subject specific skills

Demonstrate skills in structuring and analysing strategic management situations.
Link multiple levels of analysis.
Recognise process effects.

Transferable skills

Analyse and evaluate strategic situations.
Present in writing the results of strategic analysis.