A55705 Strategic management

At the end of the course the student will be able:

1. to understand what strategy is 
2. to analyze the external environment: industry forces  / competitiveness of locations
3. to apply strategic thinking to recent developments: creating shared value / smart connected products 
4. to evaluate the elements of the entrepreneurial formula and their coherence with business models
5. to measure the performance of business strategies

Strategy is crucial for business performance. The course aims at presenting the elements of succesful strategies, taking into account internal and external business factors.

1. Introduction
2. Overview: what is strategy?
3. The Five Forces Model
4. The Diamond Model
5. Recent developments in strategic thinking: Creating Shared Value / Smart Connected Products
6. The Entrepreneurial Formula
7. How to measure strategy

The course is aimed at providing the knowledge needed to deal with each of these issues at the business strategy level.

The course will be divided into two modules, by professor Massimo Solbiati and professor Michael Keller.

After the presentation of the course in the first lesson, where professor Massimo Solbiati presents concepts of strategy, of strategic management and of the entrepreneurial formula (Prof. Vittorio Coda), the first module of the course will be focused on the big picture of strategic management within its external environment: industry analysis, location analysis, relation with society and recent trends. The instructor of this first module of the course will be professor Michael Keller. The second module, that will be conducted by professor Massimo Solbiati, will be focused on the link between business strategy, operations, decisions and performance: in every lesson direct testimonials (managers and entrepreneurs) will explain the strategy of their firms and their results.

The whole course will be paralleled by a continous team project where students will directly apply the learned concepts to a real world case.

Mandatory readings for attendees are:

Books available in the library:

Vittorio Coda (2010). "Entrepreneural values and Strategic Management. Essays in Management Theory" - chapter 3.

Michael E. Porter (2008). "On Competition". Harvard Business review Book. chapters 1, 2 and 6.

Articles available in the course dropbox:

Michael E. Porter and James E. Heppelmann (2015). "How Smart Connected Products are Transforming Competition". Harvard Business Review.

Mandatory readings for non attendees :

Vittorio Coda (2010). "Entrepreneural values and Strategic Management. Essays in Management Theory" - chapter 3.

Michael E. Porter (2008). "On Competition". Harvard Business review Book. chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Articles available in the course dropbox:

Michael E. Porter and James E. Heppelmann (2015). "How Smart Connected Products are Transforming Competition". Harvard Business Review.

Students are responsible for consulting on regular basis the website of the course on “my.liuc.it” and the course dropbox where updates, additional material and slides about the course are posted. 

In your own interest and of your colleagues, please strictly observe the following courtesy rules:

1. arrive in class on time; do not leave early without prior explicit instructor’s approval;

2. use your mobiles and laptops responsibly;

3. do not walk in and out of the classroom during lessons;

4. deliver the group work on time: no late submissions are allowed.

Mandatory readings for attendees are:

Books available in the library:

Vittorio Coda (2010). "Entrepreneural values and Strategic Management. Essays in Management Theory" - chapter 3.

Michael E. Porter (2008). "On Competition". Harvard Business review Book. chapters 1, 2 and 6.

Articles available in the course dropbox:

Michael E. Porter and James E. Heppelmann (2015). "How Smart Connected Products are Transforming Competition". Harvard Business Review.

Mandatory readings for non attendees :

Vittorio Coda (2010). "Entrepreneural values and Strategic Management. Essays in Management Theory" - chapter 3.

Michael E. Porter (2008). "On Competition". Harvard Business review Book. chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Articles available in the course dropbox:

Michael E. Porter and James E. Heppelmann (2015). "How Smart Connected Products are Transforming Competition". Harvard Business Review.