Strategy

Objectives

The Strategy course is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge required to aid firms in creating, maintaining and renewing a sustainable competitive advantage in a global environment.
The objective of the course is to gain a thorough understanding as to why some firms perform better than others. We will build on a diverse set of analytical tools and theoretical frameworks to examine how firms can create more value than their competitors, and how they can sustain a competitive advantage over time.



General characterization

Code

2584

Credits

7

Responsible teacher

Youtha Cuypers, Afonso Almeida Costa

Hours

Weekly - Available soon

Total - Available soon

Teaching language

English

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

A list of readings will be provided prior to the start of the course

Teaching method

?    Lecture with practical applications
?    Discussion of case studies, heavily reliant on student participation
?    Written report and presentation



Evaluation method

Final exam: 50%
Group project (written report + presentation): 40% Class participation: 10%

Subject matter

The course will use key strategic management theories and frameworks and apply them to case studies from a variety of industries and regions, highlighting the following broad topics:


I.    What is strategy?
II.    Internal and external analysis and the foundations of competitive advantages
III.    Business level strategy: How to compete and position the firm in a specific market?
IV.    Corporate Strategy: What determines the boundaries of the firm?
-    Product diversification
 
-    Geographic diversification
-    How to expand the firm’s resource base
V.    Competitive strategy
-    Competitor identification
-    Competitive dynamics
-    Competing in multiple markets
VI.    International strategy
-    Standardization vs adaptation
-    Competing in Emerging Markets and with Emerging Market Multinationals


Programs

Programs where the course is taught: