Business Strategy Dynamics explains how business performance has developed up to the current date, and how to develop and implement strategies to improve future performance. The approach emphasises building and sustaining the resources and capabilities needed to succeed. Focus on performance over time. The ultimate concern of strategic management is to quantitatively improve performance through time, sustainably. This can apply to the enterprise as a whole, or for a key function of interest [e.g. sales].

This means answering some challenging questions:

• Why is performance following its current path?
• Where will performance go if we continue as we are doing today?
• How can we design a robust strategy to radically improve that performance into the future?The trajectory that performance is following at any time depends, strongly and unavoidably, on what has occurred over the organization's history.

The method therefore starts from a time-chart of the organization's performance over its relevant history, and into the future, as measured by one or more conventional indicators [e.g. revenue or profits].More detailed information will be provided at the introductory session.

Full attendance at classes (online live webinars and on-site classes) is required. In addition, the course requires the use of at least 10 hours of online instruction, plus associated homework.

The course will combine various learning methods:

• online self-guided learning
• software-based modeling and workshop
• short lectures and class discussions 
• team work on self-selected projects
• team coaching and online project guidance
• presentations & discussions

The final grade of the course will depend on:

• 20% participation (pre-reading & preperation of questions, in-class participation, etc.)
• 20 % presentation of group project
• 50 % report on group work (development of a business model + answering strategic questions using a given model)
• 10% peer review (performance in your group project)

The following grading scale applies:

Students will need to purchase a materials pack consisting of an e-book (Strategy Dynamics Essentials) and a five-month licence to both the simulation software and online classes used on the course. Total cost: £35 + VAT (around 45€).   

This course is organised in two main parts:

Part 1: Core Concepts of Strategy Dynamics and modeling (November 8-22). Instruction is concentrated in this part of the course.

Part 2: Extension Frameworks and models (November 23-December 8). This part includes useful but optional material, available for self-study.