This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of how firms develop corporate and business strategies (strategy development) and how they can translate their strategies into employee action (strategy implementation).

Strategic management deals with the basic question why and how firms can achieve sustained competitive advantage and how they can translate competitive advantage into superior financial performance. In principle, there exist twolines of reasoning to explain the origins and sources of competitive advantageand superior firm performance: the market-based view and the resource-based view.

Very recently, these two schools of thought are complemented by more dynamic theories of strategic management (e.g., dynamic capabilities). In this course the students will receive a broad and thorough understanding of the theoretical foundations of strategic management and how they can be used to craft and implement winning strategies in today´s challenging business world.

Topics covered by the course:

• Theoretical foundations of strategic management
• Competitive strategy analysis and design
• State of the art strategy topics
• Business model innovation
• Ecosystem and Institutional Strategies
• Disruptive Innovation
• Strategy process / practice
• Alliances and M&As

Please be aware that each of you needs to buy case studies and the license for the simulation game for approx. € 60,- in the beginning of the course (specific details will follow before the beginning of the semester).

After completing this course students will have the ability to:

• apply state-of-the-field theories of strategy to solve problems of strategic management in the business world
• carry out strategy analysis in a systematic and thorough way
• design winning strategies at both the business and the corporate level
• explain and analyze the relationship between competitive advantage and strategic performance
• efficiently work and communicate in a team
• work on solutions for challenging and complex practical problems
• improve their oral and written communication and presentation skills
• engage in active discussions
• translate insights from class discussion to practical problems

The course will combine various learning methods to deliver the different topics to the students. These will include readings, asynchronous video lectures, open class discussions, student presentations in class, a strategy simulation game and case studies. Guest speakers will add additional perspectives to the class.

Grading scale:

The final grade of the course will depend on:

5% entry exam (individual assessment)

20% midterm exam (individual assessment)

35% final exam (individual assessment)

10% case study preparation and presentation (group assessment)

20% performance in the simulation (group assessment)

10% participation in class (individual assessment)

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