Building on the content of the course “Strategic Management and Strategic Leadership”, the “Advanced Strategic Leadership” course starts with a brief introduction to the fundamental theories and concepts of Strategy and Leadership. The course, however, focuses more in-depth on concepts and theories of strategic leadership. In this regard, key aspects, including the essence and scope of strategic leadership, the role, characteristics and experience of executives and their relationship to organizational outcomes are discussed. The course also presents different approaches to business-level and global strategies and reflects on their implications for strategic leaders.

Students who have passed this course successfully are able to:

· explain the role of strategy, strategic management and strategic leadership in an organization;

· distinguish between different types of leadership;

· understand the influence of situations on leader behavior;

· understand how cultural contexts influence leader behavior;                                                                                    

· recognize the importance of leadership training and development in organizations;

· describe the two generic business strategies, understand their differences and their implications for strategic leaders;

· assess the drivers that shape global strategies and their implications for strategic leaders.

In addition, students will hone their communication and presentation skills through interactive group assignments. By the end of the course, students will be able to systematically apply concepts and theories of strategic leadership through in-depth analysis of case studies. By working hands-on on real case scenarios, students will be able to understand the application of theory to practice.

Attendance in all block sessions is mandatory. Unexcused absence results in failing the class. The last two-hour session in the schedule is reserved for the final exam. All students must attend the first class!

The course involves a variety of teaching methods including lectures, in-class discussions, case studies, reading assignments, group assignments and oral presentations. This pedagogical approach aims to enhance students’ learning and knowledge of the subject, as well their presentation, expression and teamwork skills, which are highly relevant in the labor market. The content and structure of the course are based on the textbooks “Strategic Management”, by Frank T. Rothaermel, and “Leadership in Organizations”, by Gary Yukl and William L. Gardner III. These textbooks cover fundamental aspects of modern strategic management and strategic leadership. They are available at the WU library.

· Take-home exam: 20 points

· Learning diary and peer grading: 10 points

· Group assignments: 30 points

· Final exam: 40 points

This course is available to students of the Cross-Functional Management Program and incoming Bachelor’s students. Although not mandatory, completion of Strategic Management and Strategic Leadership is strongly recommended prior to attending this course.

For questions concerning enrolment please contact the Coordinator of the Cross Functional Management Programme at cfm@wu.ac.at.

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One assessment component of this course is a take-home case application which draws on the material taught in Strategic Management and Strategic Leadership. Students are therefore strongly advised to familiarise themselves with the fundamentals of strategic management and strategic leadership (definition and types of strategies, external analysis of industry structure, internal analysis of a firm's core competencies, competitive advantage and firm performance, and definitions of leadership). Please refer to Chapters 1-5 (Rothärmel, Frank T. (2021). Strategic management, 5th ed.) and Chapters 1-2 (Yukl, Gary A./Gardner, William L. (2020). Leadership in organizations, 9th ed.) for an overview of fundamentals of strategic management and strategic leadership.

If you have any questions concerning this course content please feel free to contact us.

Barbara Sporn - barbara.sporn@wu.ac.at

Ana Godonoga - ana.godonoga@wu.ac.at