Estrategia I (BBA80003)

General information

Type:	OB	Curs:	3	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	4 ECTS

Teaching Staff:

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: A	Alberto Gimeno Sandig	Dirección General y Estrategia	CAT

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: B	Pedro Sepúlveda Gutiérrez	Economía, Finanzas y Contabilidad	ESP

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Sec: C	Ignacio Mur Torné	Dirección General y Estrategia	CAT

Have successfully completed the previous BBA programme courses (see the "Prior knowledge" section).

To undertake this course with some guarantee of success, students should have an idea of the functional areas of a company as well as its environment. They should therefore have studied the basic courses (not the advanced ones) on functional areas (Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Operations, etc.), as well as courses on the business environment (Economics, Social Sciences, Law, etc).

Workload distribution:

Classroom-based/lectures: 36 hours.
- Divided into nine four-hour sessions (introductory theoretical presentation/explanation of concepts, leading to a discussion on these subjects with the students using a variety of methods: case studies, role playing, application exercises, forums, etc.).

Preparatory work:

- Reading case studies and exercises (14 hours)
- Discussion and preparation of the case studies and exercises in groups (16 hours)
- Reading the bibliography (12 hours)
- Finding information in the library or on line (4 hours)
- Preparation of the final application exercise (6 hours)
- Discussion and completion of the final application exercise in groups (8 hours)

- Develop a general outlook of what a company is
- Integrate for the first time both the different courses on the business environment with those on the functional areas
- Learn about strategic concepts at both a business and corporate level.
- Learn how to use internal and environment analysis tools
- Understand the range of competitive strategies
- Introduction to and immersion in the world of strategic planning
- Increase skills at structuring a turbulent and changing environment
- Develop skills for strategic decision-making
- Improve teamwork skills

- Develop a general and overall view of what a company is.
- Understand and master key corporate strategic concepts.
- Study internal and business environment analysis tools.
- Understand and master company strategies at both the corporate and business levels.
- Become capable of developing alternative strategies
- Understand and practice the strategic planning process.
- Develop strategic decision-making skills.
- Improve teamwork skills.

6. Strategic thought, systematic thought

18. Teamwork and collaboration

2. Application of knowledge to achieve results

1. Knowledge acquisition, comprehension and structuring

13. Adaptability, flexibility

1. Strategic management Strategic management: What strategic management of a company means, its characteristics and the problems of carrying it out. The differences between strategic and operational management. Types of strategy (planned vs. emergent). Connections between strategy formulation and implementation.

2. Strategists and governing bodies Strategists and governing bodies: Different strategic roles, business bodies and their relationships.

3. Levels of strategic management Levels of strategic management: Understanding the characteristics, differences and interrelationships in the three strategic levels: corporate, business and functional.

4. Corporate strategy Corporate strategy: understanding the principal strategic decisions at this level, as well as the various types of diversification

5. Key strategic concepts Key strategic concepts: Understanding what is meant by the company's values, mission, vision, strategies, objectives and policies, and the relationship between all these concepts.

6. The business macro-environment The business macro-environment: Description of its size and characteristics, as well as its influence on the strategic thought process and on strategic management in general. Some methods for its analysis will be included.

7. Industry analysis at the macro-level Industry analysis at the macro-level: Understanding the general structure of an industry through its competitive strengths and the various factors interacting within them.

8. Industry analysis at the micro-level Industry analysis at the micro-level: Understanding the competitive situation of companies, being able to group them together according to the way they compete (strategic groups) and developing an idea of the various consequences arising from this analysis.

9. Market analysis Market analysis: Understanding its key aspects (segmentation, key factors and minimum success) and how they relate to sector analysis and the entire strategic management process.

10. Industry value chain analysis Industry value chain analysis: Understanding the sequence of links that make up all industries, and knowing all the strategic consequences deriving from it.

11. Company value chain analysis Company value chain analysis: Determining the company's key activities, why they are of key importance, and how to perceive the various strategic consequences arising from these.

12. Resource and skill analysis Resource and skill analysis: Understanding which of the company's resources may be essential to implement its strategy. Understanding strategy from the resource and skill points of view.

13. Market internationalisation and globalisation Market internationalisation and globalisation: Understanding the internationalisation process, the concept of globalisation and the various strategic consequences it has on company strategy.

14. GIB' and 'Strategic Core' models. Interrelationship between the various concepts, analysis and strategic decisions through the 'GIB' and 'Strategic Core' models

The diverse methodologies applied in this course are as follows:

* Active classes: Faculty will provide students with the conceptual and technical frameworks for each topic addressed, as well a clarify and enrich it with student questions, suggestions and contributions. This multi-directional communication helps to increase students¿ learning compared to more traditional lecture classes. However, it also requires students to assume a more active role and participate. They cannot be mere spectators.

* Macro-case study: A macro-case study is more than just a case study applied and examined in every class session. Its aim is to encompass all the concepts and tools analysed in the course and, consequently, apply the different strategic reflection process phases to a single case. Thus, a macro-case study essentially serves to substitute the typical series of case studies analysed in different sessions. The aim is to also limit the workload for students (number of pages to read prior to each session) and apply the strategic reflection process introduced and analysed during the case as coherently as possible and in as realistic a fashion as possible. We will achieve this by applying the different concepts and tools to a single company (and industry) throughout the strategic reflection process. In fact, this ensures that it is a true process. In groups, students will have to prepare and turn in a written report (at the start of each session) on each of the different process stages.

* Practical case studies: Though the macro-case study substitutes the majority of smaller cases, we will use some of the latter for students to learn about real and interesting cases that will help them during this course. Groups of students will also prepare these case studies and turn in a written report in the corresponding session.

* Teamwork: All the cases and some of the readings and exercises have to be completed and analysed in groups. The aim is to enrich students¿ analyses of complex business scenarios. Each group¿s conclusions are then discussed by the class as a whole.

* Reading presentations: As mentioned, students will be required to prepare and present readings in groups, followed by a group discussion with the rest of the members of the class.

* Videos: We will see brief videos by some of the authors studied in class, including Michael Porter, C. K. Prahalad and Henry Mintzberg. Faculty may also show other videos to introduce some concepts.

* Business forums: To ensure that the course is in as much contact as possible with contemporary business reality, we will hold three business forums in which businesspeople, executives and consultants will explain how they use and experience the different concepts and tools discussed in class.

* Final exercise to apply the tools and concepts studied: In this exercise, groups of students will apply the entire strategic reflection process studied to a real company of their choosing. Groups are responsible for finding the information they need to apply the different concepts and tools to their chosen firms. On certain occasions when groups cannot find required data, they will be allowed to deduce said information. However, in this case, they must discuss and analyse what their suppositions imply. Groups will be assessed on their ability find the information they need as well as their ability to analyse and make decisions. Obviously, a fundamental factor in this respect is the groups¿ ability to determine what information is key for them as well as to divide tasks between students to seek out this information. The groups will present this exercise in the last class session though they must begin working on it from the very first day.

* Individual work: Despite the variety of methodologies used, we should note that none of them is effective without students¿ individual efforts and attention. For this, they will be given assignments every day to complete outside of class (readings, preparing case studies and exercises). Faculty have determined that students need to dedicated between four to five hours daily outside of class during the intensive days. We should underscore that this is essential to ensure that classes are truly dynamic with enriching discussions.

ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN

Short bibliography:

The recommended book for the course is:

GIMBERT, Xavier. Pensar estratégicamente. Modelos, conceptos y reflexiones. Edicions Deusto, 2010.


Additional bibliography:

GRANT, Robert M. Contemporary Strategy Analysis. Blackwell Publishers, 2013.

JOHNSON, Gerry; SCHOLES, Kevan; and WHITTINGTON, Richard. Dirección estratégica. Pearson Educación, 2010.

GIMBERT, Xavier. Think Strategically. Palgrace Macmillan, 2011.

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: A	Alberto Gimeno Sandig	Dirección General y Estrategia

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: B	Pedro Sepúlveda Gutiérrez	Economía, Finanzas y Contabilidad

Group	Teacher	Department
Sec: C	Ignacio Mur Torné	Dirección General y Estrategia