GRA 8246 Strategy Process
GRA 8246 Strategy Process
The purpose of this course is to take students through the process of making strategies. The course starts in theories about how to frame the current strategic environment and the current position of the organisation, and ends in frameworks and tools for how to implement strategies. The course aims to develop students’ understanding of how strategies develop in different ways in different organizational contexts, and how they can be implemented successfully. The course should enable students to evaluate and reflect on the strategizing contexts in which they work, and their own role as strategists. We progress through a series of active learning experiences centred upon relevant theories, central ideas and frameworks in strategic cognition, strategy development processes, strategy practices, and strategic implementation. Students will be introduced to key ideas through a mixture of teaching and learning methods, e.g. role play, case studies, simulation, class presentations, etc. Trade-offs across different types of sustainability, such as economic sustainability and environmental sustainability, will be in focus when using practical, empirical examples.
The course takes as its starting point that students have successfully completed the Strategy Analysis course within the EMBA.
The student has
- knowledge of strategy process theories and frameworks and how these can be applied to real world problems facing companies, in particular in light of grand challenges and the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs)
- knowledge of how strategy process theories can inform the formulation, evaluation and implementation of strategic courses of action.
The student can
- analyze strategic problems and opportunities using techniques from the cognitive understanding of strategy
- identify and analyze both the current position of a company and recommend new positioning opportunities
- select and apply appropriate strategy formulation and strategy formation processes for companies
- develop strategy implementation tools for use within various types of organizations
- identify and deal with challenges associated with leading and implementing processes of strategic change.
The student can
- apply knowledge of strategy process theories and frameworks to the analysis of business cases
- apply knowledge of strategy process theories and frameworks to conduct strategy projects
- communicate key strategic challenges, insights, and recommendations in a concise and clear way
- critically reflect on their own strategizing tasks in the workplace
Theme 1: Strategic cognition and framing strategic challenges
- Cognitive maps as framing devices
- Strategy frames, sensemaking and sensegiving
- Strategic decision-making
- The role of scenario planning as a futures tool
Theme 2: Strategy development processes
- Managing using strategic plans
- Managing processes of strategy emergence and evolution
- Using strategy tools and strategy practices
Theme 3. Strategic implementation
- Managing misalignment challenges and implementation barriers
- Strategies for successful execution processes
- Strategy maps and the balanced score card
The course involves 28 hours of teaching, which is divided across a mixture of face-to-face and digital sessions over the academic year. Sessions will be mixed and emphasize diverse learning experiences for variety and engagement. For example, lecturing, class exercises, role plays, presentations, case analyses, class discussions, simulations and guest speakers are possible teaching methods. To obtain maximum learning and reflection benefits, students are expected to be in class for all parts of the course. Full participation is assumed. Students will be assigned articles and case studies before class. Mini-cases and exercises will also be assigned in-class.
All the reading material as well as issues covered during the lectures are examinable.
Attendance to all sessions in the course is compulsory. If you have to miss part(s) of the course you must ask in advance for leave of absence. More than 25% absence in a course will require retaking the entire course. It's the student's own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/ It's learning or other course materials.
Candidates may be called in for an oral hearing as a verification/control of written assignments.
The course is a part of a full Executive MBA programme and examination in all courses must be passed in order to obtain a certificate.
In all BI Executive courses and programmes, there is a mutual requirement
for the student and the course responsible regarding the involvement of the student's experience in the planning and implementation of courses, modules and programmes. This means that the student has the right and duty to get involved with their own knowledge and practice relevance, through the active sharing of their relevant experience and knowledge.
Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.
This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam components) and one final exam code. Each exam component is graded by using points on a scale from 0-100. The components will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the examination code (course). Students who fail to participate in one/some/all exam elements will get a lower grade or may fail the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades when the course starts.
If re-sits should be necessary, all exam components must as a rule be re-taken during the next time the course is scheduled
Granted admission to the EMBA programme. Please consult our student regulations.
Disclaimer
Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.
All courses in the EMBA programme assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, we assume that students have followed normal study progression.
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Submission PDF Weight: 40 Grouping: Group (2 - 6) Duration: 1 Semester(s) Comment: Written documentation from 2 group presentations, and a group reflection note, counts 40% of the final grade Exam code: GRA 82462 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Submission PDF Weight: 60 Grouping: Individual Duration: 1 Semester(s) Comment: Written assignment based on a critical review of some of the articles from the course, counts 60% of the final grade. Exam code: GRA 82463 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Teaching | 32 Hour(s) | |
Prepare for teaching | 28 Hour(s) | |
Student's own work with learning resources | 50 Hour(s) | Self study, feedback activities/counselling and exam |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 4 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 110 hours.