DRE 3002 Strategy II: Fundamental issues in Strategic Management
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APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2013/2014
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DRE 3002 Strategy II: Fundamental issues in Strategic Management
Responsible for the course
Øystein Fjeldstad, Amir Sasson
Department
Department of Strategy and Logistics
Term
According to study plan
ECTS Credits
6
Language of instruction
English
Introduction
This course is mandatory for students majoring in strategy, and a prerequisite for all students planning to take Strategy 3 – Research Frontiers in Strategic Management. (DRE 3003)
Learning outcome
Upons successful completion of this course, the students should
- have acquired in-depth knowledge and understanding of foundational references within a number of central topics in strategic management
- have acquired a good understanding of the early ideas and research approaches underlying these topics
- have understood the roots off as well as current research in these central topics
- have gained a better understanding of where to search for the foundations of their own research
Prerequisites
The course is the second in the sequence of three core courses in strategic management. The first, which covers classic books that are still frequently cited in the field, is strongly recommended as a prerequisite, but not required. However, as some of the “modules” will build on knowledge of classics in the field, students who have not taken Strategy I – Foundations of Strategic Management – are advised to contact the course coordinator as early as possible prior to signing up for the course. This course is a prerequisite for Strategy 3 – Research Frontiers in Strategic Management.
Admission to a PhD Programme is a general requirement for participation in PhD courses at BI Norwegian Business School.
External candidates are kindly asked to attach confirmation of admission to a PhD programme when signing up for a course with the doctoral administration. Other candidates may be allowed to sit in on courses by approval of the courseleader. Sitting in on courses does not permit registration for courses, handing in exams or gaining credits for the course. Course certificates or confirmation letters will not be issued for sitting in on courses
Compulsory reading
Collection of articles:
A detailed list of articles will be provided by the course coordinator.
Recommended reading
Course outline
The course is taught primarily as research seminars, where students and faculty interact in a combination of presentations and discussions of key contributions by outstanding scholars in the field. Each session focuses on one key issue, and includes 5-7 key contributions selected by the faculty member responsible for that session. 3-5 articles are required, the other 2-4 articles are recommended. For students wanting to continue doing research within a specific topic, the recommended articles are a good starting point.
The course covers main streams of research in strategic management and organizational structure and processes. These include, but are not limited to:
· Transaction cost theory and its application in strategic management research
· Agency theory as a platform for governance and organization design research
· The activity based perspective, its origins, development and future directions
· The resource based perspective and its derivatives in strategic management research
· The network perspective in strategic management and its sociological underpinnings
· Industrial Organization, its economic foundations and contemporary status
The primary lecturers will be Øystein Fjeldstad and Amir Sasson with selective contributions by BI faculty members, with different academic specialties.
Computer-based tools
None
Learning process and workload
Required articles are listed in a detailed syllabus, and are mostly available from the library. Book chapters and articles not available from the library will be provided on It's Learning or in a a reader. Recommended readings can be acquired from the library or online sources. Students will be informed about who the other participants are, and recommended to collaborate on collecting and distributing copies of the articles. Detailed reading list will be available from the course coordinator.
Examination
The course grade will be determined on the following basis:
-term paper 60%
-class contribution 40%
Academic term paper,25-30 pages long,on one selected topic from the 9 main streams of research covered in the course. The paper will be graded. In addition the will be an assessment of class contribution in terms of presentations and contribution to the discussions in sessions where the student is not the primary presenter. The paper should be original work, and be written specifically for this course. The paper must be submitted according to the guidelines in the PhD handbook. Please see the PhD handbook for deadline for the academic term paper. In addition, oral presentations and active participation in the seminars is required.
This is a course with continuous assessment (several exam elements) and one final exam code. Each exam element will be graded using points on a scale (e.g. 0-100). The elements will be weighted together according to the information in the course description in order to calculate the final letter grade for the course. You will find detailed information about the point system and the cut off points with reference to the letter grades on the course site in It’s learning.
Examination code(s)
DRE 30022 accounts for 100% of the final grade.
Examination support materials
Re-sit examination
Next time the course is offered.
Additional information
Honor Code
Academic honesty and trust are important to all of us as individuals, and represent values that are encouraged and promoted by the honor code system. This is a most significant university tradition. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the ideals of the honor code system, to which the faculty are also deeply committed.
Any violation of the honor code will be dealt with in accordance with BI’s procedures for cheating. These issues are a serious matter to everyone associated with the programs at BI and are at the heart of the honor code and academic integrity. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under the honor code, please ask.