DRE 3002 Strategy Perspectives
DRE 3002 Strategy Perspectives
This course advances your knowledge of central theories and topics within the strategy field, building on the first specializations course (Foundations of Strategy and Entrepreneurship DRE 3004). Key theoretical persepctives and topics within the strategy field will be presented and discussed.
This course is mandatory for students in the PhD specialization strategy, entrepreneurship and innovation and a prerequisite for all students planning to take Entrepreneurship and Innovation Perspectives (DRE 3003).
Upon successful completion of this course, the students should have
- acquired in-depth knowledge and understanding of central theoretical perspectives and topics in strategic management
- acquired a good understanding of how early ideas and research approaches have evolved into research at the forefront of selected topics
- understood the roots of as well as current research in these central theoretical perspectives and topics
- gained a better understanding of where to search for literature relevant for their own research
Upon successful completion of this course, the students should have
- developed skills to critically analyze and review research articles
- developed skills to identify important research questions
- developed skills to position research relative to extant literature
- developed skills to review academic work
Upon completion of this course, the students should have
- developed their understanding of how to search for relevant literature
- developed abilities to engage in academic discourse and present research clearly
- improved their understanding of how to position research
The course is taught primarily as a set of 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 theory and its application to key topics within strategic management 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:
- Economic Organization Theory
- Resources and Capabilities
- the Network Perspective
- Legitimacy and Status
- Industrial Organization
- the Activities Perspective
- Organization Perspectives
- Institutional Theory
The theoretical perspectives will be discussed related to key topics within strategic management. These include, but are not limited to:
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Collaborative strategies
- Internationalization
- Corporate strategies
- Competitive strategies
- Leadership and Governance
- Organizational flexibility
The primary lecturers will be Randi Lunnan and Birgitte Grøgaard with selective contributions by BI faculty members, with different academic specialties.
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 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.
The sessions are highly interactive and requires that students prepare readings ahead of time. Teaching and learning activities may include (but are not limited to) the following
- pre-class reading of academic articles
- individual pre-class search for additional literature
- in-class presentations
- discussant roles and peer feedback
- written article reviews
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Enrollment in 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 enrollment in a PhD programme when signing up for a course. Other candidates may be allowed to sit in on courses by approval of the course leader. Sitting in on a course does not permit registration for the course, handing in exams or gaining credits for the course. Course certificates or confirmation letters will not be issued for sitting in on courses.
The course is the second in the sequence of three core courses in the PhD specialization within strategy, entrepreneurship and innovation. 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 Foundations of Strategy and Entrepreneurship (DRE 3004) are advised to contact the course coordinator as early as possible prior to signing up for the course. The course is also aligned with the third specialization course Entrepreneurship and Innovation Perspectives (DRE 3003). Process and practice-oriented research will be covered in the third specialization course.
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 100 Grouping: Individual Duration: 1 Month(s) Comment: Academic term paper, 25-30 pages long,on one selected topic from the main streams of research covered in the course. The paper should be original work, and be written specifically for this course. Exam code: DRE30023 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
| Activity | Duration | Comment |
|---|---|---|
Teaching | 36 Hour(s) | |
Feedback activities and counselling | 10 Hour(s) | |
Prepare for teaching | 60 Hour(s) | |
Seminar groups | 14 Hour(s) | |
Submission(s) | 40 Hour(s) |
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.