VHL 3663 Strategic Retail Management

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015

VHL 3663 Strategic Retail Management


Responsible for the course
Peder Inge Furseth

Department
Department of Communication and Culture

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
Norwegian

Introduction
In this course students will learn how to do insightful strategic analyses and develop concrete suggestions for implementation of strategies. Several retail and service companies do not hace clear or well articulated strategy plans or concrete suggestions for how to implement the plans. In this course we will train students to develop strategies by studying theories as well as day-to-day topics from national and international retailers and service companies. Students will become well know with strategyproblems relevant for these companies. Inparticular they will learn about integration of physical and digital sales channels. As far as digital channels are concerned we study html-based solutions vs apps.

Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
Students will become knowledgeable of the field of strategy beyond the basic strategy knowledge. They are to apply broad knowledge of strategy to a wide variety of problems and develop realistic strategies for large and small retail and service companies. This applies both to internal and external factors. Students will therefore get an understanding of strategic management, strategic choices, strategic planning, co-creation of value, company culture, and the international arena.

Acquired skills
After the course students will be able to:

  • Students will be able to do evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different strategy models
  • Choose among alternative models for a variety of strategy problems
  • Apply strategy models on realistic problems and suggest clear strategic solutions.

Reflection
By the end of the course students will be able to ask critical and constructive questions about strategic and tactical aspects of strategic work in retail and service companies. Students are to be able to evaluate whether the strategies contribute to sustaining companies at the same time as the strategies promote a good internal working environment and result in the companies using resources in a reasonable way.

Prerequisites
Students are expected to know the topics in the mandatory strategy course named Strategy that runs in the fifth semester. This means the students are expected to know topics like the concept of strategy; vision and mission of the business; strategic choices; internal analysis; external analysis; competition analysis; Porters five forces; value configuration; PESTEL. Students are also expected to have some knowledge of evaluations of alternatives and implementation of strategies.

Compulsory reading
Books:
Furseth, Peder Inge. 2010. Integrasjon av salgskanaler : serviceinnovasjon og strategi. Fagbokforlaget. 150 sider
Reve, Torger og Per R. Stokke. 1996. Strategisk analyse : grunnlaget for praktisk strategiutvikling. Fagbokforlaget. Kap 7-10 (81 sider) Del 2: Gjennomføring av strategiske analyser i praksis
Reynolds, Jonathan & Christine Cuthbertson, eds. 2004. Retail strategy : the view from the bridge. Elsevier/Butterworth Heinemann. Disse sidene vil inngår i artikkelsamlingen:
Introduction to retail strategy, side 2-24, av Jonathan Reynolds
Attracting and keeping customers, side 25-52, av Richard Cuthbertson og Richard Bell
An exercise in successful retailing: the case of Tesco, side 311-331, av Jonathan Reynolds
Portents: Strategic retail failures, side 331-349, av Elizabeth Howard (Totalt 100 s)
Stone, Kenneth E. 1995. Competing with the retail giants : how to survive in the new retail landscape. Wiley. Et kap 21 s


Articles:
Amit, R. and Zott. 2001. Value creation in e-business. Strategic management journal. 22. s 493-520
Bagge, Danny. 2007. Multi-Channel Retailing : The Route to Customer Focus. European retail digest. 53. s 57-70
Bettencourt, Lance A. & Anthony W. Ulwick. 2008. The customer-centered innovation map. Harvard business review. s 109-114
Coelho, Filipe J. & Chris Easingwood. 2008. A Model of Antecedents of Multiple Channel Usage. Journal of retailing and consumer services. 15. s 32-41
Gupta, Alok, Bo-Chiuan Su & Zhiping Walter. 2004. An Empirical Study of Consumer Switching from Traditional to Electronic Channels : A Purchase-decision Process Perspective. International Journal of Electronic Commerce. 8 (3). s 131-161
Hughes, Tim. 2006. New Channels/Old Channels: Customer Management and Multi-Channels. European journal of marketing. 40 (1/2). s 113-129
Kanter, R M. 2006. Innovation: The Classic Traps. Harvard Business Review. 84 (11). s 72-83
Kim, W. C. & R. Mauborgne. 2005. Blue Ocean Strategy : from theory to practice. California management review. 47 (3). s 105-121
Mintzberg, H. 1987. Crafting strategy. Harvard Business Review. 65 (4). s 66-75
Ostrom, A ... [et. al.]. 2010. Moving forward and making a difference: Research priorities for the science of service. Journal of service research. 13 (1). s 4-36
Porter, M. 2001. Strategy and the Internet. Harvard business review. March. s 62-78
Porter, M. 2008. The five forces that shape competitive strategy. Harvard business review. s 79-93
Steinfield, Charles, Thomas Adelaar & Fang Liu. 2005. Click and Mortar Strategies Viewed From the Web. Electronic Markets. Vol 15 (3). s 199-212
Zhang, Xiaoni, Victor Prybutok & Albert Huang. 2006. An Empirical Study of Factors Affecting E-Service Satisfaction. Human Systems Management. 25. s 279-291


Recommended reading

Articles:
Achabal, Dale D... [et al.]. 2005. Cross-channel optimization : a strategic roadmap for multichannel retailers. IBM Business Consulting Services. Gratis tilgjengelig på: https://www-31.ibm.com/cn/services/bcs/iibv/pdf/g510-6186-cross-channel-retailer.pdf
Anderson, Chris & Michael Wolf. 2010. The Web is Dead : Long Live the Internet. Wired. Aug 17. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_webrip/all/1


Course outline
  • Strategic management
  • Strategic choices
  • Strategic planning
  • Co-creation of value
  • Management and business culture
  • Integration of physical and digital sales channels

Computer-based tools
None.

Learning process and workload
The learning process involves several activities: classes; company visits; guest lecturers; discussions; project work; presentation by students, and supervision on presentations. Students are to solve realistic problems from the retail and service businesses and can do this in groups of up to three persons. Presentations by students as well as discussions will take place in plenary sessions. The teaching will be intensive at the start of the spring semester.

Activity
Use of hours
Classroom teaching
45
Preparation for classes/reading of literature
70
Preparation for company visits
1
Preparations for students’ presentations
3
Group work
30
Gathering of information about guest leacturer
2
Preparation for examns/solving of cases etc.
44
Written examn
5
Total recommended use of hours
200


    Examination
    The course is concluded by a 5 hours written examination.

    Examination code(s)
    VHL 36631 Written Examination accounts for 100% of the grade in the course VHS 3663, Strategic Retail Management, 7,5 credits.

    Examination support materials
    No support materials allowed.

    Re-sit examination
    A re-sit examination is offered every term.

    Additional information