EXC 2500 Strategy II - Applied Strategy - RE-SIT EXAMINATION

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

EXC 2500 Strategy II - Applied Strategy - RE-SIT EXAMINATION Responsible for the course Fred Wenstøp, Bente Løwendahl Department Department of Strategy and Logistics Term According to study plan ECTS Credits 6 Language of instruction English Introduction Objective This course is an applied course and builds on Strategy I – Strategy Analysis. Students are required to be familiar with all the basic tools of strategic analysis. Prerequisites Strategy 1. Compulsory reading Books: Johnson, Gerry, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington. 2010. Exploring corporate strategy. 9th ed. Harlow : FT Prentice Hall Other: Handouts Recommended reading Books: Goodwin, Paul and George Wright. 2009. Decision analysis for management judgement. 4th ed. Chichester : Wiley Hammond, John S., Ralph L. Keeney, Howard Raiffa. 1999. Smart choices : a practical guide to making better decisions. Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business School Press Course outline This course is centred on the strategy project, in which students are required to carry out a strategy analysis for a real company. Students are encouraged to find firms interested in such an analysis of an actual, relevant, present strategic decision problem. Students who are unable to find a real firm may choose to do the analysis for a firm based on secondary data, e.g. from the business press and/or the Internet. The project should be written up in a report, covering as the minimum the following themes: Vision and mission. Why does the firm exist, what are its main goals, who is it designed to serve? What are the strategic goals? Which generic strategy have they chosen? Which scenario(s) do they foresee as likely future outcomes? Value creation – What is the role of the firm in the Value System? How does it add value to its customers? Is it a value chain, value network, or value shop? Internal analysis. Firm resources, core competence, and sources of competitive advantage. Analysis of cost - and value drivers, given the appropriate model chosen in part 3. External analysis. Stakeholder analysis, Porter’s 5-force model. Strategic alternatives. Evaluation and choice. Recommendations. Expected challenges in implementation, the role of Leadership and Organization. Recommendations. Evaluating outcomes. Computer-based tools Computer-based tools are recommended but not required. Course structure The course starts with an introduction to strategy projects, the “consulting” role, how to manage the relationship with the firm’s representatives, setting appropriate expectations, milestones, etc. The students are then required to present (orally) and hand in their strategy analysis of a case firm (take-home exam) – a trial case to prepare them for the strategy project. Following this, the students are required to present milestones in their strategy projects, and to participate in feedback discussions with the other student teams. A large part of the course is taught in small group tutorials designed to support the students in their progress with their strategy projects. The course duration is 36 hours. Examination The final grade is based on a term paper written individually,or in groups of 2-3 students. Examination code(s) EXC 25001 - Term paper, accounts 100% of the final grade in EXC 2500 Strategy II - Applied Strategy, 6 credits. Examination support materials All support materials are allowed. Examination support materials at written examinations are specified under exam information in our web-based Student Handbook. Please note the use of calculator and dictionary, http://www.bi.edu/studenthandbook/examaids Re-sit examination This course was taught for the last time in the autumn semester of 2010. A re-sit exam will be offered every term from autumn 2011 including the spring semester of 2013. Additional information

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