Strategic Management Study Guide
A capstone undergraduate strategic management course: the strategic management process, external environment analysis (PESTEL, Five Forces, industry life cycle), internal analysis (resources, capabilities, VRIO, value chain), business-level strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, focus), corporate-level strategies (diversification, vertical integration, mergers and acquisitions), international strategy, strategic alliances, strategy implementation and organizational design, corporate governance and ethics, and strategic leadership.
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12 Topics Covered
Foundations of Strategic Management
Core concepts of competitive advantage, mission/vision/values, strategic objectives, stakeholder theory, and the strategic management process.
External Environment Analysis: General Environment
PESTEL framework application for analyzing political, economic, sociocultural, technological, environmental, and legal factors affecting strategy.
Industry Analysis and Competitive Dynamics
Porter's Five Forces, industry life cycle stages, strategic groups mapping, and systematic competitor analysis frameworks.
Internal Analysis: Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies
VRIO framework, tangible/intangible resources, organizational capabilities, and identifying sources of sustained competitive advantage.
Value Chain Analysis and SWOT Integration
Porter's value chain, activity system mapping, benchmarking, dynamic capabilities, and integrating external/internal analysis.
Business-Level Strategies
Generic strategies, cost leadership, differentiation, focus strategies, blue ocean strategy, and strategic positioning trade-offs.
Corporate-Level Strategy and Diversification
Related and unrelated diversification, BCG matrix, economies of scope, vertical integration, and make-or-buy decisions.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Restructuring
M&A types and motives, synergy assessment, integration challenges, due diligence, divestitures, and success factors.
International Strategy and Global Expansion
Internationalization motives, Bartlett-Ghoshal framework, entry modes, Porter's Diamond, and managing cultural/institutional distance.
Strategic Alliances and Cooperative Strategies
Alliance types, partner selection, governance mechanisms, managing opportunism risks, co-opetition, and alliance life cycle.
Strategy Implementation and Organizational Design
Strategy-structure alignment, organizational forms, strategic control systems, balanced scorecard, corporate culture, and change management.
Corporate Governance, Ethics, and Strategic Leadership
Principal-agent problems, board effectiveness, CSR, ESG criteria, strategic entrepreneurship, and disruptive innovation management.
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