Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration International
Center
FULL-TIME MBA
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
COURSE SYLLABUS
May 20 - 31, 2002
Dr.
Timo J. Santalainen
STRATNET (Geneva) & Helsinki School of Economics
Office Hours: By Appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW
The domain of the Strategic Management course is to explore alternate
approaches and styles needed for developing and maintaining the long-term
viability of contemporary business (and other) organizations. Best possible
effort will be made for presenting and exploring a selection of key
issues the "strategists", i.e. general managers, senior experts and
other strategic stakeholders will need in the 21st century.
Presentation of contemporary developments linked to cutting edge thoughts
in strategic management and leadership aims at deeper strategic thinking.
Lessons to be learned from "unusual" organizations will be explored,
too. One of the main thrusts of the course is that organizational failures
offer as valuable learning grounds as success stories do. Responding
to the requests by the students will be part of the tailored learning
process.
The Strategic Management course is structured around three building
blocks (modules): "Strategizing Modes & Approaches" (Module I), "Managing
Resources and Competition" (Module II), and "Strategic Transformation
and Renewal" (Module III).
EXPECTED LEARNING RESULTS (COURSE OBJECTIVES)
Upon completing the course the students will
1. Be familiar with viable modes and major research streams in strategic
management and leadership.
2. Be able to apply alternative concepts and techniques of "strategizing"
while analyzing cases and contemporary
real
life business situations.
3. Understand the role of intangible resources in strategy implementation
and transformation.
4. Have developed innovative ideas and accumulated energy for individual
and organizational renewal.
LEARNING METHODS
The main thrust of achieving the expected learning results is that students
and the instructor take a shared responsibility as strategic partners
for developing each class. This means that individual students and teams,
when assigned, are well prepared through reading and analyzing the assignments
prior to class. Visits to websites of case companies for update are
strongly recommended. In class they should contribute by questioning
and by bringing their own insights and experiences in discussion. It
is advisable to gather ideas and lessons to a "personal learning log".
The instructor will provide guidance through "lecturettes", comments,
by bringing contemporary strategic issues and his own business experience
in discussion, and by creating a positive learning culture. Most of
all, the instructor is a resource person and coach for the students.
The application of a variety of learning methods and stretching the
"comfort zone" will be a shared challenge.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
Final grades will be determined on the following basis:
1. Contribution to Personal Professional/Managerial Challenges
15%
2. Mid-term "Reflective Paper"
10%
3. Class Participation and Contribution
20%
4. Business Project with "ABC"-Teams
25%
5. Final Examination
30%
A brief description of each will be given next.
Personal Professional/Managerial Challenges
In the beginning of the course the students will define their personal
professional/managerial challenges that will be also their main learning
objectives. These objectives should reflect areas of intellectual curiosity
and/or practical "strategizing" challenges they are facing. During the
course special attention should be given to learning and contributing
in topics that relate to specified challenges. "Learning partner teams"
will be formed for counseling and helping each student to maximize learning
on each focus area. In the end of the course each student is requested
to evaluate and elaborate what result-oriented ideas (s)he has learned
in relation to the respective challenges. Further instructions will
follow.
Mid-term "Reflective Paper"
Reflection is becoming a powerful tool in adult learning. Busy schedules
in doing things often prevent us from stopping and making time for reflection.
Reflection makes our mind freewheel; it brings tacit knowledge, creativity
and increased emotional energy for
our use. We may start to see things differently.
Based on the topics covered during the first week of classes each student
is asked to make a few moments for reflection during the week-end, preferably
in a convenient environment. By thinking through various ideas (written
down in personal learning logs) each student is required to write a
3-5 page creative report on the lessons or any other triggering ideas
they have learned so far. Being aware that knowledge grows as an exponential
curve it is possible to categorize the reflections as follows:
1. Cognitive skills, i.e. facts, figures, and other analytical information.
2. Advanced skills, i.e. ideas on how to implement analytical information.
3. Conceptual understanding and trained intuition, i.e. seeing interconnections,
building linkages to conceptual
frames
and processing intuitive (tacit) knowledge.
4. Self-motivated creativity, i.e. creating new knowledge by exploiting
all of the above and linking it to previous experiences.
Reflective papers should be turned in on Monday, May 27, 2002. Further
instructions will follow.
Class Participation and Contribution
The quality of class contribution is evaluated by the instructor. Students
are strongly encouraged in building a rewarding learning atmosphere
and in giving their best constructive and creative contribution in order
to make the learning process both results-oriented and pleasant. One
absence is allowed with no impact on grading.
"ABC" Business Projects
During the second week of class "ABC" business projects will be presented.
Teams (5-6 teams) will take three different roles in three projects:
academics (A), business practitioners (B), and consultants/strategy
advisors ( C). By taking a role of external consultants (C ) each team
will prepare strategy recommendations for a case organization. Each
ABC-team will "sell" their ideas to another team, which takes the role
practitioners (B), i.e. management of the same organization. A third
team (A) and the Professor will summarize and update (visit to website
is strongly recommended) the case by linking it to conceptual frames
or research in Strategic Management.
Each "C-team" has full freedom to choose the form of their written and
oral presentation. Business practitioners (B) of the same organization
are responsible for running the meeting and up-keeping elaborate discussions
with the consultants. To sum up: each team will be involved in three
different cases in three different roles, consultant (C ), business
practitioner (B), and academic (A).
The relative contribution of each ABC-team member will be evaluated
by peers. Further instructions will follow.
Final Examination
Essay-type questions will be asked based on the materials covered in
text and in class. The final examination (closed book) can be taken
either by Learning Partner Teams or as individuals.
COURSE MATERIAL
Required text: Gerry Johnson & Kevan Scholes, Exploring Corporate Strategy:
Text and Cases, Sixth Edition, Financial Times-Prentice Hall 2002. ISBN
0-273-65112-9.
Recommended (pre)text: Pankaj Chemawat, Strategy and the Business Landscape,
Prentice Hall 2001. ISBN 0-13-028796-0.
A package of readings and cases supporting the key topics of the course
has been prepared.
Additional handouts may be delivered in class pending special requests
by students.
CLASS SCHEDULE
The following schedule is subject to minor changes and adaptations stemming
from contemporary business developments and students' needs.
|
WEEK ONE
(Morning
Sessions)
Mon, May 20
Tue, May 21
Wed, May 22
Thu, May 23
Fri, May 24
WEEK TWO (Afternoon Sessions)
Mon, May 27
Obs at 16:00
Tue, May 28
Wed, May 29
Thu, May 30
Fri, May 31
|
TOPIC
I. ORIENTATION: STRATEGIZING MODES & APPROACHES
Course Overview and Objectives
Unfolding Business Environment and Emerging Modes of Strategic
Management
Elaboration from Selected Industries
Strategic Management in Practice: Contexts and Patterns
Exercise: Defining Personal Managerial/Professional Challenges
II. MANAGING RESOURCES AND COMPETITION
Resources and Competencies as Strategy Drivers
Case : IRIDIUM- Motorola's Would-Be "Tiger Pounce"
Benchmarking Caselettes
Exercise: Forming ABC- and Learning Partner Teams
Customers as Strategy Drivers: Competitive Strategies
Case: Swissair (A - D)
Strategy Tools: From Scenarios to Balanced Scorecard Managing
Value Chain: Towards New BusinessModels
Benchmarking Caselette: SRV-Viitoset
Strategizing "In-Between": Strategic Management in Parastatal
and Non-Profit Organizations
Case: Vivendi-Universal
Benchmarking Caselettes: CERN-the Nobel Factory and ITU
III. STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION AND RENEWAL
The Challenge of Making Things Happen
Configurating Structures, Systems and Processes
Leading Change and Transformation
Case: Skopbank (A) and (B)
Company visit at Outokumpu Oyj: Strategic
Transformation in Practice
Strategic Leadership: Towards Individualized Corporation
Case: What Went Bust at Enron?
Benchmarking Caselettes: A. Andersen S. Asmundsen and F 1-Team
Exercise: When Your Star Performer…" Introduction to Self Mastery
and Management
ABC-Business Project Exercises:
Case 1: Corus (pp. 591-599)
Case 2: KPN (pp. 659-673)
Case 3: Amazon.com (pp. 674-706)
ABC-Business Project Exercises:
Case 4: The News Corporation (pp. 808-833)
Case 5: BMW (pp. 886-896)
Case 6: KPMG (B) (pp. 1031-1043)
Self Mastery and Personal Renewal Wrap-Up
Conclusion: Strategy Agenda 2002+
Final Examination
|
REFERENCE
Syllabus
Readings: "Strategy Under Uncertainty",
Readings:Are You Sure..?"
Ch. 1 - 2
Readings:"Why Trafalgar was.."
"Creating NewSpace"
Ch. 3 - 4
Ch. 5 (optional)
Readings: "Achieving and Maintaining…"
Ch. 7 - 8
Ch. 6 (optional)
Readings: "Enterprising"
Ch. 9 - 10
Readings:
"Leading Ch..",
Why Good Companies.."
Ch. 11
Handouts
Readings:
"Bringing Silic."
Readings:
"Career Entrenchm.." |
TJS/07.04.02
Dr. Timo Santalainen
February 8, 2002
HSE EMBA 2002
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT & THINKING
1. Course Overview
The domain of the Strategic Management & Thinking-course
is to explore alternate approaches and styles needed for developing
and maintaining the long-term viability of contemporary business (and
other) organizations. Best possible effort will be made for presenting
and exploring a selection of key issues the "strategists",
i.e. general managers, senior experts and other strategic stakeholders
will need in the 21st century. Presentation of contemporary developments
linked to cutting edge thoughts in strategic management and leadership
aims at deeper strategic thinking. Responding to the requests by the
students will be part of the tailored learning process.
The course is structured around four major building blocks
(core themes): Competitive Strategies Amidst hypercompetition, Resource-Based
Strategies, Value-Based Business Models and Launch of Business Projects.
2. Expected Learning Results (Course Objectives)
Upon completing the course the students will
1. Be familiar with major approaches and contemporary research streams
in strategic management and leadership
within the context
of (hyper)competitive business arena.
2. Be able to apply alternative modes of "strategizing" in
case as well as in real business situations.
3. Understand the logic of customer-centric, resource-based strategies
and value-capturing business models.
4. Have developed innovative ideas and accumulated energy for successful
launch of business projects.
3. Date and Venue
March 21 through 23, 2002, JOKO, Ruoholahti.
4. Program Schedule
Thursday, March 21, 2002,
Morning Session (09:00-12:15): Competitive Strategies
1. Welcome and Orientation
2. Strategic Management within Hypercompetitive Business Arena: Modes
and Elaborations from Contemporary
Businesses
3. Exercise: Peak Performance
4. Towards Customer-Centric Competitive Strategies
Afternoon Session (13:15-16:30)
5. Strategizing on the Edge: The Case of SAir Group -
Swissair - Swiss Airlines
6. Lessons I: Does Strategizing Pay Off?
Friday, March 22, 2002,
Morning Session (08:30-12:15): Resource-Based Strategies
7. Resources and Competencies as Strategy Drivers
8. Resource-Based Strategy (RBS)-Process in Practice: Metamorphosis
of Vivendi Universal
9. Summarizing Key Concepts of RBS
Afternoon Session (13:15-16:30)
10. Creating New Market Space by Exploiting Strategic
Resources
11. The Case of IRIDIUM - Motorola's Would-Be Tiger Pounce
12. Lessons II: How Does Strategizing Pay Off?
Saturday, March 23, 2002,
(08:30-13:00): Value-Based Business Models
13. Unfolding Value Chain for Novel Business Models: Minicase
of SRV-Viitoset
14. Proven Concepts and Elaborations from "Unusual" Organizations
- F 1: Fast Money
- CERN: The "Nobel" Factory
- Global Sports Organizations
- Svend Asmundsen Inc.
15. Lessons III: What Is My Take-Away for Business Projects (and Myself)?
16. Launching Business Projects
17. Making Things Happen
5. Course Material and Prework
Text: Pankaj Chemawat, Strategy and the Business Landscape,
Prentice Hall 2001. ISBN 0-13-028796-0.
A package of cases supporting the key topics of the course
has been prepared. It is strongly advisable that websites of case-organizations
are visited for update. Additional materials will be recommended in
class pending on special requests by students.
6. Facilitator(s)
Dr. Timo Santalainen, President, STRATNET (Geneva) and
Adjunct Professor, Helsinki School of Economics will be responsible
in teaching, facilitating, sparring and coaching during the course.
He, along with Professor Bam B. Baliga from Wake Forest University (USA),
will steer the Business Projects.
TJS 3/2002
