OBJECTIVE

Present and practice the body of knowledge and techniques related to strategic management of a firm so that the participant can effectively take part in its formulation and implementation process.

CONTENT

Strategy and organisational structure will be studied as general management tasks, developing the strategic management skills of the student within the strategic analysis, strategic formulation and strategic implementation stages of the strategic decision-making process.

PART 1: STRATEGY and STRUCTURE

- Management Concept and Tasks. Management concept and its constitutive elements. Fundamental and Instrumental management tasks. Empirical research into the management function. Management function and competitiveness.

Practice: Pre-project management exercise.

STRATEGY

- Configuration Function of Strategy. The policy and strategy concepts. Contents of business strategy. Different levels of strategy and strategic decision. Strategic business unit (SBU). The strategy formulation process.

Practice: Madonna (Key success factors of a strategy), Robin Hood (Strategic decision making process).

- Strategic Analysis (I): External. Analysis of the general macro-environment. Analysis of the industry and competitive environments. Intra-industry analysis. Concept and identification of strategic groups and market segments. Identification of key success factors.

Practice: World Automobile Industry (Fiat strategic repositioning), Telecom Industry in China.

- Strategic Analysis (II): Internal. Functional analysis and strategic profile of the firm. Value chain analysis. Internal analysis based on resources and capabilities of the firm.

Practice: Digital challenge for Eastman Kodak (resource and capabilities).

- Business Strategies. Nature and sources of competitive advantages. Generic competitive strategies. Strategies development and the industry and business life cycle. Business strategy in different competitive and industrial settings.

Practice: Amazon.com (strategic innovation in mature industries).

- Corporate Strategies. Management and direction of strategic growth. Corporate strategies: Diversification, Vertical Integration, Internationalisation, and Strategic alliances.

Practice: Richard Branson and the Virgin Group of companies (diversification), DuPont, Teflon in China (internationalisation), Freixenet (global vs local strategies), Telefónica.

STRUCTURE

Practice: Organizational structure of Royal Dutch-Shell

-The Organisation as an Instrument of Strategy. Concept and classes of organisation. Organisational theory: presentation and critical overview of its evolution.

- Factors Conditioning the Organisational Structure. Strategy, environment, size and technology: empirical evidence. Corporate management and corporate portfolio decisions.

- Different Forms of Organisational Structures. Functional, divisional, matrix, and project based organisational structures: their main characteristics and applicability.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) ANSOFF, H.I. (1976): La estrategia de la empresa. Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A., Pamplona.

2) ANDREWS, K. (1977): El concepto de estrategia de la empresa. Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A., Pamplona.

3) GRANT, R.M. (1996): Dirección Estratégica. Editorial Civitas, S.A., Madrid. (Hay edición en inglés: Grant, R.M. (1995): Contemporary Strategy Analysis: Concepts, Techniques, Applications, Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge, Ma.)

4) MINTZBERG, H. (1979): La estructuración de las organizaciones. Ed. Ariel, Barcelona.

5) MINTZBERG, H., QUINN, J.B. y GHOSHAL, S. (1999): El proceso estratégico. Edición europea revisada. Prentice Hall Iberia, Madrid. (Hay edición en inglés: Mintzberg, H. et al. (1998): The Strategy Process. Revised European Edition. Prentice Hall.).

6) JOHNSON, G. y SCHOLES, K. (2000): Dirección estratégica. 5ª edición. Prentice Hall, Madrid.

7) NAVAS, J. y GUERRAS, L.A. (1996): La Dirección Estratégica de la Empresa. Teoría y Aplicaciones. Editorial Civitas, S.A., Madrid.

8) PORTER, M.E. (1982): Estrategia competitiva. C.E.C.S.A., México.

9) PORTER, M.E. (1985): Ventaja competitiva. C.E.C.S.A., México.

10) FUNDACIÓ EMPRESA I CIÈNCIA (1998): Competir en Europa, Ed. Ariel.

11) VECIANA, J. M.ª (1999): La función directiva. Servicio de Publicaciones. UAB.

12) VECIANA, J.M.ª:

"Estructura de las organizaciones". Enciclopedia de Dirección y Organización de Empresa, Fascículo 68, Ed. Orbis.