Insegnamento a.a. 2024-2025

The course is divided in two parts – we will first learn about corporate strategy, and then put the learning in practice.

To accomplish the former objective, we will go through a number of sessions in which we will discuss real business cases with emphasis on different strategic choices. As is recommended with the case teaching method, all discussions, and presentations will occur in the first part of class, with a debrief in the second half. We lead most in-class discussions in this course using the Socratic Method. Consistently, we will mostly act as moderators, and you should feel comfortable responding to in-class questions (aka “cold calls”). Such an interactive, hands-on approach is used to reveal the complexity and ambiguity of real-world situations.

Once we have discussed the main concepts associated to the formulation and implementation of strategy withing large companies, we will put our learning in practice through a business simulation that will take place over an intense two-day schedule. The aim of this simulation is to allow you to experience first-hand the concepts learned in class in an environment where each of you will be part of the board of directors of a company operating within a tech industry. In this role, you will be crafting and implementing your company’s corporate strategy by analyzing data and taking decisions pertaining to scope and growth modes, while interacting with other board members and negotiating with other companies.

• At the end of the course student wilRecognize and understand the relationships between strategy, competitive context, organizational structure, management systems, and leadership style within the large corporation and appreciate the tasks involved in implementing strategy.
• Know the concepts, frameworks and tools required for analyzing global and corporate strategy.
• Be more aware of the broader economic and social forces currently impacting international corporations and the ways in which companies are responding to these challenges.
• Be familiar with the strategic management issues that concern executives.

• Apply the concepts, frameworks and tools for analyzing global and corporate strategy to new companies, cases, and situations.
• Choose and execute a complex strategy in a demanding competitive situation.
• Present a post-mortem evaluation of the successes and failures of a strategy.

• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Practical Exercises
• Collaborative Works / Assignments
• Interaction/Gamification

• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance): guests may be scheduled in some years/semesters
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.): group activities in class based on cases and readings
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online): case discussions for most classes
• Group assignments: a final presentation based on the simulation experience
• Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls): final business simulation

All of the learning objectives are assessed by all of the assessment methods.

- The final written exam is aimed at assessing whether students have achieved the required knowledge of concepts, of the relationships among them, of the economic, and social forces of the external environment, of the strategic management issues, and whether students have developed adequate skills for strategic analysis and for proposing appropriate solutions.

-  The final project requires student teams to participate in a business simulation, cooperate and compete with other teams, and to reflect on their experience. Thus, this final activity requires synthesis and problem solving, as well as analysis and deduction. The students are evaluated based on their performance in the complex simulation along combined dimensions of profitability, efficiency, and social/environmental impact. In addition, their reflection is assessed based on their ability to apply course concepts to understand their performance and learn from both failures and successes in the simulation.

-  The class discussion of cases allows students to practice and be evaluated for their ability to apply concepts from class and readings to actual business cases. In addition, they are assessed for their ability to communicate their ideas while speaking and discussing in the group.

Final written exam based on course material (slides, cases, readings), aimed at assessing whether students have achieved the required knowledge of concepts, of the relationships among them, of the economic, and social forces of the external environment, of the strategic management issues, and whether students have developed adequate skills for strategic analysis and for proposing appropriate solutions.

Slides, cases and readings posted on Blackboard

The course is divided in two parts – we will first learn about corporate strategy decisions, and then put the learning in practice.

To accomplish the former objective, we will go through a number of sessions in which we will discuss real business cases with emphasis on different strategic choices. As is recommended with the case teaching method, all discussions, and presentations will occur in the first part of class, with a debrief in the second half. We lead most in-class discussions in this course using the Socratic Method. Consistently, we will mostly act as moderators, and you should feel comfortable responding to in-class questions (aka “cold calls”). Such an interactive, hands-on approach is used to reveal the complexity and ambiguity of real-world situations.

Once we have discussed the main concepts associated to the formulation and implementation of strategy within large companies, we will put our learning in practice through a business simulation that will take place over an intense two-day schedule. The aim of this simulation is to allow you to experience first-hand the concepts learned in class in an environment where each of you will be part of the board of directors of a company operating within a tech industry. In this role, you will be crafting and implementing your company’s corporate strategy by analyzing data and taking decisions pertaining to scope and growth modes, while interacting with other board members and negotiating with other companies.

• Recognize and understand the relationships between strategy, competitive context, organizational structure, management systems, and leadership style within the large corporation and appreciate the tasks involved in implementing strategy.
• Know the concepts, frameworks and tools required for analyzing global and corporate strategy.
• Be more aware of the broader economic and social forces currently impacting international corporations and the ways in which companies are responding to these challenges.
• Be familiar with the strategic management issues that concern executives.

• Apply the concepts, frameworks and tools for analyzing global and corporate strategy to new companies, cases, and situations.
• Choose and execute a complex strategy in a demanding competitive situation.
• Present a post-mortem evaluation of the successes and failures of a strategy.

• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Practical Exercises
• Collaborative Works / Assignments
• Interaction/Gamification

• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance): guests may be scheduled in some years/semesters
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.): group activities in class based on cases and readings
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online): case discussions for most classes
• Group assignments: a final presentation based on the simulation experience
• Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls): final business simulation

Attending Students:

All of the learning objectives are assessed by all of the assessment methods.

The final grade will be determined as follows:

A.   Business Game  50%

B.   Final Exam   50%

C.   Class Participation up to 2 bonus points

A.   Business Game (50%)

GlobStrat is a comprehensive strategic management tool that enables students to explore, understand, and handle the responsibilities of a corporate executive.

The business game is used to develop critical thinking and analytical skills through the use of course concepts.

The final grade for the business game is based on two criteria, namely team performance in the game (60%), and team final report presented at the end of the business game (40%).

B. Final Exam (50%)

The final written exam is aimed at assessing whether students have achieved the required knowledge of concepts, of the relationships among them, of the economic, and social forces of the external environment, of the strategic management issues, and whether students have developed adequate skills for strategic analysis and for proposing appropriate solutions.

The final exam will include a mix of open- and close-ended questions covering the main concepts discussed in class, for a total of 30 points. Sample questions will be discussed in class and posted on Blackboard.

C. Class Participation (up to 2 bonus points)

Case analysis and case discussion are a central part of the learning experience! We expect every student to be prepared to answer questions in every class. We will “cold-call” students – this means that you might be asked a question even if you have not raised your hand. Be ready. And you can also gain up to two bonus points for consistent and high-quality participation! We share some tips in appendix B at the end of this syllabus.

Please note that you can keep your attending status ONLY for the first two exam sessions. From the third exam session, all students are considered non-attending.

NON -Attending Students:

Final written exam based on course material (slides, cases, readings), aimed at assessing whether students have achieved the required knowledge of concepts, of the relationships among them and whether students have developed adequate skills for strategic analysis and for proposing appropriate solutions.

Attending Students:

All course materials will be distributed through Blackboard, except for the cases identified in the schedule below as “distributed in class”. Readings that are copyright protected are available through the Library’s reserve service.

The business game will be run using a the GlobStrat simulation, a comprehensive strategic management simulation that enables participants to learn, understand and handle the responsibilities and tasks of a corporate executive committee.

Non-Attending Students:

All course materials will be distributed through Blackboard, except for the cases identified in the schedule below as “distributed in class”. Readings that are copyright protected are available through the Library’s reserve service.