Strategic Management

E2024

Business Administration and Leadership / Business Administration and Leadership

Course

English

Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk

You register for activities through stads selvbetjening during the announced registration period, which you can see on the Study administration homepage.

When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts and overlaps between course and exam time and dates. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programmes, which should not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programmes, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose

5

Kristian J. Sund (sund@ruc.dk)

Mette Apollo Rasmussen (apollo@ruc.dk)

ISE Registration & Exams (ise-exams@ruc.dk)

U60025GB

Advanced study course in business administration

Via the course, students gain a critical insight into and understanding of strategic management, and how companies interact with their environment, through planning and organizing strategic processes. The course provides students with an insight into perspectives on strategic management as well as analytical tools, in order to analyse companies and challenges, and prepare strategy proposals.

With this course, students acquire a critical insight into the practice of strategic management, including how firms plan and organise strategic processes, and act as a result of changes the external environment and business context. Students are introduced to relevant strategy tools, and literature in the area. The course therefore aims to both give students an overview of perspectives on strategic management, and give them the tools to analyse concrete cases and problems, and develop strategic responses. Key themes include strategic purpose; Strategy as a process; The firm’s relationship to the environment; Competitive strategy; Strategy and cognition; The resource-based and dynamic capability views of the firm; Corporate strategy; Growth strategy and mergers and acquisitions; International strategy.

The core textbook for the course is Grant, R. M. (2021). Contemporary strategy analysis. John Wiley & Sons.

A number of additional readings will be posted on Moodle.

Cases will be regularly selected and may change from semester to semester.

Study intensity

In class teaching (lectures): 20 hours Group case work: 40 hours Individual reading and study: 60 hours Exam (including preparation): 15 hours Total study intensity: 135 hours

Teaching and learning activities: The course is delivered as a series of in-class lectures during which key theories, frameworks, and models are explained. The lectures are interactive and real-world cases are used to illustrate and discuss theory. Students are expected outside of class to work in small groups to solve a number of business cases and hand these in to receive formative feedback. This prepares students for the exam.

The activity is evaluated regularly in accordance with the study board evaluation procedure. The activity responsible will be informed about a potential evaluation of the activity at semesterstart. See link to the study board evaluation praxis here https://intra.ruc.dk/nc/for-ansatte/organisering/raad-naevn-og-udvalg/oversigt-over-studienaevn/studienaevn-for-erhvervsoekonomi-og-virksomhedsstudier/arbejdet-med-kvalitet-i-uddannelserne/

Topic 1: What is strategic management?

Topic 2: Strategic purpose and scope

Topic 3: Environmental change

Topic 4: The nature of competition and industry analysis

Topic 5: Competitive advantage

Topic 6: Competitive strategy

Topic 7: Corporate strategy

Topic 8: International strategy

Topic 9: Performance management

Topic 10: Organizational design, culture and strategy

• Students acquire knowledge of the theory and practice of corporate strategic management, as well as the management’s role in strategic planning and strategic development. Students gain an understanding of companies’ strategic competences, processes and organisation in relation to changes in their external environment. Through business cases and contexts, students learn to develop, assess and evaluate relevant strategies. Finally, students acquire skills to observe the consequences of new knowledge and to reflect on the usefulness of theories and tools in various contexts.

Oral group exam based on a product written by a group

Permitted group size: 2-6 students.

The character limit of the written product is:
For 2 students: maximum14,400 characters, including spaces.
For 3 students: maximum14,400 characters, including spaces.
For 4 students: maximum14,400 characters, including spaces.
For 5 students: maximum14,400 characters, including spaces.
For 6 students: maximum14,400 characters, including spaces.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude appendices.

Time allowed for the exam including time used for assessment is for:
2 students: 30 minutes.
3 students: 35 minutes.
4 students: 40 minutes.
5 students: 45 minutes.
6 students: 50 minutes.

The assessment is individual and based on the student's individual performance.
The assessment is an overall assessment of the written product(s) and the subsequent oral examination..

Permitted support and preparation materials at the oral exam: All.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale
Moderation: Internal co-assessor.

Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam

General assessment criteria: Demonstrate knowledge regarding the basic theories and models of strategic management; Analyze a firm’s strategy and/or a strategic problem;
Develop and evaluate a strategy based on theory;
Reflect critically on the limits of different theories; and whether the exam fulfills all formal requirements.