37459 - Business Strategy

Learning outcomes

The course provides appropriate tools to deal with the analysis of competitive arenas and to capture rationale of corporate and business strategy.

Course contents

COMPETITIVE STRATEGY:

- Analysis of the industry.
- Analysis of competitive advantage: Cost leadership & Differentiation strategies.
- Dynamics of industries.

CORPORATE STRATEGY
- Technology and innovation strategies.
- Vertical integration.
- Multinational organizations.
- Diversification.

Readings/Bibliography

Teaching material:
Grant, R. M. Contemporary Strategy Analysis, III° ed, Blackwell, 1998.

Further readings:

Porter, M. E., Il Vantaggio Competitivo, Milano: Edizioni di Comunità, 1987.
Milgrom, P. e J. Roberts, Economics, Organizations & Management, Prentice Hall, 1992.
La Bella, A. e E. Battistoni, Economia e Organizzazione Aziendale, APOGEO, 2005.
Anthony. R. N., Breitner, L. K., Macrì, D. M., Il bilancio, McGraw-Hill Italia: Milano, 2004.
Di Martino, S. e C. Parolini, Scelte di Economia Aziendale, Il Mulino, 1998.

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

The assessment is based on a written examination.

The assessment addresses:
1) students' understanding of the concept of 'competitive strategy';
2) students' ability to evaluate a firm's competitive strategy;
3 students' ability to define a competitive strategy.

Specifically, the objects of the assessment are the following:
-  Knowledge of the evaluation methods of a firm's competitive strategy
-  Knowledge of industry analysis.
-  Knowledge of strategic positioning.
- Knowledge of resource and capability analysis.
- Fundamentals of technology strategy.

Office hours

See the website of Edoardo Mollona