88189 - Strategy and Business Games

Learning outcomes

The goal of this course is to implement the main marketing strategies using a business game to simulate a real market scenario. Making decisions and allocating resources among different marketing variables will improve students’ knowledge of both operational and marketing strategies. Students use marketing techniques to analyze data and improve their decisions. By the end of the course students are able to (a) implement effective marketing strategies and (b) evaluate the level of effectiveness of their decisions.

Course contents

This course is organized in two modules. Module 1 presents the key concepts revolving around strategy in business. In module 2, business games are deployed to simulate a real market scenario.

Module 1 (Prof. D. Bolzani)

Contents:

– Introduction to strategy

– Macro-environment analysis

– Industry and sector analysis

– Resources and capabilities

– Business vs. corporate strategy

– Vertical integration, outsourcing, alliances

– International strategy

– Innovative strategy

– Diversity, equity and inclusion

Teaching methods:

Lectures, case studies, groupwork, guest speakers.

Module 2 (Prof. M. Lund)

Contents

– Business Models vs. Strategy

– Business Design, Games, and methods

– Data-driven strategy and business

– Business Narratives

Teaching methods:

Groupwork, hands-on business games development and design.

Readings/Bibliography

Book for Module 1: Dyer, J. H., Godfrey, P., Jensen, R., & Bryce, D. (2019). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases (3rd ed.). Wiley Global Education US.

Book for Module 2: Osterwalder, Alexander, and Yves Pigneur. Business model generation: a handbook for visionaries, game-changers, and challengers. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.

Teaching methods

Lectures, small-group activities, case studies, presentations, project work, guest speakers, game-based activities, Q&A sessions.

Assessment methods

Module 1: The final mark is based on groupwork and a written exam to be taken in the classroom.

Module 2: The final mark is based on EITHER students' group presentations or a written exam to be taken in the classroom.

The final mark for the course will be an average of the mark for Module 1 and the mark for Module 2.

The range of grades for every component (written exam, group presentations) are as follows:

• <18 not sufficient;
• 18-23 sufficient;
• 24-27 good;
• 28-30 very good;
• 31 (30 Lode) excellent.

Teaching tools

All materials will be made available on https://virtuale.unibo.it/

OFFICE HOURS:

Module 1: In presence or online, by appointment only by emailing: daniela.bolzani@unibo.it

Module 2: Online and by appointment only by emailing: ml@business.aau.dk

Besides the teachers, a tutor will be assigned to the course, to support any students’ enquiries and learning activities.

Office hours

See the website of Daniela Bolzani

See the website of Morten Lund