Strategic ManagementCourse Outline and Study Guide

MODULE LEADER:
Ailson J. De Moraes Room MX107
WORKSHOP TUTORS:
Ailson J. De Moraes
Gideon Azumah
Weijia Zhu
Reza Aboutalebi
SameerQaiyum
Brief Outline and Aims of the Course

The course provides the student with an understanding of the principal theories and modules of strategic management and how
to set them in the context of key developments in which contemporary business operates.

The course consists of 18x one-hour lectures (including guest speakers from the industry) and 8one-hour workshops.
The lectures are used to illustrate the key points under each topic as well as real business examples. Workshops will be
used for case studies and applications of the material covered in the lectures.
The aim of the module is to introduce the student to the way in which a firm can achieve sustainable competitive advantage
through strategy.
The course aims:

1. To discuss key concepts and debates in the theory of corporate and business strategy.
2. To examine the changing context in which the corporate strategy is formulated and implemented.
3. To illustrate how theoretical debates can be related to corporate strategies via the analysis of case studies
covering a variety of industrial settings and situations.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students should be able to (1) understand the concepts of strategic management, (2) evaluate the
factors that need to be considered in analysing a firm’s external environment, (3) evaluate the internal core competences of
a firm, (4) formulate strategy for the firm, (5) understand the nature of corporate strategy, and (6) understand the nature
of international strategy. Additional learning outcomes are specified for each session
Assessments

This course will be assessed by the followings:

1. Assignment One: Group work Presentation and Report
Case study based report of 2,000 words.

Students will be divided into groups to be formed in the first workshop.
Students must register their groups – for each workshop – with Maria Wright (in person or by email) in the school
administration.

Deadline to register the group is Friday 22nd Jan.

Notice that workshops start from the 18th Jan, therefore students will have a week to register their groups.

Fail to be part of a group allocated in the first workshop, and you will be requested to complete the assignment on your own,
including a presentation in the lecture’s office hours (to be arranged by your lecturer/tutor) + report on the deadline. A
case will be allocated for you separately. If you are on this category, please contact your lecturer ASAP.

All case studies are from De Moraes, Ailson J. (2016), Essentials for Business Strategy, Pearson. ISBN: 9781784481940
Buy online. 20% discount and free UK delivery
Visit: www.pearson-books.com/holloway
Discount code: ZP060G

This book can be found in the library.

*Case studies will be presented in class, starting in workshop 2.
*All students must present or you will not be allowed to sit for the exam.
*Report – to answer all questions at the back of the case + the following question for all cases (see below). More
information on moodle.

Question to be answered by all groups:

– Research and given an update on the case’s performance (the company) as of the time of your reading this case.

– The update should incorporate at least the last 2 years of the company’s performance, including the financial
performance whenever appropriate.

A Guide to Case Analysis can be found on moodle. Please read carefully when preparing your assignment.
This assignment carries 20% of the total grades

Deadline: Thursday 24th noon March 2016 (turnitin)

2. Assignment Two: Individual Essay

ESSAY Questions: select ONE question and submit a 2,000 words essay.

“Minimum” 15 references including academic papers, books, lectures, workshop materials, and reliable internet sources.

A word document with with some information on Analysis and Structure for an essay can be found on moodle. Notice, this is a
sample only.

All questions from previous MN2205 exams.

This assignment carries 20% of the total grades

Deadline: Monday 16th noon March 2016 (turnitin)
Essay Questions:

1. The history and culture of an organisation may contribute to the distinct and unique nature of an organisation’s
strategic capabilities. Draw up a cultural web for an organisation of your choice. Identify and analyse the relationship of
the culture of your chosen organisation and its organisational strategy.

2. Using either Porter’s generic strategies or the Strategy Clock, identify examples of organisations following
strategies of differentiation, low cost or low price, and stuck-in-the middle or hybrid. How successful are these strategies?

3. Choose a Multinational firm of your choice and answer the following question: How problematic is it for competitors
to emulate your organization’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies?

4. To what extent should a firm be committed to a particular strategy versus making frequent changes in the strategy? If
a strategy is likely to be changed, what is the point in having one?
3. Examination: 3 hours Exam

The three-hour examination requires ‘three essay style’ answers chosen from an ‘unseen’ exam paper containing eight questions
based on the materials studied during the course.

This examination carries 60% of the total grades.

More information on the exam paper will be discussed in the lectures and in the last workshop of the term.
Week Lecture
Week 1 Lecture 1: AN INTRODUCTION ON THE FIELD OF STRATEGY
The Purpose of Studying Strategy
Lecture 2: INTRODUCING ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY
Week 2 Lecture 3: STRATEGIC POSITION: Environment
Lecture 4: STRATEGIC POSITION: Strategic Capability
Week 3 Lecture 5: STRATEGIC POSITION: Strategic Purpose
Lecture 6: “The strategic landscape in a scientific research market.” A Case study approach.
Guest Speaker: Mr Tony Savill, CEO, Molecular Dimensions Ltd.
Week 4 Lecture 7: STRATEGIC POSITION: Culture & Strategy Lecture 8: STRATEGIC CHOICES: Business Strategy
Week 5 Lecture 9: STRATEGIC CHOICES: Corporate Strategy & Diversification
Lecture 10: STRATEGIC CHOICES: International Strategy
Week 6 Reading Week
Week 7 Lecture 11: STRATEGIC CHOICES: Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Lecture 12: STRATEGIC CHOICES: Mergers, Acquisitions & Alliances
Week 8 Lecture 13: STRATEGY IN ACTION: Evaluating Strategies
Lecture 14: STRATEGY IN ACTION: Strategy Development Process
Week 9 Lecture 15: HSBC corporate strategy and practice
Guest Speaker:Miss SlavyanaKarchinova, HSBC (former RH student).
Lecture 16: STRATEGY IN ACTION: Organizing for Success
Week 10 No lecture – Time to complete assignments
Lecture 17: STRATEGY IN ACTION: Leading Strategic Change
Week 11 Lecture 18: Synthesis – STRATEGY IN ACTION: The Practice of Strategy – What management can do?

Workshops

Students will attend 8x sessions of onehour of workshops.

The workshops will provide an opportunity to discuss issues related to the lecture and to develop your understanding of the
topic while deepening grasp of the subject. As a pre-requisite, you are expected to prepare before attending and to
participate in discussions. The teaching structure and methods will vary, but will include discussion of key issues,
individual and group work and a group presentation based on a case study.

*All case studies for the ‘group presentation and report’ (assignment 1) are from the De Moraes, Ailson J. (2016), Essentials
for Business Strategy, Pearson,abook compilation. Can be found in the Library or purchased online.

*Question to be answered by all groups:

-Research and given an update on the case’s performance (the company) as of the time of your reading this case.

-The update should incorporate at least the last 2 years of the company’s performance, including the financial performance
whenever appropriate.

Workshop Case study
Workshop 1 CASE: APPLE AFTER STEVE JOBS
Presented by the workshop tutor.
Students will be allocated in groups and a case study will be allocated for each group to start presenting from workshops 2
to 7
Workshop 2 CASE: SABMiller: SOUTH AFRICA GOES QUIETLY GLOBAL
Workshop 3 CASE: EUROPE’S LEADING AIRLINES: BUDGET STRATEGY OR BUST?
Workshop 4 CASE: PRESCRIPTIVE AND EMERGENT STRATEGY: GLOBAL CAR MARKETS AND THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE WORLD’S TOP CAR
COMPANIES
Workshop 5 CASE: EMERGENT STRATEGY: WHAT’S THE NEW SMART FOR PCs, MEDIA TABLETS AND MOBILES?
Workshop 6 CASE: THE GLOBAL PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY – IN THE LAND OF SHRINKING GIANTS
Notice: this case has no questions at the end. Please see your tutor to get the questions.
Workshop 7 CASE: SEVERSTAL AND THE GLOBAL STEEL INDUSTRY
Notice: this case has no questions at the end. Please see your tutor to get the questions.
Workshop 8 Conclusion – Significant ‘tips’ for the final exam.

Key Bibliography:
De Moraes, Ailson J. (2016), Essentials for Business Strategy, Pearson. ISBN: 9781784481940 – Highly RECOMMENDED
Buy online. 20% discount and free UK delivery.
Visit: www.pearson-books.com/holloway
Discount code: ZP060G
This book can be found in the library.
a. You may order the book from the publisher through the link above – 20% discount is offered now.
b. All case studies for the ‘group presentation and report’ (assignment 1) are from this book compilation. You will be
assigned a case study from this book in your first workshop.
c. When reading and preparing your case (group work activity), it is imperative to update all information by checking the
company’s website, annual reports, Financial Times, recent academic articles, or any other relevant sources.

Other books:

Johnson, G., Whittington, R., Scholes, K., Angwin, D. and Regner, P. (2014)10th Ed.,Exploring Strategy, Pearson.
a. This book can be accessed online via library – http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?
url=http://www.dawsonera.com/depp/reader/protected/external/AbstractView/S9781292006895
b. This book contains valuable and relevant updated information on well-known companies as well as on the main theories of
strategy relevant for this course; the reading of this book is extremely relevant for the entire course, and possible for
other management and business modules.

Many other books in the library.

Relevant academic journals around the discipline of strategy – e.g. “Strategic Management Journal”, and many others. All
online via library.

Other Recommended readings

*Sola, Davide and Couturier, Jerome (2014), How to Think Strategically, FT Publishing.
* Carter, C., Clegg, S.R., and Kornberger, M. (2008), A Very Short, Fairly Interesting And Reasonably Cheap Book About
Studying Strategy (Sage).
Peng, M.W. (2014). Global Strategic Management. 3rd Edition, South-Western.
Rothaermel, Frank T. (2013), Strategic Management, McGraw-Hill.
Lynch, R. (2008) Strategic Management. FT-Prentice Hall.
Mellahi, K. et al (2005). Global Strategic Management. Oxford University Press.
Segal-Horn, S. (1998). The Strategy Reader. Blackwell.

*Very easy books to read. Short and easy to understand.

Course Leader: Ailson J. De Moraes

Main Guest Speakers delivering lectures this term:

Mr Tony Savill
CEO & President
Molecular Dimensions Ltd and Molecular Dimensions Inc. – UK and USA
Miss SlavyanaKarchinova (Royal Holloway School of Management graduated, award of two prizes in 2014)
Analyst/Rates Institutional Sales at HSBC
Mr Ellis LC Osabutey PhD
Senior Lecturer in International Business and Strategic Management at Middlesex University