Corporate Strategy

Code:

ESG0020

Acronym:

ECE

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Economics

Instance: 2011/2012 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Industrial Engineering and Management
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Services Engineering and Management

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MESG	12	Syllabus since 2007/08	2	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1- BACKGROUND
Strategic thinking is becoming more and more relevant for an Industrial Engineer. The need to develop strategic management skills is crucial for the competitiveness of organizations, and only those o possess such skills will be able to assume higher levels of responsibility.

2- SPECIFIC AIMS
This course unit aims to endow students with the basic skills to think strategically, to develop a specific business and corporate strategy, to understand the issues and hurdles of implementation, in order to play a role in a given company's competitiveness.

3- PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE
EIG0035 Project Appraisal
EIG0036 Human Resources Management
EIG0034 General Management
EIG0029 Operations Management
EIG0028 Total Quality Management
EIG0032 Financial Management
EIG0030 Logistics Management
EIG0031 Marketing

4- PERCENTUAL DISTRIBUTION
* Scientific component - 60%
* Technological component - 40%

5- LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this subject, students should be able to:
- think strategically
- understand the issues and hurdles of implementing a given strategy
- design a specific business and corporate strategy
- design a strategic implementation plan
- define the controlling mechanisms for a given implementation plan

Program

1. Introduction and objectives (APG)

2. Basic concepts (APG)
a. Company
b. Enterprise, Strategic management, Competitiveness, etc

3. Strategy formulation (APG)
a. The schools of strategic thinking/ strategy safari
b. Positioning model vs. resource based model

4. Business level strategy:
a. Review of fundamental concepts and tools of analysis (APG)
b. Review of strategies (cost, differentiation, focus) and chain value (APG)
c. Chain value disarticulation (CMS)
d. MBOs: the example of Probos MBO about ProHolding (JRS)

5. Creation of value /EVA (JRS)

6. Corporate level strategy
a. Fundamental concepts (APG)
b. Diversification/Portfolio Management (JRS)
c. Vertical integration and strategic outsourcing (APG)
d. Acquisitions (CMS)
e. Internationalisation (MPS ?)
f. Collaborative strategy (AM ?)

7. Strategy implementation/execution
a. Fundamental concepts (APG)
b. Balanced ScoreCard: Mobil NM&R and Epoli examples (JRS)
c. “Leading the change” (CMS)

Mandatory literature

Hitt, Michael A.; Strategic management. ISBN: 0-324-11479-6

Complementary Bibliography

Grant, Robert M.; Contemporary strategy analysis. ISBN: 0-631-23136-6
Thompson, Jr., Arthur A.; Crafting and Executing Strategy. ISBN: 978-0-07-110756-3

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical classes aim to endow students with the necessary conceptual, theoretical and methodological knowledge to discuss real cases in theoretical-practical classes. During the semester students have to prepare and present a case of strategic analysis based in a real company.
Some sessions with guest managers will take place during the semester. Attendance to the sessions is compulsory.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Eligibility for exams

CD: Case discussion
PE: Presentation of the enterprise
PMR: Presentation of the mid-term report
PFR: Presentation of the final report
E: Exam

Calculation formula of final grade

FG= 0.1*CD+0.05*PE+0.1*PMR+0.25*PFR+0.5*E

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Exam (50%) & Assignment (50%)

Classification improvement

New Exam. Same distributed evaluation elements