STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

The course is one of the core courses of the degree programme in Economics and management (http://www.unive.it/data/32461/ ). The course will introduce the basic concepts of business strategy, with a special emphasis on the strategic analysis, and the relationship between business strategy and the competitive ecosystem. The course is designed to introduce students to key strategy concepts and to provide the opportunity to integrate and apply prior learning acquired during the degree.

The course will enable students to critically analyze concrete examples of business strategy and how firms are facing the challenges of global competition. In particular, students will be expected to be able to:
1 Knowledge and understanding
- knowledge of the fundamental principles of strategic management;
- knowledge of the theoretical frameworks apt at understanding and explaining strategy formulation and implementation,
- Knowledge and understanding of the different theoretical approaches to the study of the relationship between resources and capabilities, corporate strategy and business strategy.
2 Applying knowledge and understanding
- application of the fundamental tools and models on strategic planning;
- analyze and evaluate critically real-life company situations and develop creative solutions, using a strategic management perspective (individually and in a team setting).
3 Making judgments
- know how to frame a hypothesis and which is the most appropriate tool or model to apply;
- ability to critically evaluate the most suitable strategic options.

Basic knowledge of the theory of the firm, microeconomics, and basic management concepts will be taken for granted. Those who have not passed Principles of Management and International Accounting exam, cannot take this exam. Please consult the following page: https://www.unive.it/web/it/1188/esami

The course program includes presentation and discussion of the following subjects:
The Concept of Strategy
Analysis of the competitive environment
Competitor analysis (basics)
Internal analysis, resources and Capabilities
The Nature and Source of Competitive Advantage
Alternative strategies evaluation criteria
Cases

the reference texts for the exam will be made available on the Moodle at the beginning of class.

The exam is written, lasts 30 minutes, and awards up to 26 points with 10 multiple-choice questions.
An optional oral exam, which can be taken by those who pass the written exam, awards up to a maximum of 4 points.

written and oral

The grades are graduated based on the scores obtained in the individual exam questions.
Each question of the written exam is presented with four options. There might be 1 or 2 correct options, consequently wrong options might be 2 or 3.
Score:
3 points: all and only the correct options are marked
2 points: one out of two correct answers are marked
-1 point: no correct answer is marked or it is left blank.

In the optional oral exam, points are assigned based on the student's demonstrated mastery:
3 or 4 points: excellent mastery of the subject matter for the questions asked
1 or 2 points: good knowledge and acceptable answers to the questions asked
0 points: poor answers
-1 to -4 points: incorrect answers, inability to argue the proposed topic or the answers given in the written assignment, no answer.

The course teaching method is based on traditional lectures, case study teaching, class discussions.
Team or individual works might be proposed, requiring students to analyze real-world case studies. Bonus point might be provided, up to 4 points valid for the final exam.