Strategy and Competiveness

Basic knowledge on management is recommended

 The course includes theoretical and practical parts.

In each class there will be three components:

1. presentation of a scientific paper on the theme of the class, to foster the discussion of its relevance

2. theorectical presentation by the lecturer, sharing the main concepts and conceptual models on the topic

3. assessment, via case or test, to foster the retention of the knowledge by the students

Students will be asked to prepare lessons beforehand, through careful reading of the literature indicated for each chapter of the program.

Goals:

1. Present Strategy management from two general angles: as a management practice and as an essential factor of competitiveness in an era of globalization;

 2 – Train professionals committed and attentive to constant changing market demands and sensitizing them to the importance and urgency of competitive advantages as an essential foundation of the strategy;

 3 – Provide the students with knowledge related to the development of organizational strategy, aligning culture, people and structures with the strategy, products, processes and technology.

Skills to acquire:

– Know the meaning of Strategy and its evolution

– Understand the relationship between Strategic Management and Competitiveness

– Understand the steps of the strategic planning process

 – Perform a strategic analysis

– Acknowledge the different existing competitive strategies

– To identify the characteristics making a company competitive

– Use BSC as a strategic management tool

Topic 1 (introduction)  intends to achieve goals 1 and 2, enlightning the students about the relevance and evolution of strategy

Together, topics 2, 3 and 4 aim to achieve goal 3.

Topic 2 (analysis) aims at educating students on the analysis models they should use to perform a strategic analysis

Topic 3 (choices) allows the students to know all the strategic options available to companies, as well as the context in which those options are more conducive the strategic advantage

Topic 4 (implementation) describes the ares of strategic action, namely Balanced ScoreCard (BSC)

Syllabus

1 – Introduction to Strategy

2 – Strategic Analysis

2.1. Environment analysis

2.2. Internal analysis

3 – Strategic Choices

3.1. Competitive strategy

3.2. Corporate strategy

3.3. International strategy

3.4. Innovation and enterpreneurship

3.5. Merges & acquisitions

4 – Strategic Implementation

NAO

Mandatory reading:

Whitthington, R., Regnér, P., Angwin, D., Jonhson, G., & Scholes, K. (2020). Exploring Strategy, 12th Edition. Pearson Education Limited.

Other readings:

Barney, JB (2002) Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 3º Ed.
Barney J.B., & Hesterly, W.S. (2018). Strategic Management and Competitive Advantage, 6th Edition. Pearson.

Kaplan, R. e Norton, D. (2001) Organização orientada para a estratégia, Campus, 15ª Ed., São Paulo.
Kaplan, R. e Norton D. (2009) Prémio de Execução, Actual Editora, Lisboa.
Kim, W. C. e Mauborgne, R. (2007) A Estratégia Oceano Azul, Actual Editora, Lisboa.
HBR’s Must-Reads on Strategy (2012), Harvard Business School Press.
Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Queen, J. B. e Ghoshal, S. (2006), O processo da Estratégia, Bookman, 4ª Ed.
Rumelt, R. (2011) Good Strategy Bad Strategy, Profile Books