Business Strategy
Business strategy for managers in Canada, with examples from Canadian retail and the Competition Act's merger rules: what strategy is and is not, with trade-offs, fit and the kernel of diagnosis, guiding policy and coherent actions, analysing industries with the five forces and concentration measures, the macro environment and scenario planning with robustness and regret, resources and capabilities with the VRIO framework and dynamic capabilities, competitive advantage as value creation with the value stick and the experience curve, business-level strategy with generic strategies, the strategy canvas and the ERRC grid, competitive dynamics with game theory, commitment and the value net, innovation, disruption and platform strategy with network effects, corporate strategy with diversification, parenting, portfolios and vertical integration, mergers, acquisitions and alliances with value bridges, synergies and integration, and strategy execution with structure, culture and the balanced scorecard, ending in a capstone strategy for Cedarline Outdoor, with runnable Python examples.
MBA-514 3 credits 12 lessons · 4 h 9 min ▶ Video lessons coming soon
Offered by HSM University · MBA Core
This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.
What you'll learn
- Distinguish strategy from operational effectiveness and from goals, and write a strategy statement that defines an objective, a scope and an advantage and rules things out.
- Analyse an industry with the five forces and concentration measures, explain its profitability and identify positions where the forces are weaker.
- Organize the macro environment, separate predetermined elements from critical uncertainties, build scenarios and test strategic options for robustness and regret.
- Assess resources and capabilities with the VRIO framework and judge which can support a sustained advantage and what the organization must change to exploit them.
- Explain competitive advantage as creating more value than rivals, using the value stick, cost and differentiation drivers, the experience curve and isolating mechanisms.
- Choose and evaluate business-level strategies using generic strategies, value disciplines, the strategy canvas and the ERRC grid, and recognize a position stuck in the middle.
- Analyse competitive interaction with game theory, competitor analysis and the value net, and design credible commitments and lawful responses to rivals.
- Evaluate innovations and platforms using S-curves, disruption theory, complementary assets, network effects, multi-homing and the conditions for tipping.
- Make corporate strategy decisions on diversification, parenting, portfolio management and vertical integration, using economic profit and transaction cost reasoning.
- Evaluate acquisitions and alliances by building value bridges, testing synergies and premiums, avoiding the winner's curse, planning integration and applying merger law.
- Translate strategy into execution by aligning structure, processes, rewards, people and culture, and by designing a balanced scorecard with a strategy map.
- Integrate the course into a board-ready strategy with a diagnosis, guiding policy, coherent actions, financial projections, scenario tests, measures and signposts.
Course content
12 lessons · 4 h 9 min total · final exam
- 1 What strategy is: choices, trade-offs and fit 22 min · quiz
- 2 Analysing industries: the five forces and industry economics 21 min · quiz
- 3 The macro environment and scenario planning 21 min · quiz
- 4 Resources, capabilities and the resource-based view 21 min · quiz
- 5 Competitive advantage: cost, differentiation and value creation 19 min · quiz
- 6 Business-level strategy and positioning 20 min · quiz
- 7 Competitive dynamics and game theory 21 min · quiz
- 8 Innovation, disruption and platform strategy 21 min · quiz
- 9 Corporate strategy: diversification, vertical integration and portfolio management 21 min · quiz
- 10 Mergers, acquisitions and alliances 21 min · quiz
- 11 Strategy execution: structure, culture and the balanced scorecard 20 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: a strategy for Cedarline 21 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Business strategy for managers in Canada, with examples from Canadian retail and the Competition Act's merger rules: what strategy is and is not, with trade-offs, fit and the kernel of diagnosis, guiding policy and coherent actions, analysing industries with the five forces and concentration measures, the macro environment and scenario planning with robustness and regret, resources and capabilities with the VRIO framework and dynamic capabilities, competitive advantage as value creation with the value stick and the experience curve, business-level strategy with generic strategies, the strategy canvas and the ERRC grid, competitive dynamics with game theory, commitment and the value net, innovation, disruption and platform strategy with network effects, corporate strategy with diversification, parenting, portfolios and vertical integration, mergers, acquisitions and alliances with value bridges, synergies and integration, and strategy execution with structure, culture and the balanced scorecard, ending in a capstone strategy for Cedarline Outdoor, with runnable Python examples.