Course Overview

B290Fall 2014

What is a strategy?

Context / Environment•Political•Regulatory•Technological

Resources•Skills•Knowledge•Assets•Capital

Market•Users•Needs•Valuation

•Competitors•Current•Potential

A coherent set of decisions about resource deployment that moves the organization towards its objective

Analytical Tools

Strategy toolkit

• Porter’s 5 forces• The R.B.V. • Generic Strategies• Diversification• T.C.E. and Vertical Integration• Game theory• (S.W.O.T.)

• BGC growth share matrix• Product / industry life cycle• McKinsey 7-S

Other useful domains

• Institutional theory• Organization theory• Psychology and social

psychology• Economics • Economic sociology• Political science

Strategic Management Process

Analysis Implementation

What is our current situation?• Industry

structure• Unique firm

competenciesWhere do we want to be?

How can we change the industry structure?How can we change the firm’s capabilities?

What targets should we set?What organizational structures and processes do we need?How do we align people?Who will we work with (who does what)?What investments are needed?

Formulation

Strategic Management Process

AnalysisContext / Goals

Implementation

How are we doing?- In relation to our

goals- Relative to our

competitors- Relative to

stakeholder expectations

• What things do we need to change?

• How do we exploit opportunities?

• How do we evade / counter the threats?

What targets should we set?What organizational structures and processes do we need?How do we align people?Who will we work with (who does what)?What investments are needed?

Formulation

•How best to frame the situation?•Where are the key metrics?•What are the key drivers?•Does a different framing suggest different drivers and metrics?•Where do we want to get to?

Business plan

• Vehicle through which you demonstrate you understanding of:– your target market / customer

• e.g., needs, willingness to pay constraints

– Your product• Features, costs, constraints,

– The envisioning of preferred and some alternate strategies

– The identification of assumptions and contingencies

– Cost benefit of alternative strategies

Information about the class

• Course home page: http://strategy.sjsu.edu/B290– Contact information– Class agendas–What you need to prepare for each class• Book readings and downloads• PowerPoint slides

– Deliverables and due dates• Links to Canvas assignment