Corporate StrategyLaajuus (5 ECTS)

Objective

Upon course completion, the student will not only know the strategic content, context, and process of Corporate Strategy and will understand how Emergent and Prescriptive Strategies are deployed in practice, but this course is the binding tie – the “red line” that connects all of the elements of the business curriculum. The student has learned how entrepreneurs become corporations and maintain ongoing operations – the innovation, the marketing, the management, the cultures, the laws, communications and logistics, but now understand fully how corporations try to be entrepreneurial – dynamic – through projects, while trying to maintain consistency in static operations. The student will also better understand cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives; and even further his/her understanding of how all aspects of business are important in formulating strategic plans especially in implementing them. But perhaps most importantly, the student will be able to tie in and apply all that has come before in the business curriculum into further development of his or her competence.

Upon course completion, the student will be able to carry out more effectively the activities of business: from being able to communicate about strategy and creating a plan, to evaluating a current corporate strategy or executing a new one, the student will function more competently. And s/he will be more practiced in the use of a virtual learning environment, online platforms and IT – will also have better presentation and corporate language skills.

This reviews all aspects of the curriculum and applies it in further discussion of international strategic management issues, research, finance, cross-cultural and cross-functional communication, project and change management, entrepreneurship, etc. As stated in first paragraph of this section, this is the tie that binds all other elements of the business curriculum together.

Content

1. Introduction & Overview of Corporate Strategy: Review of History and Practice, Relationship with other Courses Taken
2. Analysis of the Environment: Basics & Markets, Competitors and Customers
3. Analysis of Resources Human Resources, Financial and Operations Resources
4. Developing Purpose & Strategy: Purpose through Mission and Leadership, Strategy, Structure & Style, Developing Strategic Options and Evaluations, Purpose through IT
5. Implementation and Control: Resources Allocation, Planning & Control, Structure & People Issues, Expansion and Today’s Dynamics of Strategy Development, Managing Strategic Change and Building a Cohesive Corporate Strategy

Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Strategic Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Innovation
Review: Marketing, Management, Projects, Issues of Change Management

Qualifications

Minimum two years of business studies
English Language Proficiency