Course description

Title of the Teaching Unit

Corporate Strategy

Code of the Teaching Unit

21GE030

Academic year

2024 - 2025

Cycle

Number of credits

Number of hours

Quarter

Weighting

Site

Anjou

Teaching language

English

Teacher in charge

Lejeune Christophe

Objectives and contribution to the program

The course helps students to master the concepts and main analytical tools for strategic management. It covers the steps for an external and internal diagostic of the firm, the definition and implementation of strategy. In doing so, it allows students to understand how strategic decisions are taken in a responsible management perspective.

Learning objectives:
- LO1: Master the vocabulary and concepts related to strategic thinking
- LO2: Understand the components of strategic analysis in a company, and their interconnexion;
- LO3: Know the key authors and management tools supporting strategy development;
- LO4: Select and apply a strategic framework on a given corporate situation;
- LO5: Develop a critical mindset related to strategic analysis.

Competency Goals :
CG 1 Disciplinary Knowledge
CG2 Operational
CG3 Responsible
CG5 Aware of complexity / Critical Mind
CG6 Communicate orally and in writing in several languages

Prerequisites and corequisites

This course is accessible to students who have followed the basic training in management, economy, law or
social sciences expected at the end of the Bachelor degree in public or business management or economics.
A level in English sufficient for an active participation and understanding is required.
Business level reading and writing skills in English are necessary to successfully meet requirements.

Content

Capacity to understand strategic context and firm position in its industry, its markets and the macro
environment through research applying rigorous methodologies
Ability to identify the potential strategic choices available to the firm and the impact on its future
Ability to integrate strategic knowledge and thinking in management decision or connect strategy with recent business books.

Teaching methods

The course is based on multiple interactions with the students:
- Class room presentation: up to 24 hours of class room presentation are dedicated to the comprehensive review of the fundamentals of strategy, illustrated with case studies and current business
examples.
- Management Conferences: integrated in the class room program, up to 5 conferences by CEOs sharing their management experience in the three dimension of strategy: analysis, decision, and action.
- Individual Reading and Research: selected articles or studies are provided to broaden and deepen the
knowledge and critical views of students, a list of recommended business and management reading is provided each year.
- Essay and/or case study (tbc)
- Team management cases resolution: participation to the Brussels Management Challenge (BMC) management cases: Supply chain & IoT; Big Data Analytics & Blue Ocean Strategy; Technology start up
venturing and delivering case resolution in team.

Assessment method

Students’ assessment will be based on:
- Individual exam on the articles (for LO1, LO2, LO3)
- Writing a business case and/or essay (for LO4)
- Class participation and group debates (for LO5)

References

Gerry Johnson, Richard Whittington, Kevan Scholes, Duncan Angwin & Patrick Regnér:
Exploring Strategy - Text & Cases -  10th edition

FT Prentice Hall, Pearson Publishing, 2014  ISBN 978-1-292-00254-5