OVERVIEW

The course provides the fundamentals of Strategic Management, in particular it examines the strategies that companies can implement to achieve competitive advantage and create value. Quantitative methods (simulation) for analysing these strategies will also be addressed.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course of "Fundamentals of Strategic Business Management" aims to support students in understanding and interpreting companies, their behaviors, and feasible strategies, with reference to their contextual environment. After a series of basic notions, fundamental to the specific subject, the focus is on the formulation of strategies for the market and the competitive/collaborative relationships between companies and their main stakeholders. In addition, the course presents advanced methods for modeling firms and simulating the results of the strategies to be implemented.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Introduction to the course

Elements of Strategic Management

The Purposes of Enterprises

Enterprises as complex social systems

Mission, Vision, Values

The enterprise and its environment

SWOT analysis

The internal environment

Process simulation for enterprises

Business and corporate level strategies

Competitive strategies and competitive advantage

Other managerial strategies

Technological innovation and the first mover

Elements of agent-based simulation

PREREQUISITES

No specific prerequisites

TEACHING METHODS

Synchronous lectures and case studies

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course aims at helping students to understand and interpret the companies’ behaviours and strategies with reference to their surrounding environment. The specific focus is on competitive/collaborative relationships among companies and their stakeholders. Some modelling paradigms are presented, along with case studies.
- main goals of a business
- companies as complex social systems
- creating shared value and Porter's Value Chain
- mission, vision and strategy
- the company and the environment (general and competitive environment; Porter's five forces analysis)
- internal environment of companies (resources, competences)
- business and corporate strategies
- competitive strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, focus) and the competitive advantage
- innovation and exploration vs exploitation strategies
- business functions
- business processes
- modelling and simulating an enterprise (overview of different paradigms)
- agent based models for strategic management simulation and modelling
- examples and case studies

- paradigms of business organization related to managerial strategies

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slides provided during the course

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARCO REMONDINO (President)

LORENZO MIZZAU

RICCARDO SPINELLI

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 2022

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination, based on the writing and presentation of project work with references to the theory illustrated during the course. There may be small ongoing projects for attending students.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Evaluation of the project work and assessment of understanding of the specific topics during the presentation

FURTHER INFORMATION

n/a