Overview of Course

Strategic management is a discipline for understanding why some companies achieve long-term competitive advantage and profitability while others don’t. This course is also an integration of various business subject areas through high-level policy and decision making. It introduces the contemporary perspectives and tools in strategic management, including competition and competitive analysis, market dynamics and firm competencies, strategic intent and imagination, and corporate strategy and strategic controls. The aim is for students to draw upon their knowledge in business management, including accounting, finance, marketing and other management functions, and develop strategic thinking and analytical skills that are requisite for leadership in today’s business, regardless of its industry, size or stage of development. The SAS voyage presents a unique learning environment in which students have the opportunity to better understand how differences in political, economic, social and technological environments may relate to different strategic behaviors across countries and regions and how multinational companies manage these differences under globalization or de-globalization pressure. Through lectures, exercises and case studies students will have a good exposure to specific strategies that companies use and the various factors at the firm, industry and regional level that shape or change the strategies. The course also helps students identify good managerial practices and learn the craft of strategic management through analyzing strategy formulations and implementations.