12527 - Business Strategies

Learning outcomes

The course provides students who will operate as managers or consultants with advanced instruments for the analysis of competition, with a special attention to the implications for corporate and business strategies.  The course will deal with several business case-studies. Students will be able to examine management decisions by applying models and concepts aiming at analyzing the business environment and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.   

Course contents

The course is composed of three parts:

PartI. Strategic management

• Resources& competencies and competitive environment
• Business strategies and competitive advantage
• Corporate strategies: diversification
• Corporate strategies: vertical integration
• Corporate strategies: long-term contracts and strategic alliances

 Part II . the Business plan

• Objectives of the business plan
• The structure of the business plan
• Marketing plan and competitive strategy
• Operations, organizational structure and financial plan
• Control

 Part III – Internationalization strategy of the firm

• Globalisation of markets and theories of internationalisation
• Attractiveness and accessibility of countries
• Entry strategies: Exportation,  foreign direct investments, and  inter-firm cooperation agreements

 

Readings/Bibliography

Parts I and II

Besanko, D., Dranove, D. e Shanley, M., Economia dell'industria e strategie d'impresa, UTET, Torino, 2001, capp. 2-6. (English version: Economics of Strategy, John Wiley & Sons, New York)

Ghemawat, P. Strategie aziendali e contesti competitive, Carocci editore, Roma, 2007, capp. 4-6.(English version: Strategy and the Business Landscape, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ)

Siegel, E.S., Bornstein J.M. e Ford, B.R. 2000. Come si prepara un business plan. La guida Ernst&Young, Tecniche Nuove, Milano, II Italian edition. (English version: The Arthur Young Business Plan Guide, JohnWiley& Sons, New York)

Part III

Hill C.W.L. (2008). International Business Economia e strategia internazionale: l'impresa dei mercati globali, Hoepli, Milan. (an English version of this text is available), chapters 1, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

Additional suggested readings

Barney, Jay B. and William Hesterly (2008) Strategic Management and Competitive Advantage, concepts and cases: Pearson, Prentice Hall.

Case studies indicated by the teacher during the course. Additional readings indicated by the teacher during the course.

Teaching methods

Lectures, case studies developed with the participation of the students and presentation of case studies by the students.

Assessment methods

The following grading system will be used to evaluate students:

(a) participation of students to the analysis of assigned case-studies;

(b) a final written (open book) exam.

For students who will prepare a case-study during the course the written exam will be based on a subset of the readings above.

Links to further information

http://www.unibo.it/docenti/torrisi

Office hours

See the website of Salvatore Torrisi

See the website of Gianrico Quattrocolo