48148 - Corporate Strategy

Learning outcomes

The course intends to provide frameworks, methods and tools that can be useful to understand:- what is corporate strategy and which are its tools and frameworks; - how firms are created and managed in their start-up period; - how diversified and international firms are managed; - Why and how acquisitions are implemented; - Why and how alliances are created and managed; - Why and how restructuring and divestment are implemented; - How value is created at the corporate level.

Course contents

Introduction to the course

Corporate strategy and corporate advantage

Synergies and governance costs

New firm creation and entrepreneurship

Models of firm growth

New firm creation and growth in local context

The growth of family firm

Diversification strategy.

Organic and inorganic growth.

Acquisition: from objective to integration

Partnership creation and management

Restructuring and divestment

Outsourcing

Organizational structure and control

Readings/Bibliography

References will be provided at the beginning of the course.The reading list and optional readings will be provided for each lesson in the course timetable.

Teaching methods

The course will employ different teaching methods: lectures and presentations of guest speakers, papers and case-study discussion.

Assessment methods

Final written exam (individual) , paper/case study analysis and final group work

Criteria for grading:

-Identification of key problems/strategic issues

-Appropriate use of theoretical frameworks and analytical tools of the course

-Realistic, workable and well supported recommandations

-Good communication skills

The assessment grid will be as follows:

· <18 insufficient

· 18-23 sufficient

· 24-27 average/good

· 28-30 very good

· 30 cum laude excellent/outstanding

Office hours

See the website of Cristina Boari