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

• The corporate scope
• Industry evolution and strategic change
• Horizontal scope: diversification strategy; managing diversified companies
• Vertical scope: vertical integration strategy; managing integrated companies
• Modes of corporate growth and the external growth of the firm: outsourcing, joint venture and alliances, mergers & acquisitions.
• Analysis of a business case

Readings/Bibliography

Required readings: Colucci M., “Corporate Strategy”, CREATE McGraw-Hill [In press: available from Fall 2025]. Chapters: 1 “Core business and corporate scope”, 2 “Business portfolio: horizontal scope”, 3 “Business portfolio: vertical scope”, 4 “Modes of corporate growth”. (Optional – Chapters: 5 “Managing mergers and acquisitions”, 6 “Managing alliances, partnership, and joint ventures”, 7 “Managing internal development”)

Additional/optional readings: Robert M. Grant “Contemporary Strategy Analysis (12th edition)” Wiley. Chapters: 8 “Industry Evolution and Strategic Change” (The Industry Lifecycle, pp. 168-173); 10 “Vertical Integration and the Scope of the Firm”; 14 “Current Trends in Strategic Management”.

Teaching methods

• Lectures combined with the application of corporate strategy concepts to a real case study developed in collaboration with a consulting firm.
• Case discussions held during class to reinforce theoretical frameworks through real-world examples.
• Guest speaker presentations offering insights from industry professionals.

Assessment methods

• Business Report (50%): A report based on a real case study, to be submitted during the course.
• Written Examination (50%): One open-ended question to be answered during the final exam.
  

 

Mark scale:

• <18 Fail.
• 18-23 Pass.
• 24-27 Good.
• 28-30 Distinction.
• 30 e lode Great Distinction.

Teaching tools

• Lectures
• Case study based on real data, presented by a management consultant, serving as the basis for the business report
• Case study discussions to deepen understanding of strategic concepts
• Teamwork and business report presentation to apply learning in a collaborative setting
  
  

Office hours

See the website of Mariachiara Colucci