Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
LUCIO CASSIA
Professor of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship

Chairman of the Center for Young and Family Enterprise (CYFE)
University of Bergamo

              STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

    Course Introduction and Syllabus

                                        Lesson STR T00 - Course Number 37056 ITA – Fall 2017 / Spring 2018
Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Details and contents

                  Strategic Management (Theory and Practice)       2
                  Lucio Cassia Università degli Studi di Bergamo
Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
• Course name    Strategia e Sistemi di Pianificazione   (ITA code 37056)

• Course terms   1st term   Theory      (6 ECTS)         Sep,19 2017 – Dec,12 2017
                 2nd term   Practice    (6 ECTS)         Feb,27 2018 – May,8 2018

• e-learning     http://elearning8.unibg.it/moodle25/

• Social         Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship @UniBG

• Web            www.unibg.it/struttura/struttura.asp?corso=37056

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Course modules: Theory and Practice

                                           Lectures
                                           (12 classes)
                      Theory
                                       Methods and tools
                                           (2 classes)
                Sep,19 – Dec,12 2017
                                        Conference Lab
                                            (1 class)

                                         Case studies
                                           (3 classes)
                     Practice
                                       Conference Labs
                                           (3 classes)
                 Feb,27 – May,8 2018
                                       Project Work Labs
                                           (3 classes)

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Lectures topics (Theory, 12 classes)

   • Competitive Strategy
        – Strategy Fundamentals and Change
        – Competition and Competitive Advantage
        – Strategy vs. Best Practice in the Digital Age

   • Entrepreneurial Strategy
        – Why does Leadership matter in Strategy
        – How is Strategy Formed?
        – Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Strategy

   • Digital Strategy
        – Digital Transformation
        – Digital Innovation and Strategy
        – Disrupted Industries Scenarios

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Methods and tools topics (Theory, 2 classes)

  • Overview on Strategy Frameworks
       – Overview about main frameworks and techniques to support strategic decisions
       – Selection of the right framework to address different business issues
       – Setting business recommendations based on strategy frameworks

  • Introduction to Techniques, Methods and Tools for Information search
       – Data and information for strategic analysis
       – Data sources
       – Citations, references, plagiarism

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Conference Lab (Theory, 1 class)

  • StartCup Bergamo Final Event (Oct,9 2017)
       – Start Cup Bergamo is the Business Plan Competition of the University of
         Bergamo, promoting entrepreneurship and helping young people to develop a
         business idea into a well-done business plan.
       – During the final event the business ideas will be presented to academics,
         investors and entrepreneurs.
       – Students will be involved in the final event, where the nascent entrepreneurs will
         present their business ideas to discuss the underlying embedded strategies.

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Case studies (Practice, 3 classes)

   • Some business Case studies will be discussed during the classes in the 2nd term
       (Practice Module).

   • Case studies are powerful tools to investigate a topic combining a qualitative and a
       quantitative approach. A major and recurrent issue is the relationship between
       strategy, growth and long-term performance.

   • You will learn analytical techniques to check the competitive position of a firm,
       evaluate business strategies, and identify and analyze specific business options.
       These concepts and frameworks will help to face complex and unstructured
       problems in business strategy, in order to provide a solid foundation for managerial
       decision making.

   • Students are strongly encouraged to read the material for a very proactive in-class
       discussion of the case.

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Conference Labs (Practice, 3 classes)

   • The Trends in the Age of Globalization (TAG) Conferences represent an opportunity
      to understand the changes of the global scenario from the experience of eminent
      keynotes. Global strategy, innovation, digital transformation will be among the topics
      of the conferences.

   • The keynotes will be academics, top managers and entrepreneurs, i.e. people who
      understand the global trends to successfully face the rapidly changing global context.
      Corporations, small firms, startups and communities are central in identifying key
      values in modern changes.

   • The aim of the TAG Conferences is to inspire students’ critical thinking skills and
      debate on the impact and scenarios of the global changes.

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Course Introduction and Syllabus - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Project Works Labs (Practice, 3 classes)

   • During the second term, three classes will be allocated as class labs for the planning
     and the development of each project work. The groups will work on the assigned
     topic with the assistance of the Faculty.
   • The aim is to help students throughout the preparation of the project work and to
     give support to find the right direction to decide structure, contents, sources.

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Proactive participation

   • Attending the course is strongly recommended. Students are encouraged to
      participate to every class.

   • The course is structured to be interactive with the class participants.
      Proactive participation is appreciated and graded.

   • Contributions to discussion (in class and/or through social networks) and ideas from
      the students are encouraged. Informed and engaged participation is of paramount
      importance and welcome from everyone. Students are also strongly invited to
      debate about the topics, experiment new ideas and share links to real cases.

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Faculty
Course Faculty

                 Lucio Cassia
                 Professor of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship
                 Chairman of the Center for Young and Family Enterprise (CYFE)
                 University of Bergamo
                 lucio.cassia@unibg.it

                 Davide Hahn
                 Research Fellow of the Center for Young and Family Enterprise
                 (CYFE)
                 University of Bergamo
                 davide.hahn@unibg.it

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Courses Assistant

                    Paolo Pressiani
                    Research fellow of the Center for Young and Family Enterprise (CYFE)
                    Project manager of Start Cup Bergamo
                    University of Bergamo
               !    paolo.pressiani@unibg.it

                    •   Course organization
                    •   Teamwork management
                    •   e-learning Moodle platform
                    •   Class communication

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Resources
Online resources (Moodle platform)

  • Online resources are available to the students enrolled on the course
      through the Moodle platform
       – Lessons
       – Case studies
       – Reference material (scientific papers, reports, podcasts, interviews, etc.)
       – Lectures by visiting executives (entrepreneurs, managers, etc.)
       – Information about lessons, conferences, events, etc.
       – http://elearning8.unibg.it/moodle25/

  • Students are invited to join the Facebook Group “Strategic Management &
      Entrepreneurship @UniBG” to share information and posts about the main topics of
      the course
       – www.facebook.com/groups/strategicmanagementunibg/

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Reference texts

  • Contemporary Strategy Analysis
      Robert M. Grant
      John Wiley & Sons Inc, ISBN 978-1-11912-083-4

  • Strategic Management: Concepts
      Frank T. Rothaermel
      McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN 978-1-25942-047-4

  • Entrepreneurial Strategy
      Lucio Cassia, Michael Fattore, Stefano Paleari
      Edward Elgar, ISBN 978-1-84542-197-3

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Exams and Course policies
Exam

  • The exam covers both Theory and Practice modules and requires to demonstrate the
       mastery of the topics, tools and frameworks covered during the course.

  • Grading plan
        a. Theory module                   : 25% (Discussion)
        b. Practice module                 : 75% (Project Work)
        c. Proactive participation         : additional 0-3 scores (case studies & conf. labs)

  • Both discussion and project work are assigned on four-student group basis formed by
       the faculty (students’ proposals will be evaluated).

  • Theory assessment and project work can be separately obtained in different sessions.
       Grades are kept valid for the exam sessions from June to September. For the
       following sessions, students will be required to take both parts within the same
       session.

  • An early additional exam session will be available in May 2018 (attending students
       only).

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a. Discussion (Theory module)

  • The Theory module exam consists in a discussion on a strategy topic reported in a
      lesson, through papers, interviews by international scholars, financial institutions
      (e.g., IMF, World Bank), newspapers (e.g., Financial Times, The Economist), business
      and strategy journals (e.g., Harvard Business Review), strategic advisors reports (e.g.,
      McKinsey).

  • The topic will be assigned one week ahead of the in-class discussion. The assigned
      group will take care of the presentation and discussion with the rest of the class.

  • The Faculty will evaluate the discussion considering understanding of the topic,
      synthesis, original contribution, accuracy and class engagement (we will use the App
      Slido to measure the class engagement; please download the app sli.do)

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b1. Project work (Practice module)

  • The project work analyzes an industry, a company or a set of companies, a strategic
      initiative undertaken (e.g., a merger or an acquisition), a strategic opportunity faced
      by a company or industry (e.g., a change in market demand or technology) or a global
      trend (e.g., a competition shift).
  •   Students are required to apply strategic tools and knowledge learned along the
      course, to the real economic environment.
  •   The goal of the project work is “to know more” about the assigned topic. Students
      have to deal with the issue in depth, with a scientific and critical approach. This
      includes careful selection of the most reputed sources.
  •   The project consists of a written report and a final presentation. A comprehensive
      “project work package” includes presentation, sources, references, papers,
      documents and material in electronic form.
  •   Innovative ways of presentation, original ideas, clarity, focus on the topic are
      encouraged.

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b2. Project work rules (Practice module)

  • The project work must be comprised of original text. Students are expected not to
      use others’ text or work and present it as their own. References shall always be cited.
      In case of plagiarism the entire exam will be nullified.
  •   Each student of the group will put their effort to make sure that their contribution
      and presentation will be comparable among the members. Each team member will
      be selected by the Faculty to present different parts of the project work. Each
      student may be assigned a different score.
  •   Project works including practical case studies will be appreciated, where relevant.
  •   The comprehensive package of the project work will be sent to the Faculty one week
      before the exam through cloud uploading (send to: paolo.pressiani@unibg.it).
  •   Based on the project work topics and domain, the Faculty may pose questions to
      each student within the group, on matters and subjects taken from the Theory
      module. The answers will influence the final evaluation individually.
  •   The Faculty will evaluate the project work considering originality, internal
      consistency, relevance to the assigned theme, methodological rigor, quality and
      variety of sources, accuracy of report and presentation, clarity of in-class
      presentation, efficient teamwork.

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c. Case studies, Conference Labs (Proactive participation)

   • The Faculty will evaluate the proactive participation (single student and groups) both
      during Case studies analyses and Conferences Labs.

   • Case studies
      Students are strongly encouraged to read the material for a very proactive in-class
      discussion of the Harvard cases.

   • Conferences Labs
      Students are invited to review the guest’s profile in advance and the main topic of
      each TAG Conference. Groups are required to prepare (not trivial) questions before
      and during the TAG Conference to foster the discussion.

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Not attending students

  • Students attending less than 75% of the classes will be considered not attending
      students.

  • Grading plan
       a. Theory module                   : 25% (Oral or written exam on theory topics)
       b. Practice module                 : 75% (Project Work)

  • Theory assessment is based on the reference text “Contemporary Strategy Analysis”
      (Robert M. Grant) as well as the online resources (lectured materials, cases and
      discussions) and consists of multiple-choice questions, short answers and essay
      questions. The exam will be performed on an individual basis.

  • The Faculty will assign the project work on an individual or group basis. Not attending
      students are required to contact the Faculty well ahead of the exam session.

  • Theory assessment and project work can be separately obtained in different sessions.
      Grades are kept valid for the exam sessions from June to September. For the
      following sessions, students will be required to take both parts within the same
      session.

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Erasmus and Extra-EU Programme Students

   We encourage students to apply for an Erasmus or an Extra-EU programme.
   Upon request, students involved in an Erasmus Program during 1st or 2nd term of the
   current year may be eligible for the attending student status (theory exam through
   discussion; additional May exam session; exam by Skype if abroad).

   Furthermore, students can apply for any equivalence of the modules (Theory and
   Practice, 6 ECTS each) under prior approval by prof. Maria Sole Brioschi
   (maria-sole.brioschi@unibg.it). The equivalence may be granted for one or both
   modules. On student’s request and responsibility, the remaining module will be carried
   out in Italy within a four-student group. For these students the grading plan will be 50%
   for each module (Theory/Practice) if they have passed and registered one of the two
   modules abroad as equivalent exam.

   The same rules apply to foreign students at the University of Bergamo participating in
   an Erasmus or Extra-EU Program, as well as to Italian students undertaking recognized
   internships.

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Course policies

  • Attendance
       – Attendance is useful requirement for an effective class discussion and team-
         based course. Students attending 75% or more of the classes will be considered
         attending students.
       – All the students are members of a learning community, so a professional
         behavior is expected. Please be on time for the class and be respectful of others’
         viewpoints even if in disagreement with them.

  • Computer and mobile phone
       – Some sessions will require that the team has access to a computer or mobile
         devices to access the internet. The use of electronic devices other than for the
         class activities is not appropriate.

  • Kick-out option
       – Although it generally doesn’t apply, team members have the right to determine
         whether to kick “non-performers” out of the team. To exercise the option, the
         team leader has to send an e-mail to paolo.pressiani@unibg.it , confirmed by the
         members, requesting the kick-out. Students who are excluded from the team are
         responsible for finding a new team.
                          Source: Adaptation from the Syllabus, Strategic Management & Business Policy, prof. Jing Sun, Wayne State University

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Course policies

  • Academic integrity
       – The university policies regarding plagiarism, cheating and similar activities will be
         pursued as appropriate. Downloading or use of material obtained from an on-
         line site without proper citation is plagiarism. Citing sources properly is
         necessary to demonstrate where your information is coming from. It also helps
         keep you from accidentally plagiarizing.

  • Grade disputes
       – Although generally it doesn’t happen, grade disputes are handled in writing.
         Students are invited to submit a memo to paolo.pressiani@unibg.it describing
         the disputed item and why they feel the grade was incorrect. Grading errors are
         possible, but please be aware that errors can be overly generous as well as
         overly harsh. Accordingly, the grade on the remarked assignment may stay the
         same, be increased, or be decreased. There are no extra credit assignments or
         other supplementary options for improving a course grade.

                           Source: Adaptation from the Syllabus, Strategic Management & Business Policy, prof. Jing Sun, Wayne State University

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