AØKA08100U Advanced Strategic Management

Volume 2017/2018
Content

The idea of the course is to provide students with an understanding of how managers make decision and how strategy evolves in different types of companies and contexts as for instance in organizations located in a dynamic and complex environment facing genuine uncertainty. A further idea is to make the students aware of not only the economic but also the political, social, and psychological aspect of managing an organization and how these aspects affect the development of strategies in organizations both in the private and public sector.

First, we look at different perspectives on strategy, management and organization, including the different elements of an organization and its context (environment) as well as on how organizations are structured depending on the context in which they operate.

This is the starting point of a more detailed presentation and discussion of five different organizational archetypes: The entrepreneurial organization; the large mature/older production/service company; the expert organization, the innovative organization; and the divisional form. For each of these archetypes we go in depth on how the organization is structured, how it is managed, how we work with and develop strategies within it, and what specific problems and opportunities each of them contain. Finally, we will for each of the five archetypes investigate the business model (business logic) it is built upon. This part of the course concludes with an overview of how the organizational archetypes evolve over time from one archetype to another archetype as the organization grows and matures.

In the third part of the course, we look at a number of forces which determine and influence the development of strategies in organizations. Here we look at how companies can handle the uncertainty associated with the development of new technologies, the emergence of new values ​​/ norms and globalization and the management of strategic alliances, etc. In addition, we also look at how intended and emergent strategies develop over time and how we can organize and manage strategic change processes.

The course provides a comprehensive tool for diagnosing an organization, as a manager, a consultant, or as a job seekers, and up front know the kind of opportunities and challenges this organization typically is faced with concerning leadership, strategy and organizing.

Learning Outcome

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge:

  • A deep theoretical knowledge concerning strategy, organisation and management and how they are influenced by different organizational contexts
  • An  understanding of different organisational archetypes and how they function
  • Knowledge concerning different forces including technology, globalization, collaboration and values that affect organizations
  • A deep understanding of different ways of organize strategy development processes

 

Skills:

  • An ability to diagnose the archetype or archetypes of an organization
  • An ability to diagnose the managerial challenges of an organization
  • An ability to diagnose the strategic challenges of an organization

 

Competences:

  • Competences to identify, evaluate and discuss strategic, organizational and managerial issues within case organizations by applying the diagnosing tools, terms and models from the course
  • Skills to develop a specific implementation plan for how to work with and organize strategic management and other managerial topics in different organizational contexts
  • A skill to evaluate what could be the strategic future development direction for an organization given its present context

 

The course provide the students with a competence in analysing the circumstances under which business strategies are developed and implemented as well as competences in organizing strategy development processes and decision-making in different types of organizations and environment. The course apply to student who see themselves in a job position as a management consultant, a secretary to the board of managers, and future managers who would like to work with business strategies in private and public organizations.

H. Mintzberg, J. Lampel, J.B.Quinn & S. Ghoshal: “The Strategy Process – Concepts, Contexts, Cases” Fifth Edition, Pearson Education 2014.

 ISBN 978-0-273-71628-0

It is strongly recommended that the course Strategic Management has been followed or be willing to make themselves familiar with all the classical and modern concepts within this area.
The teaching is a combination of dialog lectures, small group work during classis including both discussions and presentations, and student presentations. It is a precondition that student have read the texts and cases before each class and that they are willing to present texts and cases to the class.
Schedule:
3 hours lectures a week from week 6 to 20 (except holidays).

The overall schema for the Master can be seen at
https:/​/​intranet.ku.dk/​ECONOMICS_MA/​COURSES/​COURSECATALOGUE-F18/​Pages/​default.aspx

Timetable and venue:
To see the time and location of lectures please press the link/links under "Se skema" (See schedule) at the right side of this page (E means Autumn, F means Spring).

You can find the similar information partly in English at
https:/​/​skema.ku.dk/​ku1718/​uk/​module.htm
-Select Department: “2200-Økonomisk Institut” (and wait for respond)
-Select Module:: “2200-F18; [Name of course]”
-Select Report Type: “List – Weekdays”
-Select Period: “Forår/Spring – Week 5-30”
Press: “ View Timetable”
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 0,3
  • Guidance
  • 1
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 102,7
  • Project work
  • 60
  • Total
  • 206,0
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20 min. under invigilation
Written assignment
The exam is an individually oral examination without preparation, defending a written paper of 3-4 pages where some given questions must be answered.
The students are allowed to talk together about the given problem-set but must work on, write and upload the assignment answer individually. The plagiarism rules must be complied.

The final mark for the course is a holistic evaluation of both the paper and the oral exam.
The exam must be answered in English (both paper and oral exam).
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Exam registration requirements

None

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Aid
Only certain aids allowed

For the paper all aids are allowed.

At the oral examination the paper and some slides of the case is allowed as aid.

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Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
The course can be selected for external assessment.
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Exam period

The deadline for the written paper is May 15, 2018 at 10 a.m.

 

Oral exam: Week 21 (May 2018). Exact date will be made in agreement with the teacher and the Exam Office.

 

For enrolled students more information about examination, rules, exam schedule etc. is available at the intranet for master students (UK) and master students (DK).

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Re-exam

The reexam is oral with no preparation in week 35 and/or 36.

The non-passed written paper must be handed with corrections no later than August 23, 2018 at 10 a.m.

 

For enrolled students more information about reexamination, rules, schedule etc. is available at the intranet for master students (UK) and master students (DK).

Criteria for exam assesment

Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the course.

To receive the top grade, the student must with no or only a few minor weaknesses be able to demonstrate an excellent performance displaying a high level of command of all aspects of the relevant material and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes.