Macquarie University
Strategic management: Be competitive
Macquarie University

Strategic management: Be competitive

10,181 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8

(316 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
21 hours to complete
3 weeks at 7 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8

(316 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
21 hours to complete
3 weeks at 7 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Identifying the forces that shape competition for economic exchanges

  • Analysing the sources of value in company offerings and how do segment markets in order to create value

  • Developing strategic options that are suitable, feasible, and acceptable

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

12 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Placeholder

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Strategising: Management for Global Competitive Advantage Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate
Placeholder
Placeholder

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

Placeholder

There are 6 modules in this course

This week you will be introduced to the strategy framework that captures the components of competitive strategy. The components of competitive strategy are: strategy content, internal strategy context, and external strategy context. You will develop an understanding of how those components contribute to value creation and value capture. You will gain understanding of the key characteristics of competitive strategy, starting with two foundational topics: First, we will establish that organisations are all about value creation. You will understand what value means, and also how value creation has become a central topic in organisations. Second, you will learn about what strategy actually is and what the characteristics of competitive strategy are.

What's included

5 videos5 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

This week you will learn to analyse the aspects of the external strategy context directly related to your business: customers and competitors. You will learn how to conduct customer segmentation and targeting, assess the competitive landscape in an industry, and know which factors affect the degree of competition in an industry.

What's included

3 videos3 readings2 assignments

This week you will continue to look at the external strategy context, this time analysing the industry and the broader macro-environment. You will learn how to discover the stakeholders that affect your industry, know which industry forces affect competitive strategies,and identify which macro-environmental factors affect competitive strategies. You will develop understanding of the Porter's 5 Forces framework to analyse the forces in the industry context. You will also learn how to conduct a PESTEL analysis to assess the impact of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental/physical and Legal (PESTEL) factors on business.

What's included

3 videos4 readings2 assignments

This week, you will focus on the competitive strategy content. you will learn about the so-called generic competitive strategies, which are also often called positioning strategies. After conducting customer segmentation, competitor analysis, and a macro-environmental scan, you have to decide which competitive strategy and strategic positioning is most promising in your industry and for the respective segments: differentiating your products based on provided benefits or following a low cost strategy?You will develop skills to help you understand how to position your organisation as a value for money provider by being a cost leader in the market, and how to become a differentiated provider.

What's included

4 videos2 readings2 assignments

This week, you will learn how to analyse your organisation’s strategic options. You will understand the importance of strategic fit and how to achieve it. You will learn how to assess key capabilities to competitive strategy, and evaluate and choose between strategic options. You will learn about a set of criteria and frameworks, based on the Resource Based View, to evaluate capabilities and strategic options to achieve competitive advantage.

What's included

4 videos2 readings2 assignments

This week, you will be introduced to the idea of ambidexterity and the need to set up your strategy to exploit current advantages and opportunities, while simultaneously using your resources & capabilities to form new advantages. This week you will learn how to develop growth strategies for your organisation by thinking about your organisation as a portfolio of businesses. You will learn about analytical frameworks such as the growth share matrix and the Ansoff matrix. You will learn how to come up with new value offerings for your customers by applying blue ocean thinking to create value propositions.

What's included

4 videos3 readings2 assignments

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.7 (95 ratings)
Associate Professor Ralf Wilden
Macquarie University
3 Courses10,731 learners

Offered by

Recommended if you're interested in Business Strategy

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

4.8

316 reviews

  • 5 stars

    87.06%

  • 4 stars

    10.72%

  • 3 stars

    1.57%

  • 2 stars

    0.31%

  • 1 star

    0.31%

Showing 3 of 316

WY
5

Reviewed on Jan 13, 2021

NY
5

Reviewed on Jul 11, 2021

IH
5

Reviewed on Jan 25, 2023

New to Business Strategy? Start here.

Placeholder

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions