The purpose of this course is to present, analyze and discuss the different facets of business strategy formulation. Emphasizing that strategy can be seen as a unified theme that provides coherence and direction to the actions and decisions of a firm, we will cover a variety of business strategy topics concerned with firm positioning in the context of different markets, industries and locations.
At the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Identify why a strong strategy is essential for the future business success
- Formulate a business strategy that suits the needs and visions of your organization
- Explain why managers too often formulate sub-optimal strategies
- Extrapolate measures to optimize current business strategies
Workload: 2-4 hours per week.
This course is part of the Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization
Strategy Formulation
Offered By
About this Course
4.5
908 ratings
Skills you will gain
Strategic ManagementDecision-MakingStrategic ThinkingBusiness Strategy
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
11 hour to complete
Introducing strategy formulation
In the first module of this course, we will examine and discuss the foundations of strategy formulation, emphasizing key concepts such as competitive advantage, value creation, planned vs emerging strategy, and strategic fit.
3 videos (Total 14 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
2 readings
Discussion forum10m
Strategy plans10m
1 practice exercise
Strategy formulation8m
Week
22 hours to complete
Industry analysis
Building on the insights generated in the first session, in the second module we explore different industrial organization frameworks and discuss the importance of industry effects on firm performance. Keywords of this module include competition, industry attractiveness, and the ‘Five forces’-framework.
7 videos (Total 25 min), 7 readings, 4 quizzes
7 videos
Business environment4m
Competition from substitutes3m
Threat of entry3m
Rivalry between established competitors2m
Bargaining power of buyers3m
Bargaining power of suppliers2m
7 readings
Vestas Wind Turbines10m
Aviation trends10m
The cost of energy10m
The case of Suzlon10m
The threat from China?10m
The vulnerability of the wind turbine industry10m
The supplier's fault?10m
4 practice exercises
Attractiveness of the industry2m
Aviation trends2m
Industry attractiveness2m
Industry analysis10m
Week
32 hours to complete
Resources and capabilities
The purpose of this session is to understand the role of firm resources and capabilities in building and formulating a strong strategy. In particular, we will discuss concepts such as the value chain, core capabilities, heterogeneous resources, and the VRIO framework.
5 videos (Total 22 min), 6 readings, 5 quizzes
5 videos
The relationship between resources and competitive advantage4m
Firm resources5m
Organizational capabilities3m
Sustaining competitive advantage through resources and capabilities3m
6 readings
ECCO's leather tanneries10m
The resource based view10m
Microsoft buying skype10m
What would FC Barcelona be without Messi?10m
How firms view organizational capabilities?10m
VRIO framework10m
5 practice exercises
ECCO's leather production2m
Microsoft and Skype2m
Lionel Messi2m
Time for reflection2m
Resources and capabilities10m
Week
41 hour to complete
Global strategies and the multinational corporation
The opportunities and challenges of operating internationally are substantially different to the domestic context. Thus, to understand strategy in a global context, we focus on the multinational corporation and discuss strategic terms like foreign entry mode, location strategies, global integration/local adaptation, and distance.
4 videos (Total 14 min), 4 readings, 4 quizzes
4 videos
Defining the multinational enterprise4m
Motives for internationalization3m
Integration-responsiveness approach to global strategies3m
4 readings
Reflections of a CEO10m
Definitional problems?10m
East India Company and Google10m
The balance act between local and global forces10m
4 practice exercises
Doing business in China2m
East India Company and Google6m
The case of the global beer industry2m
Global strategies and the multinational corporation10m
4.5
171 Reviews33%
started a new career after completing these courses
33%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
18%
got a pay increase or promotion
Top Reviews
Very interesting, varied lectures with relevant presentations of Danish companies in all sorts of situations. The assignment was fun to do, but the grading process could be a bit smoother.
This was a tough one. Thank you for adopting case studies like Vestas and Carlsberg to help us understand various aspects of formulation. More importantly, pitfalls to be avoided.
Instructor
Marcus Møller Larsen
Assistant Professor, Strategic Management and GlobalizationDepartment of Strategic Management and Globalization
About Copenhagen Business School
Centrally located in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen Business School (CBS) is one of the largest business schools in Europe with close to 23,000 students. CBS offers world-class research-based degree programs at undergraduate, graduate, and PhD levels as well as executive and other post experience programs.
About the Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization
This Specialization explores the evolving world of business strategy, focusing on the increasingly important roles of design, user experience, and innovation in shaping competitive advantage. You’ll learn about concepts such as goal setting, value creation, global integration, and diversification, and you’ll critique classic theories and frameworks in the context of new business realities. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll create and defend a holistic business strategy in response to a realistic case study prompt.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
Coursera provides universal access to the world’s best education,
partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online.
© 2019 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
