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.
Strategy Formulation
Strategy Formulation
This course is part of Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization
Instructor: Marcus Møller Larsen
40,434 already enrolled
Included with 
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.5
(1,460 reviews)
16 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Shareable certificate
Add to your LinkedIn profile
Assessments
18 assignments
Taught in English
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
This course is part of the Strategic Management and Innovation 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
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 6 modules in this course
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.
What's included
3 videos2 readings1 assignment
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.
What's included
7 videos7 readings4 assignments
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.
What's included
5 videos6 readings5 assignments
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.
What's included
4 videos4 readings4 assignments
In this module, we will investigate the processes of strategic decision making and explore how this matters for firm performance. We will discuss topics such as ‘bounded rationality’, management politics, and hidden costs.
What's included
5 videos6 readings4 assignments
Drawing on the content covered in this course, your job is to formulate a strategy for the Danish design company e-Types. Specifically, based on an analysis of the firm and the environment, you should formulate a strong strategy for how e-Types should move forward. Background information on the company and the assignment is provided below.
What's included
4 videos3 readings1 peer review
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.4 (129 ratings)Offered by
Explore more from Business Strategy
Copenhagen Business School
Fundação Instituto de Administração
University of London
University of Virginia
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
4.5
1,460 reviews
- 5 stars
67.05%
- 4 stars
23.69%
- 3 stars
6.16%
- 2 stars
1.64%
- 1 star
1.43%
Showing 3 of 1460
KT
5
Reviewed on Mar 28, 2016
I'm blown away by the content of this course and what I've learned. I took a strategy class before but the content in this one is so clear and well explained.
ML
4
Reviewed on Apr 14, 2020
I think the content is good, and the exxercises are in line with the content. Though a couple of links were broken so I would recommend revising this.
DV
4
Reviewed on Mar 15, 2021
Strategy formulation by prof. Marcus is good. It captures important frameworks while formulating the strategy with some interesting examples.
New to Business Strategy? Start here.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ 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
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
More questions
Financial aid available,