This course is part of the Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization

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Marcus Møller Larsen

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Strategic Management and Innovation SpecializationCopenhagen Business School

About this Course

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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.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

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Course 2 of 4 in the

Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish, Romanian

Skills you will gain

Strategic ManagementDecision-MakingStrategic ThinkingBusiness Strategy

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 4 in the

Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish, Romanian

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.46/5 (79 Ratings)

Marcus Møller Larsen

Assistant Professor, Strategic Management and Globalization

Department of Strategic Management and Globalization

28,174 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

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.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(8,968 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 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.

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 14 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 2

4 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.

4 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 25 min), 7 readings, 4 quizzes

7 videos

Vestas and the wind turbine industry4m

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 industry30m

Aviation trends30m

Industry attractiveness30m

Industry analysis30m

Week

Week 3

4 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.

4 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 22 min), 6 readings, 5 quizzes

5 videos

ECCO and the production of shoes5m

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 production30m

Microsoft and Skype30m

Lionel Messi30m

Time for reflection30m

Resources and capabilities30m

Week

Week 4

3 hours 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.

3 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 14 min), 4 readings, 4 quizzes

4 videos

Carlsberg in China2m

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 China30m

East India Company and Google30m

The case of the global beer industry30m

Global strategies and the multinational corporation30m

Reviews

4.5

266 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM STRATEGY FORMULATION

by CUFeb 11, 2021

Good, well structured and clear course on strategy formulation. The final project is very similar to the previous case, and it makes it less interesting, but good to prove all acquired knowledge

by DIAug 2, 2020

A great experience of learning about business strategy..many concepts refreshed that I studied during my MBA. A great teaching approach by the faculty; a blend of readings, videos, and quizzes!!

by IWJan 14, 2019

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.

by SRFeb 24, 2016

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.

View all reviews

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

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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:
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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.
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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.

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Strategy Formulation

About this Course

Skills you will gain