Develop your ability to think strategically, analyze the competitive environment, and recommend firm positioning and value creation. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, top-ranked faculty will help you explore the underlying theory and frameworks that provide the foundations of a successful business strategy and provide the tools you need to understand that strategy: SWOT, Competitor, Environmental, Five Forces, and Capabilities Analyses, as well as Strategy Maps.
Foundations of Business Strategy
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Foundations of Business Strategy
This course is part of Business Strategy Specialization
Instructors: Michael Lenox
163,359 already enrolled
Included with 
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.8
(3,180 reviews)
Beginner level
Recommended experience
Flexible schedule
Approx. 9 hours
Learn at your own pace
97%
Most learners liked this course
What you'll learn
How to use the SWOT, competitor, and environmental analysis tools
How to assess an industry's structure and how the competitive dynamics in an industry affect profitability
How to complete a capabilities analysis and how to use this analysis to guide decision making
How to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of four generic competitive positions
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Shareable certificate
Add to your LinkedIn profile
Assessments
5 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 Business Strategy 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
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- Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 4 modules in this course
Welcome to the first module in the Foundations course. In this module, we'll discuss the meaning and importance of business strategy to an organization's competitive positioning. You'll learn about strategic analysis and the SWOT, competitor, and environmental analysis tools. Have fun building your strategy skillset!
What's included
11 videos5 readings1 assignment
Hello and welcome back. In this module, we'll explore how to assess an industry's structure and how the competitive dynamics in an industry affect profitability. We'll go into depth with the five forces tool, a common and highly influential analytical framework. Happy analyzing!
What's included
10 videos1 reading1 assignment
Welcome! In this module, we'll examine the tangible and intangible assets that form an organization's strength. We'll show you in depth how to complete a capabilities analysis and how to use this analysis to guide decision making. Happy analyzing!
What's included
8 videos1 reading1 assignment
Welcome to the final module. In these lessons, we'll explore firms' competitive positioning relative to rivals and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of four generic competitive positions firms occupy. We'll use an easy and intuitive tool--strategy maps--to visually communicate information about firm positioning, and discuss which position is best for a particular firm to see maximum value. Happy analyzing!
What's included
7 videos3 readings2 assignments1 peer review
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Instructors
Instructor ratings
4.8 (546 ratings)Offered by
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Status: Free TrialUniversity of Virginia
Status: Free TrialUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
IE Business School
Status: Free TrialUniversity of Virginia Darden School Foundation
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Learner reviews
4.8
3,180 reviews
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Showing 3 of 3180
SB
5
Reviewed on Apr 28, 2020
One should do this course for becoming more proficient on strategic analysis. This course will provide you the fundamentals of how to formulate strategy to gain competitive advantage.
PP
5
Reviewed on Jun 28, 2019
Excellent course for people with minimal business understanding and who wants to understand how to analyze a business. The pedagogy and the material and case study are interesting.
QB
5
Reviewed on May 21, 2016
Fascinating course so far, with useful concepts and great assignments designed to improve learning by applying frameworks and concepts to actual companies. Would highly recommend!
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