Gb 410 Global Strategy

GB 410 Global Strategy

Fall 2016

Professor: Anna Karpovsky

Management Department, Bentley University

e-mail – akarpovsky2@bentley.edu (include “GB410” in subject along with section number)

Office: Morison 139, by appointment; Monday 11:00 – 12:00 and Wednesday 2:30-3:30

A. COURSE DESCRIPTION

Global strategy focuses on the role of the general manager or top management team in formulating and implementing short and long-term business and corporate level strategies. In business, strategy is formulated in a multi-faceted, international environment of social, political, economic, and legal entities. In global strategy, students will be analyzing the internal and external environments of the organization, formulating recommendations with respect to actions firms can take to enhance firm-level performance and sustainable competitive advantage, and suggesting ways in which those actions can be implemented, while recognizing the critical long and short-term implications of their recommendations for the total enterprise.

B. COURSE KNOWLEDGE

There are a number of core concepts that are covered in GB 410.

1. External and Internal Environmental Analysis

Students will learn a set of tools and techniques that will assist them in their analysis of the organizations broad and task environment.  The broad environment consists of domestic and global economic forces while the task environment consists of the organization’s external stakeholders. Students will also analyze the internal environment of the firm.  This includes the governance of the firm, as well as a broader analysis of the firm’s resources and capabilities.  

2. Business and Corporate Strategy Formulation

Business strategy refers to how businesses choose to compete in the areas which they have selected.  Students will learn a set of business-level strategies to include generic strategies. Corporate strategy refers to the selection of the business areas in which the firm would like to compete.  Topics covered in corporate strategy include firm-level diversification, horizontal and vertical integration and strategic fit.  Corporate portfolio strategy is also discussed.

3. Strategy Implementation, Control and Restructuring

In addition to developing strategy, GB 410 also emphasis how firm-level strategy is implemented.  Strategy implementation involves creating functional strategies, systems and processes needed by the organization to achieve their strategic objectives.  Strategic control involves developing a set of metrics, which are typically financial and non-financial performance measures, by which the implemented firm strategy can be assessed and adjusted.  In addition to control, firms may discover a need to restructure in order to better carry out their strategic objectives.  Therefore, a discussion of organizational structure coupled with a way to reevaluate and modify existing strategies is also emphasized.