Competitive Strategy

The purpose of Competitive Strategy is to introduce students to basic theories, frameworks, and tools relevant for developing firm-level strategies that allow for competitive positioning. This introduction aims to provide students with knowledge, skills, and competences relevant for developing and implementing competitive strategies in innovative and technology-oriented industries.

The content of Competitive Strategies includes:  Value creation, sources of competitive advantage, and the role of growth  

• Review of theories, concepts, frameworks, and tools necessary for a thorough analysis of markets and competitors in contexts that rely on technology        and innovation  

• Review of theories, concepts, frameworks, and tools necessary for a thorough analysis of internal resources and firm-level factors.  

• Formulation and evaluation of competitive strategies in technology-oriented industries Strategy implementation  

Students learn basic theories, frameworks, and tools in competitive strategy, and can apply them in an innovative and technology-oriented business context.

On successful completion of this course, students will have a thorough comprehension of principal concepts and theories in competitive strategy, i.e., they: 

•  Understand basic principles of strategic decision-making  

•  Can reflect on industry perspectives in relation to competitive strategy  

•  Understand generic strategies  

•  Understand vertical and horizontal expansions, as well as diversification. 

On successful completion of this course, students will have the proven ability to apply principal knowledge in competitive strategy, i.e., they can: 

•  Apply the frameworks presented 

•  Identify and assess strategic factors in industry analysis and resource analysis 

•  Discuss and communicate insights deriving from industry and resource analysis 

•  Outline actions needed to implement an identified strategy  

On successful completion of this course, students can take responsibility to implement strategically relevant actions, i.e., they can:

• Select frameworks and tools to assess business situations  

• Review business performance and design strategic interventions to improve strategic positioning and develop an overview of   implications for organisational performance  

• Develop business initiatives using basic principles of strategic decision-making in innovative and technology-driven real-world  situations 

 These are examples of literature. The final literature will be announced on Itslearning during August the latest: 

•  Various case studies 

•  Supplementary reading: Grant, R. (2019). Contemporary Strategy Analysis (combined text and cases), 10th edition. John Wiley & Sons,  Inc. 

Lectures, interactive material, teaching simulation, and case studies; all designed to activate the learning of how to link theory and practice.  

The expected workload is based on a guideline of 27 hours per ECTS credit point. For this course, this results in 67.5 hours. These hours are distributed across preparation and class attendance, preparation for the exam, and the exam itself.