Course Objective(s):

• In the context of rapid change in the business

landscape, the course would sensitize students about
the challenges and opportunities that confront
organizations. The course seeks to stimulate strategic
thinking and develop key decision making abilities of
students.
 
Course Outcome(s):
• Students would be able to demonstrate an ability to
formulate strategies and evaluate effectiveness of
strategies implemented. 
Unit I Strategy formulation
Concept of strategy, Strategic management process - Goals & Objectives of
Business – Vision & Mission – Grand strategy - Levels of strategy – Strategic
Intent. Environmental analysis and competitor analysis. Value chain
analysis.  Five forces model. Generic strategies. Portfolio analysis.
   
Unit II        Strategic choices
Growth strategies - Integration (Backward and forward) – Concepts of
synergy Mergers and Acquisitions – Related and unrelated diversification –
Strategic alliances and Joint Ventures

Unit III        Strategic control

Strategic Leadership – Corporate Governance – Strategic Entrepreneurship
– Organization Culture – Strategic change management - Corporate
restructuring and Turnaround management, Strategic evaluation and
control – Balanced scorecard.
Unit I       Strategy formulation

1. Concept of strategy,
2. Strategic management process –
3. Goals & Objectives of Business – Vision
& Mission – Grand strategy –
4. Levels of strategy – Strategic Intent. Unit III        Strategic control
5. Environmental analysis and competitor 13. Strategic Leadership –
analysis. 14. Corporate Governance –
6. Value chain analysis.  
15. Strategic Entrepreneurship –
7. Five forces model.
16. Organization Culture –
8. Generic strategies. Portfolio analysis.
17. Strategic change management
Unit II        Strategic choices 18. Corporate restructuring and
Turnaround management,
9. Growth strategies - Integration 19. Strategic evaluation and control
(Backward and forward) –
10. Concepts of synergy
20. Balanced scorecard.
11. Mergers and Acquisitions – Related
and unrelated diversification –
12. Strategic alliances and Joint Ventures
1. Strategic Thinking
What is it? Where can I get some?

Ng S
What is strategy?

Exists at
A plan to
multiple
achieve our
levels – all
goals.
linked.

Helps us As
make wise conditions
choices as change, the
conditions plan itself
change. evolves.
 What is strategic thinking?

“At this point, there is no generally accepted

definition of the term, no common
agreement as to its role or importance, and
no standardized list of key competencies of
strategic thinkers.”
Wikipedia
What is strategic thinking? Take 2.

Strategic thinking Strategic thinking

is learned, not cannot be
innate. taught.
What is strategic thinking? Take 3!

Seeing
systems
Vision/Goals

Analysis

The ability to see what is - and what could be –

and make choices that lead to desired outcomes.
 Components of Strategic Thinking
Sees systems.
Analytical. (Makes
Vision/goal (causes,
sense of diverse
driven. relationships,
input and data.)
leverage points)

Focused on long Thinks across past,

Weighs decisions
term forces, present and
against criteria.
trends, impacts. future.

Questions
Anticipates Allows for
assumptions,
unwanted events “intelligent
habits and
and risk. opportunism”
conclusions.
 Key questions that can help
• What is our goal/purpose?
• What key problems, causes and solutions do we exist to
address?
• What are past, current and possible future trends?
• What are the key opportunities and threats we face?
(Where is greatest leverage? Where is greatest risk?)
• What will it take? What are possible course of action?
• What are the implications of these choices?
• What criteria will we use to choose and evaluate a
course of action?
• How does our plan intersect with other goals/plans?
We can benefit from learning about things
that LIMIT strategic thinking
 Lack of shared analysis
can limit strategic thinking
shared
vision/goals

opportunities historical
and threats analysis

Problems and
power analysis
causes
 Power relationships
can limit strategic thinking
More
Less Power
power
Goals

What
d ata
Fram
e/me
ssage
s
Who
ha s in p u
t
What
’s possi
ble
Over-emphasis on only the long-term or
immediate challenges

Immediate
only

Long term
only
ANCHORING can limit strategic thinking
• When faced with a
choice, we may
ANCHOR on a certain
good outcome we think
will occur.
• It can be hard to remain
open to other options
or implications.
Bias can limit strategic thinking

• We all have biases.

• We select for
information that
supports our viewpoint
and experiences.
• We tend to disregard
information that
doesn’t fit our
beliefs/values.
 What can I/we do?

SELF-REFLECTION

• What are my own strengths and weaknesses related

to strategic thinking?

• What adjustments can I make? How might I

improve my own strategic thinking skills and habits?

• How can I provide more strategic leadership –

regardless of the position I hold?
 What can I/we do?

GROUP REFLECTION

• How can we (continue to) develop a shared analysis

among the staff and board?

• How can we (continue to) nurture a staff culture that

promotes strategic thinking?

• What skills/habits can we learn to improve our ability

to think and work strategically as a staff team?
 Levels of strategy
• Corporate strategy – Which describes a company‘s overall direction towards growth by managing business
and product lines? These include stability, growth and retrenchment.

• Business strategy - Usually occurs at business unit or product level emphasizing the improvement of
competitive position of a firm‘s products or services in an industry or market segment served by that
business unit. Business strategy falls in the in the realm of corporate strategy.

• Functional strategy – It is the approach taken by a functional area to achieve corporate and business unit
objectives and strategies by maximizing resource productivity. It is concerned with developing and nurturing
a distinctive competence to provide the firm with a competitive advantage.

• Operating strategy - These are concerned with how the component parts of an organization deliver effectively
the corporate, business and functional -level strategies in terms of resources, processes and people. They are
at departmental level and set periodic short-term targets for accomplishment.

STRATEGIC INTENT

• Definition: Strategic Intent can be understood as the philosophical base of strategic

• management process. It implies the purpose, which an organization endeavor of achieving. It is a statement
that provides a perspective of the means, which will lead the organization, reach the vision in the long run.
Strategic intent gives an idea of what the organization desires to attain in future. It answers the question
what the organization strives or stands for? It indicates the long-term market position, which the organization
desires to create or occupy and the opportunity for exploring new possibilities.