Teaching

Course description:

This course is designed to provide a fundamental exploration of organizations in their environments and provide an introduction to the strategic management process with a focus on the following: 

• Strategic Planning and Analysis of Organizational Internal/External Environments

• Evaluating the Competitive Landscape

• Establishing Strategic Direction and Leadership

• Formulating Business and Corporate Strategy 

• Strategy Implementation and Control  

Course materials:

• Lecture slides

• Case studies and newspaper articles

• Rothaermel, F. T., Strategic Management 6e, McGraw-Hill. 

• The Wall Street Journal: Reading the Wall Street Journal helps you keep up with the real business world and prepares you for class discussion and a better understanding of concepts and frameworks learned in class. UM students have free access to the Wall Street Journal. You can activate your membership using the following link: http://tinyurl.com/umWSJ

Student evaluations:

• 2025 (3 sections; evaluations 4.8/5; 4.9/5; 4.8/5)

• 2024 (3 sections; evaluations 4.9/5; 4.5/5; 4.8/5)

Course description:

The recent focus on big data emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making for organizations. Increasingly, large volumes of data are becoming available from a variety of sources, through numerous devices, and in diverse formats. When used appropriately, this data can help reduce environmental complexity, internal inefficiencies, and managerial uncertainty—ultimately enabling firms to make better strategic decisions.

To understand, implement, and manage this new approach to business, managers and executives need to grasp three key aspects of the data revolution:

1. The usefulness of big data for industries and organizations,

2. The processes for managing and evaluating data-driven decision-making,

3. The analytical techniques suitable for large datasets.

After successfully completing the course, students will be able to:

• Describe and analyze the stages of the data mining and analytics process

• Identify opportunities and design strategies for descriptive and predictive analytics

• Employ various techniques for data analysis, including regression, segmentation, clustering, discriminant analysis, and text analysis

• Evaluate the usefulness and suitability of analytical techniques and performance metrics

• Advise on how data analytics can support strategy at various stages (design, implementation, and revision), and how it can provide a competitive advantage

• Collaborate effectively in teams and communicate the results of data analytics clearly

Course materials:

• Lecture slides

• Case studies

• Provost, F., and Fawcett, T., Data Science for Business, O'Reilly

Instructor for:

Module 3: Corporate strategy and M&As

Module description:

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are important mechanisms for expanding a firm's scale and scope and play a central role in corporate strategy. The volume and diffusion of these transactions have increased over time, setting new records in recent years and producing far-reaching consequences for the merging firms, their competitors, and their stakeholders. The centrality and magnitude of this phenomenon have spurred extensive research in strategy and related fields.

In this module, we will review key contributions in the M&A literature. In the first session, we will explore how and when M&As can create value for merging firms. In the second session, we will examine how acquiring firms can appropriate some of that value.

In each session, students will present and lead the discussion of one of the assigned academic papers, focusing on its core strengths, weaknesses, limitations, and broader contributions to the field. Students who are not presenting are expected to critically evaluate the paper across the following dimensions: topic, assumptions, arguments, methodology, results, and limitations. Each presentation will be followed by an in-class discussion of the assigned readings.

Course materials:

• Reading list of academic papers

Course description:

In this course, students will acquire a theoretical toolbox that will help them understand firm existence and decision making (including large multinational firms) in the domains of actions and strategies typically addressed by the Strategic Management field. The theoretical frameworks that will be discussed in class are recent developments in Management and Economics of Organization.

Instructor for:

Group project module

Group project:

The purpose of the company project is to apply the theoretical frameworks learnt in class to actual decisions taken by a firm. The company project consists of two complementary assignments: a presentation and a written report. Both assignments have to be done in teams. Peer-assessment will evaluate the individual participation of each team member and will have an impact on the individual grade.