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2020/2021

Business Strategies

Code: 100524 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500258 Labour Relations OB 3 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Gustau Folch Elosua
Email:
Gustau.Folch@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
Yes

Prerequisites

Group51. Gustau folch
Group 01:

Language: Spanish

It is recommended to have studied: Business Economics, Accounting and Business Organization

Objectives and Contextualisation

To impart and practice the knowledge and techniques related to the strategic direction of the company, in order that the participant -directive and / or directed- be effectively involved in the processes of formulation and implementation of the business strategy.

Competences

  • Applying techniques and making decisions in terms of human resources (remuneration policy, selection policy).
  • Applying the different evaluation techniques in a socio-occupational audit.
  • Clearly expressing ideas or facts in a compelling way.
  • Drawing up and formalising reports and documents.
  • Identifying, analysing and solving complex problems and situations from an (economic, historical, legal, psychological, and sociological) interdisciplinary perspective.
  • Organising and managing the available time.
  • Producing and designing organizational strategies, developing the human resources strategy of the organization.
  • Students must be capable of deciding, sharply taking decisions and judging.
  • Students must be capable of initiative, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Students must be effective in a changing environment and when facing new tasks, responsibilities or people.
  • Verbally communicating and defending a project.
  • Working autonomously.
  • Working effectively in teams.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Clearly expressing ideas or facts in a compelling way.
  2. Designing new organisational forms.
  3. Drawing up and formalising reports and documents.
  4. Introducing the business strategy in several factual contexts.
  5. Knowing the accounting and social information system of a company.
  6. Knowing the organisational forms, organisation and working methods.
  7. Organising and managing the available time.
  8. Relating the business strategy and human resource policies.
  9. Students must be capable of deciding, sharply taking decisions and judging.
  10. Students must be capable of initiative, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
  11. Students must be effective in a changing environment and when facing new tasks, responsibilities or people.
  12. Understanding the specialisation and decentralisation of human resources.
  13. Understanding the strategic process and corporate governance.
  14. Verbally communicating and defending a project.
  15. Working autonomously.
  16. Working effectively in teams.

Content

Topic 1. Strategy of company: Concept of policy or strategy of company. - Content of the business strategy. - Objectives and strategic levels. - The strategic business unit. - The strategic process.  Approaches to strategic thinking.

Topic 2. Strategic diagnosis (I): External analysis: Concept and levels of the environment.Analysis of the general environment .- Analysis of the sectoral environment and competition .- The strategic groups .- Segmentation of demand.

Topic 3. Strategic diagnosis (II): Internal analysis: Functional analysis and strategic profile. - Value chain. - Experience curve. - Analysis of resources and capabilities. - Benchmarking.

Topic 4. Business strategies: Nature and sources of competitive advantage .- Analysis of competitive advantage in cost and differentiation .- The strategic clock.

Topic 5. Business strategies in different industrial contexts: Life cycle.- Strategies for emerging sectors, immaturity and in decline.- Innovation strategies.

Topic 6. Corporate strategies: Strategic development directions .- Corporate strategies: diversification, vertical integration, internationalization and cooperation .- Technical management management of diversified companies. Topic 7. The formulation of the strategy in business practice: Evaluation criteria and strategies selection techniques .- The strategic plan.

Topic 7. The formulation of the strategy in business practice: Evaluation criteria and strategy selection techniques .- The strategic plan.

 

Methodology

"The teaching of the subject will be mixed: the master classes will be virtual and the seminars / classroom practices will be face-to-face."

"The teaching methodology and the evaluation may undergo some modification depending on the restrictions on attendance imposed by the health authorities."

 

To achieve the objectives of the subject, the following teaching methodology will be combined:

1. Lectures with TIC support: In these sessions the professors will develop the main concepts and fundamental notions of the subject. To facilitate their learning will be examples of companies and practical applications will be made.

2. Work sessions focused on a case: The case methodology will be used to better understand the different theoretical concepts worked on in the lectures.

3. Various support activities: With the aim of bringing the student to the world of the company during the course will be proposed to read articles in the press and / or specialized magazines where news related to the concepts that have worked on the subject .

4. Realization of practical activities by the students: For each of the thematic blocks, a dossier of practical activities will be provided.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practical classes 15 0.6 13, 4, 8, 10
Presentation of cases 10 0.4 13, 4, 10
Theoretical classes 35 1.4 13, 4, 8
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 10 0.4 13, 4, 8
Type: Autonomous      
Search for information, preparation and resolution of cases 30 1.2 13, 4, 8, 10
Study of the contents 45 1.8 13, 4, 8, 10

Assessment

The final grade of the course will be formed by the weighted average of three notes:

 - Course follow-up. The correct follow-up of the course requires the attendance to class and the realization of the exercises and activities programmed during the course for each one of the subjects. Throughout the course all these aspects will be controlled in the same way as their result which determines a grade that will represent 25% of the final grade of the course.

 - Partial An exam about the contents of the first part of the course will be done halfway through the course. The exam note will represent 25% of the final grade of the course.

3. Final exam (see faculty exam calendar). The student will be evaluated based on the contents of the second part of the course. The exam note will represent 50% of the final grade of the course.

 

To pass the subject it is necessary:

 a) Take a grade equal to or greater than 4 in the final exam. 

 b) The weighted average of the three notes is greater than 5.

 A student is considered as not presented who does not participate in the evaluation activities.

 At the end of the course each professor will publish the final grades and the day, time and place of review of the exam.

In case of a grade lower than 4, the student will have to redo the subject in the next course.

 For those students who in the course evaluation have obtained a grade that is equal to or greater than 3 and lower than 5 there will be a re-evaluation. The professors of the subject will decide the modality of this re-evaluation. The re-evaluation note will have two possible options: Apt or Non-apt. If the student obtains an Apt grade, it is considered that he has passed the subject with a maximum numerical grade equal to 5. If the student obtains a grade of Not-suitable, he / she does not pass the subject and the final grade will be equal to the grade obtained before of there-evaluation.

 A student can only obtain a "No Presented" to the subject as long as he / she has not participated in any of the evaluation activities. Therefore, it is considered that a student who performs some part of the continuous assessment can no longer opt for a "No Presented"

 

 Improper conduct and cheated:

"A student who copies or tries to copy in an exam will have a 0 in the subject and will lose the right to re-evaluation. A student who presents a practice in which there are indications of plagiarism or who cannot justify the arguments of their practice he will get a 0 and receive a warning. In case of repetition of the behavior, the student will fail the subject (0) and will lose the right to recovery ".

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Course follow-up 25% 0 0 14, 5, 11, 6, 2, 13, 1, 4, 7, 3, 8, 10, 9, 15, 16
Final exam 50% 3 0.12 11, 13, 12, 1, 4, 7, 10, 9, 15
Partial exam 25% 2 0.08 11, 13, 12, 1, 7, 8, 10, 15

Bibliography

Compulsory:

GRANT, R.M. (2013): Dirección estratégica. Madrid: Civitas.

Recommended:

GUERRAS, L.A.; NAVAS, J.E. (2013): La dirección estratégica de la empresa. Teoría y aplicaciones. Madrid: Thomson-Civitas.

JOHNSON, G., SCHOLES, K. y WHITTINGTON, R. (2008): Dirección estratégicA. Madrid: Pearson Prentice Hall.