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2020/2021

Strategic Management and Planning

Code: 102361 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501572 Business Administration and Management OT 4 0
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:
Mario Pansera
Email:
Mario.Pansera@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Other comments on languages

The module implies readings and material in English

Teachers

Francesc Font Cot

Prerequisites

It is advisable to be followed in 4th course of the Bachelor in Business Administration.

A good level of english is required. 

Objectives and Contextualisation

To teach, amplify and practice knowledge and techniques related to strategic managament and planning in the firm. Also, it is aimed at improving the student's skills and competencies through the elaboration and oral presentation of a number of readings, work assigments, and practical cases related to the discipline.     

Competences

  • Capacity for adapting to changing environments.
  • Capacity for oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which enables synthesis and oral and written presentation of the work carried out.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the processes for the implementation of company strategies.
  • Identify company competition, how they interact among themselves and the optimum strategies that can be drawn up in each case to stimulate competitivity.
  • Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implementing new projects and coordinating, negotiating and managing conflicts.
  • Organise the work in terms of good time management, organisation and planning.
  • Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  • Take decisions in situations of uncertainty, demonstrating an entrepreneurial and innovative attitude.
  • Transmit company, department or work objectives clearly.
  • Value ethical commitment in professional practice.

Learning Outcomes

  1. A capacity of oral and written communication in Catalan, Spanish and English, which allows them to summarise and present the work conducted both orally and in writing.
  2. Adapt the formulation and implementation of strategies to different settings, family companies or recently-created companies.
  3. Apply the processes of formulating strategies to specific cases.
  4. Assess ethical commitment in professional activity.
  5. Assess the effect of different strategies on the competitiveness of a company.
  6. Back up business strategy decisions.
  7. Capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  8. Classify the different ways in which a company can compete.
  9. Draft business plans.
  10. Lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, implement new projects, coordinate, negotiate and manage conflicts.
  11. List the basic stages and processes in the formulation and implementation of a business strategy.
  12. List the main competitors of a company.
  13. Make decisions in situations of uncertainty and show an enterprising and innovative spirit.
  14. Organise work, in terms of good time management and organisation and planning.
  15. Relate business strategy to the objectives of the company and its breakdown into departments or units.
  16. Select and generate the information needed for each problem, analyse it and make decisions based on this information.

Content

 

The module will be presential.

 

Part 1. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT. GENERAL TOPICS

  • Strategic management of the firm: Evolution of management systems through time.- Basic elements of business strategy.- The strategic management process.- Approaches and/or schools of strategic thought.
  • Resources and capabilities, intangible assets and knowledge management within organizations: Basic approaches in the search for competitive advantage.- Strategic positioning and resource-based view theory.- Types of competitive strategies.- Management of intangibles/intellectual capital: assessment issues.- Organizational learning and knowledge management.
  • Diversification strategy and competitive advantage in diversified firms: Corporate re-structuring.- Entry and exit strategies.- Strategy evaluation in diversified companies.
  • Strategic planning and control systems in the firm: Content, elaboration process and implementation of the strategic plan within the organization.- Strategic control.- The balance scorecard.

PART 2. BUSINESS STRATEGIES IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT: SPECIFC BUSINESS POLICIES

  • Strategic Management of innovation: principles of innovation theory, “what’s innovation and why it’s important”; Schumpeter’s view on innovation and the 4Ps of innovation space by Bessant and Tidd; Innovation as a process, dimensions of innovation, innovation as core business process, sectors, size and contexts; Stage gate approaches, managing innovation under uncertainty; sources of innovation, science-push and demand-driven models, innovation network and systems; Protecting and measuring innovation. 
  • Responsible innovation: Principles of social construction of technology; a framework for responsibleinnovation, innovation governance and stakeholder engagement; risk-management Vs anticipatory management; Critical perspectives on innovation, grassroots and frugal innovation, post-growth innovation models. 
  • Innovation for sustainability: Eco-innovation and its limits; Principles of Circular Economy, geopolitics of global supply-chains and circular economy; critical perspectives on Circular Economy, notions of political ecology and convivial technologies by Ivan Illich.

 

 

 

Methodology

The developmenmt of this subject is based upon the following activities:

(1) Explanatory/theoretical sessions as developed by the professor in class

(2) Analysis and discussion of exercises, readings and/or practical case studies

(3) Preparation and presentation of practical cases and/or work assignments in class on behalf of the students

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practical class sessions 10.5 0.42 3, 7, 1, 9, 6, 10, 14, 13, 16, 4
Theoretical class sessions 33 1.32 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 11, 6, 13, 15, 16, 4
Type: Supervised      
Tutorial time and follow up 10 0.4 3, 7, 9, 6, 13, 16
Type: Autonomous      
Exercises/cases/readings on behalf of the student 90.5 3.62 2, 3, 5, 7, 1, 8, 9, 12, 11, 6, 10, 14, 13, 15, 16, 4

Assessment

Calendar of evaluation activities

The dates of the evaluation activities (midterm exams, exercises in the classroom, assignments, ...) will be announced well in advance during the semester.

The date of the final exam is scheduled in the assessment calendar of the Faculty.

"The dates of evaluation activities cannot be modified, unless there is an exceptional and duly justified reason why an evaluation activity cannot be carried out. In this case, the degree coordinator will contact both the teaching staff and the affected student, and a new date will be scheduled within the same academic period to make up for the missed evaluation activity." Section 1 of Article 115. Calendar of evaluation activities (Academic Regulations UAB). Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, who in accordance with the previous paragraph need to change an evaluation activity date must process the request by filling out an Application for exams' reschedule https://eformularis.uab.cat/group/deganat_feie/application-for-exams-reschedule

 

Grade revision process

After all grading activities have ended, students will be informed of the date and way in which the course grades will be published. Students will be also be informed of the procedure, place, date and time of grade revision following University regulations.

 

Retake Process

"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, it is required for students to have been previously been evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject." Section 3 of Article 112 ter. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average grade of the subject between 3.5 and 4.9.

The date of the retake exam will be posted in the calendar of evaluation activities of the Faculty. Students who take this exam and pass, will get a grade of 5 for the subject. If the student does not pass the retake, the grade will remain unchanged, and hence, student will fail the course.

 

Irregularities in evaluation activities

In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, "in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0". Section 10 of Article 116. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).

 

In this elective subject, the final grade of the course will be formed by the following averaged/weighted partial grades:

1. Class followment: the right followment of the course implies a regular level of class attendance and the performance of exercices and programmed activites scheduled for each topic. Throughoput the course, these issues will result in apartical grade that will represent 20% of the final course grade. It can include the preparation and presentation of work assignment/s.

2. Essays: The students will be required to submit 4 essays during the course. This partical grade will represent 40% of the course final grade.

3. A final exam (according to the official examsschedulingof the School). The student will be assessed regarding the full subject contents. This final exam grade will represent 40% of the course final grade. In order to apply the proportions of 40%, 40% and 20% of the final grade in this subject, it will be compulsory to obtain a result equal or higher than 3.5 in this final exam. If the mark of the final exam is lower than 3.5, the student will fail this subject without the opportunity to take the recuperation (re-take) exam.

At the end of the course, the professor/instructor will publish the final grades, as well as date, time and plce of the qualification revision.

There will be a recuperation opportunity for all those students who not having passed the subject but having an averaged final grade equal or higher than 3.5 and lower than 5. In case of passing this recuperation, the course final grade will be 5.0 (APTO).

It will be considered as non evaluable a student who will not have participated in any of the scheduled evaluation activites. 

     

 

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Curs followment 20% 4 0.16 5, 7, 1, 6, 10, 14, 13, 4
Final exam 40% 2 0.08 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 11, 6, 13, 15, 16
Mid term essays 40% 0 0 7, 1, 6, 13, 16

Bibliography

AMAT, O.; CASTILLO, D; CRESPO, P. (2011): Finançament de la innovació, la internacionalització i el creixement de l'empresa catalana. Centre d’Economia Industrial. Fundació Empresa i Ciència (UAB), Barcelona.

BARBA, E. (2011): Innovación. Libros de Cabecera. Barcelona.

GARCIA , E; RIALP, A.  Y RIALP, J. (2007): Inversiones en Tic y estrategias de crecimiento empresarial, Centre d’Economia Industrial. Fundació Empresa i Ciència (UAB), Barcelona.

GARCÍA, E.; LÓPEZ, C.; RIALP, J. y VALDÉS A. (1998): Las estrategias de cooperación como medio para la internacionalización. Experiencias de las empresas españolas. Centre d’Economia Industrial. Fundació Empresa i Ciència (UAB), Barcelona.

GARCÍA, M. y VÁZQUEZ, C.J. (Directores) (2002): Estrategias y operaciones empresariales en los nuevos mercados. 20 casos a estudio. Civitas, Madrid.

GENESCÀ, E.; GOULA, J.; OLIVER, J.; SALAS, V. y SURÍS, J.M. (eds.) (2005): La industria en España: Claves para competir en un mundo global. BCN: Ariel.

GRANT, R.M. (2006): Dirección Estratégica. Conceptos, técnicas y aplicaciones. Civitas, Madrid.

GUERRAS, L.A.; NAVAS, J.E. (2007): La dirección estratégica de la empresa. Teoría y aplicaciones. Madrid: Thomson-Civitas.

GUILLÉN, M. (2005): The Rise of Spanish Multinationals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

GUILLÉN, M. & GARCÍA-CANAL: Emerging Markets Rule. McGraw Hill, NY.

JOHNSON, G., SCHOLES, K. y WHITTINGTON, R. (2006): Dirección estratégica. Madrid: Pearson Prentice Hall.

PLA, J.  y LEÓN, F. (2004): Dirección de empresas internacionales.Pearson-Prentice Hall, Madrid.

RIALP, A, (2003): Fundamentos teóricos de la organización de empresas. Un enfoque interdisciplinar. Pirámide, Madrid.

SCHAAN, JL ; KELLY, M.; TANGANELLI, D. (2012): Gestión de alianzas estratégicas. Madrid. Pirámide.