BUSI 3700

Strategic Management for Professionals

Introduction
 Todays Agenda
Introduction to the instructor
Education, Research Interests, Work Experience
Introduction to the course
Course materials, Overview of course objectives,
Overview of syllabus, Class Format
Overview of Strategy
Mini Case
Introduction to the Instructor
 Hamid Akbari
Core Faculty, Strategic Management
UOIT, Faculty of Business and IT
Office: UB 3036
Contact:
Please use Blackboard Message for course
related communications
After the course completed, feel free to contact
by email or add me to your LinkedIn
hamid.akbari@uoit.ca
 Education & Research
BSc in Engineering, MBA
PhD, York University, Schulich School of Business
Major: Strategic Management
Research on Strategy and International Business
Innovation Strategy
Internationalization; International Strategy
Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions
Global Tech-Startup
 Work Experience
CEO & Founder, a small educational software company
30 employees and franchises in 40 cities
Consultant, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Manager, Investment Banking Group

CEO & Founder, Blanc Labs

http://blanclabs.com
https://nekso.io
www.blancride.com
 Work Experience-BlancLink
Start-up Studio with software factory (Blanc Labs)
and about 200 team members in five offices
Solving social, environmental, and economic
problems with the innovative use of Technology
Expertise in Fintech, Sharing Economy, Mobile,
Transportation, Telecommunication, Artificial
Intelligence & Machine Learning
 Introduction to the Course

These slides are not a complete

substitute for reading the course outline!
 Primary Text (Required)
Foundations of Strategy
by Robert M. Grant and Judith J. Jordan
from Wiley
 Case Pack and Articles (Required)
Case Pack
Follow the link in the syllabus to the case pack online
Download these Articles from UOIT Library:
Barney J., 1995, Looking Inside for Competitive
Advantage, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 9
Issue 4, 49-61
Porter. 1996. What Is Strategy, Harvard Business Review
Kim and Maubornge. 2004. Blue Ocean Strategy,
Harvard Business Review
 Overview of Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students should be
familiar with and appreciate:
key concepts in strategic management, including industry
forces, resource-based analysis, generic strategies, and blue
ocean strategy
the competitive business environment that firms face within
industry sectors
Students will be expected to:
develop skills in applying the concepts to analyze real world
situations
show the ability to convey their insights in clear, concise
written and verbal business communication
 Course Structure
Discussion-oriented, highly interactive
Tip: Bring a name-card!
Minimal lecturing

Extensive teamwork
Group work may be peer assessed
 Attendance
Important parts of your learning in this course will take place in the classroom.

Attending classes is essential.

Because the course is designed to help you develop a personal synthesis

and perspective, it is not possible to make up for an absence.

Please dont be late.

A student who misses more than (3) classes may receive a zero towards
his/her participation grade.

A student who misses more than (5) classes may receive a failing mark
for the entire course.
 Participation
Be prepared!
It is not possible to participate in a constructive fashion
without adequate preparation
Tip: See Topic Details document + slides form the previous
session before each class

Use course concepts and (documented) outside models

and theories to support your positions
You should seek support for your arguments, particularly
within the contents of the cases used in class
 Case Analysis
Prepare for the case analysis before coming to class

Tip: See Case Analysis Suggestions, uploaded to Blackboard. Pay particular

attention to case questions

Assumptions should be examined and multiple scenarios considered

where appropriate

Sessions of the course may involve Group Case Presentation and

discussion
Students who are in attendance may be randomly divided into
groups at the start of the session
All groups will submit their presentation slides
One or two groups may be randomly selected to present in some
classes (10 minute presentation followed by a 5 minute
question/answer session)
 Citation
Effective citation is expected in this class
This does not mean you should quote everything
Citation is appropriate when stating any fact relevant
to your argument that is drawn from the materials
you use
Citation avoids issues of plagiarism and, perhaps
more importantly, enhances the credibility of your
arguments
 Questions
About the course
About the outline/syllabus
About group work
About case analysis
Overview of Strategy
 What is (and isnt) Strategy
Characteristics of strategic decisions:
Important
Involve a significant commitment of resources
Not easily reversible
Involve hard choices not doing something is often a
strategic decision
Strategic decisions are what differentiates you from your
competition
Distinguishing strategy from tactics:
Strategy is the overall plan for deploying resources to
establish a favorable position
A tactic is a scheme for a specific maneuver
 What Is Strategy?
What does Porter have to say about it?

Is he right?
Is his answer complete?
 What Is Strategy?
Key Points form Porters Article:
Operational effectiveness is not Strategy
Unique Activities
Trade-offs
Fit
Growth Trap
concentrate on deepening a strategic position
rather than broadening and compromising it
 Two Levels of Strategy
We can distinguish between 2 levels of strategy:
Corporate Strategy
What businesses should we be in?
Business Unit Strategy
How do we compete in a particular industry?
What is our source of competitive advantage in a
particular industry?
How do we earn an attractive return on investment in
a particular industry?
How do we meet our stakeholders objectives in a
particular industry?
Business
Strategy
Levels
 How do firms make strategy?
The Strategy Vision/Mission

Process
Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Strategy Formulation

Implementation

Monitoring
 The Strategy Process
Steps firms must take Vision/Mission

(although not always Strategic Goals

sequentially or
consciously) to External Analysis Internal Analysis

effectively formulate Strategy Formulation

and implement a
Implementation
strategy.
Monitoring

This is an idealized view (very idealized), but is

useful as a tool for learning and (more importantly) for
imposing structure on the process in practice.
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Vision/Mission/Values: Strategy Formulation

The overarching raison d'tre

Implementation
of the organization; the firms
core ideology and very long Monitoring

term envisioned future,

generally looking beyond the
firm itself
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Strategic Goals: Strategy Formulation

Specific medium to long term

Implementation
goals the firm must achieve in
order to fulfill its mission Monitoring
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

External Analysis: Strategy Formulation

An analysis of the firms

Implementation
environment using tools of
industry and competitor Monitoring

analysis such as Porters Five

Forces Model
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Internal Analysis: Strategy Formulation

A critical analysis of the firms

Implementation
capabilities (strengths and
weaknesses) using such Monitoring

concepts as core competencies,

resource based view of the firm,
activity value-chain, etc.
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Strategy Formulation: Strategy Formulation

Developing a comprehensive strategic
plan which creates a fit between the Implementation

firms capabilities (internal analysis)

Monitoring
and its environment (external
analysis) in such a way that
successful execution of the strategy
will allow the firm to meet its strategic
goals and fulfill its mission.
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Strategy Formulation is not Strategy Formulation

static. A firms strategy does not

Implementation
take its capabilities or its
environment as given part of Monitoring

what a firm does through its

strategy is develop new
resources and shape its
environment in favourable ways.
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Implementation: Getting the Strategy Formulation

individual pieces of the firm to

Implementation
do what is necessary to make
the strategy succeed. Just like Monitoring

formulation, implementation
can be thought of as a process
of creating fits.
 The Strategy Process
Strategy Implementation
Creating Fit:
Administrative Fits:
Organization structure Implementation

Information systems
Incentive systems
Control systems
Strategic planning systems
Organizational process
Management selection and development
Corporate culture
Leadership style
 The Strategy Process
Functional Fits
The management and performance of
each function in the organization must
fit the strategy.
Implementation

In order for each function to be performed in a way that fits the strategy
those performing the function must know why they are doing so - they must
know the strategy.
Again, you cant get there if you dont know where there is.
Also, motivation is enhanced if you have a view of why you are doing what
you are doing.
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Monitoring: Strategy Formulation

Once a strategy is implemented

Implementation
a firm must continuously assess
whether the strategy is Monitoring
achieving its goals, whether it is
properly implemented, whether
the firms resources or external
environment have changed, etc.
 The Strategy Process
Vision/Mission

Strategic Goals

External Analysis Internal Analysis

Strategy Formulation

Implementation

Monitoring
The results of this monitoring are continuously feedback as
inputs into other stages in the process.
Where does strategy come from?
How do you identify core
strategic problems?
Watched this movie?

What
is the
story
about?
 Problem Solving
Understanding Core Problems
We go through an experiential, discovery phase
Developing Effective Solutions
Develop skills to systematically identify issues and
break down problems
Understand causality- making sense of what you see
by exploring the relations between various pieces of
the puzzle
Practice integrating various perspectives youve
already learned in order to solve business problems
Well do it together, in various cases
Group Case Analysis
 Blackberry Group Analysis
Watch the second video.
1. Core Problem: What is the core problem of
Blackberry (as a company, formerly know as
Research in Motion)?
2. Recommendation: Assume that you are an
advisor to Blackberrys CEO. What is your
recommendation?
 Blackberry Group Analysis
Find your team members
Discuss the case (Blackberry, formerly known
as Research in Motion)
Reorient yourselves for discussion and
debrief with entire class
 Group Case Analysis (in class)
Prepare for the case analysis before coming to class
This course will often include Group Case Discussion
and Presentation
Students in attendance will be randomly divided into groups
The groups will work on the assigned case for about 40 minutes
All groups will submit their presentation slides via blackboard
Each group should select one member to handle submission
First slide must include participant names and student numbers
One or two groups will be randomly selected to present in each
class (10 minute presentation followed by a 5 minute
question/answer session)
All students are required to submit an evaluation via Blackboard
 For Next Class
At the beginning of the class, there will be a quiz about the
Five Forces
Tip 1: Focus on the part of the chapter that discusses Porter Five Forces
Tip 2: Arrive on time. Quiz will be conducted at the beginning of the
class
Next class will include case teamwork, submission, and
presentation
Tip 3: Prepare Dell Case before coming to class. Read the case and think about
Five Forces for Dell.
 and Have a great week!

End for now