Strategic Planning
The subject is lectured in these programmes:
Strategic Planning |
Álvaro Aznar García/Tomas Andres Hernandez |
WHAT DO STUDENTS GAIN FROM THE STUDY AND FROM COMPLETING THIS SUBJECT |
Studying this subject will reinforce the managerial skills in strategic planning, give you an advanced knowledge of strategic planning process and the main strategic tools used to develop strategic plans in real companies. After completing this subject, you will be able to develop in your company a strategic analysis of the existing situation and come up with an innovative new strategy to overcome the existing weaknesses and taking advantages of the strengths and opportunities that the sector situation offers. Studying this subject will mainly give you an opportunity to continuously consult your lecturer, an expert on the topic, about real problems, practical cases and situations, and to design a solution to these problems in the form of practically oriented case study (essay) elaborated under the lecturer’s guidance. As the consultations are not held in groups but only between you and the lecturer, you can consult also sensitive company issues, including specific data etc., without any worries about sharing this information with other students. The output from this subject is thus a valuable document that can be immediately used in your own company or job, providing high value-added thanks to one-to-one consultations with an expert. |
EXAMPLES OF FIELDS AND TOPICS TO BE CONSULTED WITH THE LECTURER |
Field 1 - Focus of the essay in the company chosen: For example: Global focus or national/business line focus. |
Field 2 - Strategic tools that are more suitable for the challenges of the company. Make the right choice will be crucial for the practical relevance of the assignment. |
Field 3 - Existing Canvas Business Model |
Field 4 - Correct integration in the formulation state between the existing Canvas, the value innovation using the blue ocean tools and the new Canvas Business Model. |
Field 5 - Appropriate English register for a formal assignment. |
More topics within the lecturer’s area of competence can be agreed upon |
COMPLETION OF THE SUBJECT |
In order to complete the subject, students elaborates an essay in which they address a specific topic from their practice related to the given subject, or one of the model topics prepared by the lecturer (see below). The essay should contain 7-10 pages in the A4 format, comprising at least 8 standard pages of text. The evaluation of the essay is done by the lecturer and expressed in percentage 50% and more means that the student has completed the subject successfully. |
MODEL TOPICS FOR THE ESSAY |
1. Introduction of the company studied. Only one page. |
2. Strategic analysis using the strategic tools that are relevant for the company. Example: The portfolio analysis is relevant only if your company has a large range of products or services. |
3. Developing Effective Social Media Marketing for Products and services |
4. Blue Ocean Strategy tools to come up with an innovative value proposition to attract customers. |
5. New Canvas Business Model based on the value innovation stated in the previous point. |
6. New Vision: A 20-words sentence that summarize the new strategy stated in the points 4-5. |
STUDY LITERATURE AND OTHER RESOURCES : |
Supporting study materials elaborated by the lecturer (available online in the study system) |
E-books available online: |
Other study literature (Authors: Name, Publisher, Year of publishing, ISBN): |
Johnson, G & Scholes, 2008. K. Exploring Corporate Strategy. FT Prentice Hall |
De Wit, B & Meyer, R. 2010. Strategy: Process, content and context. South-western - Cengage learning |
Strategy past; Strategy futures. McKiernan. Long term planning. 1997 |
What is strategy – M. Porter.Harvard Business Review. 1996 |
Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, 2005. Blue Ocean Strategy. |
Canvas Business Model - Alex Osterwalder. AbeBooks. 2009. |
The Business Model Navigator: 55 Models That Will Revolutionise Your Business. Gassmann Oliver, Frankenberger Karolin. FT Publishing. 2014. |
Other useful resources (videos, online professional groups, blogs, discussions etc.): |
Using the Business Model Canvas for Social Enterprise Design: https://www.socialenterpriseauckland.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/social-enterprise-business-canvas.pdf |
Business Model Innovation An interview with Alex Osterwalder. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08956308.2019.1613114?journalCode=urtm20 |
What is strategy? Porter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUw0h5i9yI |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUw0h5i9yI |
Tools and materials of Blue Ocean Strategy: https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/ |