Strategic Management Humanities And Social Science

Description
Presentation explain strategic management humanities and social science.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Semester 2a

2007/2008

Core Course

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Strategic Management

Contents Page Number

Course Details

3
Course Description and Objectives

3
Learning Outcomes

4
Planned Student Learning Experiences

5
Teaching Approach

5
Assessment

7
Plagiarism Statement

9
Appeals

9
Consultation

9
Required Text(s)

9
Course Website

9
Advised Preparatory Work

9
Course Lecturer(s)

10
Study Programme

11
APPENDIX 1: Case and presentation assignment
questions
12
APPENDIX 2: Sample Exam Paper

14
APPENDIX 3: Further Reading

15
APPENDIX 4: Case Study Guidance Notes 27

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Course Details

Calendar Codes: BS0142
Titles: Strategic Management
College: Humanities and Social Science
School: The Management School
Course Co-ordinator: Professor Chris Carr
Contact Hours: 30
Non-contact Hours: 609
Pre-requisites: N/A
Co-requisites: N/A

Course Description and Objectives

Introduction and Course Objectives

Strategic Management is an integrating module; it is concerned with the totality of what a trading
business or other organisation is trying to achieve. In other words it assesses a wide variety of
environmental and organisational aspects which, when considered overall, help us to understand why
some organisations thrive and similar organisations may struggle. These aspects will be relevant
whether the organisations are trying to sell clothes world-wide or provide health care in a
geographically defined community.

Remember the MBA is intended to prepare you for general management, the management of the firm
from a holistic not functional or specialist viewpoint. For the “general manager” as the Dean of the
Harvard Business School has commented in a private paper (19/1/90) the task is “not unlike that of an
explorer leading an enterprise through unrelated territories in uncertain and unpredictable conditions
with imperfect navigational instruments”. Each part of the MBA programme will introduce you to
simple frameworks, modest analytical tools, concepts and ideas, rules of thumb and above all ways of
thinking which will assist you in your future task of “managing”! The aim of the Strategic
Management course is to help you examine the corporate strategic possibilities of an enterprise and
also to encourage you to integrate what you have learnt from other courses and elective choices.

There are some implications of this approach. The questions we ask in strategy [whether in an
assessment or in real life] may appear simple, but the answers can be very complex. ‘What business
are we in?’ is a classic strategy question that examiners ask of students, consultants ask of companies,
and boards of directors should ask themselves all the time.

The reading we suggest to you, and that you may find is very diverse; it may be a single article from
The Financial Times or Business Week, a lengthy academic article, a biography extract.

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There may not be a right answer, and if there is we may not necessarily have that answer. By the end
of this course some of you will be developing insights into the strategy of organisations which will
impress those of us who are teaching you, and certainly impress some of the people running those
organisations - I can guarantee that!

The overall objectives of our strategy courses are therefore:

- to integrate the functional courses which form the rest of the MBA programme
- to emphasise the generalist nature of management work
- to examine the role of top management in setting the direction of enterprise
- to examine and to be able to apply techniques of strategic analysis
- to be aware of competing arguments behind a number of strategic approaches
- to gain an understanding of processes of strategy formulation and implementation

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course students will have learned:

• The need for a holistic approach to the analysis of strategy.
• Analytical approaches to strategy consistent with this holistic approach to organisations.

Knowledge and Understanding:
Students on completion of the course will have:
• Knowledge of strategic planning techniques, and tools for strategic analysis including
templates.
• An understanding of the application of these techniques in business contexts.
• An appreciation of the main drivers of strategic change in an organisation.
• Knowledge of approaches to the implementation of strategic change processes.
• At the corporate level they will have particular knowledge of diversification, acquisitions, and
the management of a group handling a variety of business units.
• They will be familiar with many examples of successful and less successful strategies.
• They will have extensive knowledge of industry cases, and major types of strategic decisions.
• From visiting speakers, they will get first hand accounts of contemporary strategic
management practice.

Cognitive Skills:
Students on completion of the course will have:
• The ability to take a holistic approach to the application of analytical templates and other
techniques.
• Ability to analyse cases which approximates closely to the rapid analysis of business situations.

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Key Skills:
Students on completion of the course will have:
• Rapid structuring of ideas and presentations both as individuals and as members of the team.
• Organisational abilities in relation to teamwork including presentation and report writing skills.
• The ability to sift material quickly and efficiently, and to structure it into a coherent argument
• The ability to research material related to companies and business contexts under pressure of
tight deadlines.

Subject Specific Skills:
N/A

Planned Student Learning Experiences
• Students will learn from each other in the group situations in the preparation case studies.
• In interactive plenary sessions they will learn from each other and from the teachers input.
• In the Lothian project they will hone consultancy skills for in-company projects.
• The negotiation modules will teach them negotiation skills.

Teaching Approach

This document maps out the subject area’s holistic approach and our overall programme. Course
readings (as well as case studies) are extremely demanding, this guidance and also the course pack are
provided ahead so that a good start can be made prior to the first lecture. Part of the exam at the end of
the Semester 2a is a multiple-choice exam designed to test your knowledge of the course textbook, so
it is recommended you buy and read this ahead. Recommended readings are shown in the table at the
end of this section.

There is no team presentation in week one. Teams do, though need to press ahead with case
preparation to be ready for assessed presentations starting in week 2. See schedule in Appendix 1 for
all case assignment questions, including major formal presentations assigned. The best preparation
here is to read Ch 14 of the text on Case Analysis and then the text-based readings for week one. In
particular, team members need to read and discuss together the Gibson Carpets case and ‘model
answer’ to appreciate the sort of analysis that is needed for a typical case study strategy analysis. This
‘model answer’ was in response to a question asking for a critical appraisal of the company’s strategy
at the end of the case – not an untypical assignment or even exam question! It attempts to address
some basic strategic issues: the pertinence (or not) of market share, of generic strategies such as lowest
cost or differentiation, and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis
pulling together the overall situation. Notice the starting point is some critical performance analysis.

Notice that you need to utilise at least some basic concepts or techniques covered in the text and
programme and also a high level of detailed analysis, drawing on pertinent aspects from all policy
disciplines and generally pulling together highly specific case data, so as to create a coherent overall
argument. The Gibson ‘model answer’ gives some idea of how to do this. (The associated Belgium
Tufted Carpets case provides a more up-to-date, international perspective on competition, and should
be of interest; but it is not essential reading from this point of view). In case analysis, though, you
must not expect some right answer (as in say double-entry accounting) – strategic issues are far too

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complex and ambiguous – but we are looking for coherent analysis, displaying some depth and
consideration of issues on which there is literature and evidence. We appreciate a ‘critical perspective’
which usually begins with some performance review, thus setting the scene for explanations of what’s
going right or seriously wrong. We value insights, creativity, evidence that ideas have been thought
through (e.g. in terms of implementation details), and themes that are clear, ‘punchy’ and carrying a
sense of action-orientation. We don’t value broad generalisations like ‘this company should do more
market research’ or merely re-hashing material in the case (which we have all read anyway!).

On normal cases (from week 2 onwards), what we ask for on the programme is that each team come in
well prepared and ready to respond as teams on assigned issues. You should be prepared to defend
your analyses or arguments if challenged. This would enable you to press on with readings, as you will
otherwise be under immense time pressure in Semester 2a, because of the time taken for case analyses
week by week. The detailed course outline indicates the readings most pertinent to any particular
week, but you are strongly advised to read ahead, skim reading if necessary and then revisit readings
most useful for any particular case. From week 2 onwards there is generally one major formal team
presentation for each case session as laid out in the next section You will receive a folder with all
cases and all assignment questions in mid December 2007 to enable you to plan and work ahead.

Semester 1 provides an essential backdrop for Strategic Management by considering several policy
fields as well as fundamental questions around the roles of both individuals and organisations in
society, as covered in Business Ethics. An aim in the Strategic Management course is to increase your
confidence in seeing how these overall policy considerations inevitably come together in terms of an
organisations overall strategy and direction.

Outside Speakers

During Semester 2a, we invite various outside speakers to talk on strategic issues, usually on
Wednesday afternoons. Most will be senior managers (often Chief Executives). This programme is
integrated into the course and pertinent questions are included in the formal Strategic Management
examination as has happened in previous years.

Course Organisation: Semester 2a, Strategic Management

The Strategic Management course runs in Semester 2a and is taken by all students, including those
going overseas later in the year. It entails 10 three-hour lecture / case-based sessions, and a
comprehensive complementary guest speaker programme, culminating in a written exam at the end of
Semester 2a. This exam involves a compulsory case-based question and a multiple-choice section. An
indication of past questions is given in Appendix 2 and case questions will follow a similar format. A
detailed programme and readings are shown on page 12.

Case Studies

Each team has to produce a formal presentation (absolute maximum of 12 minutes) in response to one
case during Semester 2a. Case assignment questions accompany the case pack, issued together with
these programme details. By the time of the formal presentation the team must also provide a very
short, complementary written report (maximum 750 words) to be handed in, together with copies of

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slides (6 per page is fine so long as still fully readable). This written report need not repeat any slide
analysis, and it can be more succinct, but it must fully articulate the logical arguments: slides alone can
easily camouflage weakly structured arguments and superficial analysis! The combination should
constitute the ‘main story’; a self-sufficient document which could effectively be circulated more
widely. Both the verbal presentation and the submitted overall report will be assessed. However, no
marks are given out or finalised until all Semester 2a presentations have been completed, so that they
can all be compared fairly once all presentations have been made (bearing in mind anticipated
progression in terms of skills as the course proceeds). Please note that feedback is provided solely for
educational learning. Any attempt at lobbying for or attempting to negotiate on grades is inequitable in
respect to other groups and is strictly forbidden. There is no formal team presentation on Gibson or
Nintendo.

Formal presentation slides need to be given in to the office and a second copy also to the lecturer by
the start of these sessions. All teams need therefore to come well prepared for all sessions. Please note
that all members of teams need to be involved both in preparing and presenting these presentations. If
a team assigns say all except one (just possibly two) member to make the presentation, then final
member (just possibly two) needs to be the primary respondent to questions.

Individuals not making formal presentations also need to prepare thoroughly for each case. This can be
done on an individual basis and individuals are likely to be asked to respond to case questions in the
case plenary sessions. Please note that individual verbal contributions will be assessed to the extent of
10 marks (see Assessment Section). This is aimed at responding to a feeling expressed in previous
years that students wanted greater weight placed on their own personal contributions. The aim is to
facilitate and encourage exchange of ideas and experiences by students themselves and to create an
atmosphere that is a little more ‘electric’ with well-prepared, professional contributions from
everybody. To enable this, students will have name cards and assessment will be cumulative, week by
week. Each week students will be chosen randomly to ensure equity when seeking direct individual
contributions; but the intention is also to make it easier for shyer students or for those for whom
English is a second language to get more opportunities to contribute, if they have not already done so.
We want to promote an atmosphere that is conducive to contributions from all well-prepared students.
If you are ill or there are special circumstances in the period leading up to the case, please be sure to
notify your Programme Director. The main examination will also now include specific questions on
these cases in the examination’s multiple choice section.

Assessment

The total marks for the Strategic Management element of the MBA are as follows:

Semester 2a
Strategic Management Examination 100
[of which case based question = 70 &
multiple choice theory exam based mainly on textbook = 30]
Case Studies (inc. presentations/reports) 40
[Formal pres. & report = 30
& Individual contributions = 10]

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Examination end of Semester 2a
Students will receive a case study about 3 days before the examination. In the formal examination you
will be asked one compulsory case based question, followed by a section based on multiple-choice
questions designed to test your knowledge and understanding of the text and strategy theory and
literature. You will not have seen this formal exam paper in advance. You should bring the case to the
exam unmarked, except for highlighting. Some examples of case questions are shown in Appendix 2.

Dates of Examination:
Not yet confirmed.

Assessment Criteria:
Students will be assessed on:
• Their ability to understand the strategic issues in the cases they present, to use the appropriate
analytical techniques, and to marshal the relevant data.
• The quality of the presentations, the written reports and the examination questions; by quality
in this context we mean the clarity and persuasiveness of each bit of work. This implies an
ability to work in teams.
• Students failing to participate in their teams will lose the marks for that piece of work, and may
become liable to disciplinary action.

Guidelines for formatting and handing in assessed work:
All completed assignments should be stapled and clearly labelled with the student’s Examination
Number. Names should NOT be written on the assignments themselves, so that they can be marked
anonymously. Students who are unable to submit assignments in person may mail them to Joanna
Morris: Secretary, MBA Programmes; UEMS; 7 Bristo Square; Edinburgh EH8 9AL. We recommend
that assignments be sent by first class post/recorded delivery.

Students are asked to attach an Assignment Submission Sheet as front cover. The student’s name
should be written on this sheet along with the examination number. A template for this is included in
InfoToday, and spare copies are available on the course handout shelves outside the Admin Office.
When the assignments are received the Assignment Submission Sheet will be removed before the
assignments are sent to the relevant lecturer(s) for marking.

Students must also submit each assignment electronically by TURNITIN. This enables us to check for
possible plagiarism in case questions should arise.

The University has a standardised penalty for late submission of coursework. From the 2007/08
session, to conform with this University policy, the School will apply a uniform penalty of a reduction
of 5 marks for each 24 hours beyond the coursework deadline (Saturday, Sunday and University
Public Holiday not included) unless late submission has been requested in advance of the submission
date, and approved in writing by the course co-ordinator. For example:
- an essay with a mark of 65% which is less than 24 hours late will be given a final mark of 60%
- an essay with a mark of 65% which is between 24-48 hours late will be given a final mark of 55%
- an essay with a mark of 65% which is 48-72 hours late will be given a final mark of 50% and so on...
The penalty will not be applied if good reasons can be given, such as documented illness.

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Therefore, if you are given an extension then you must ensure that the MBA Admin office has written
proof of this, e.g. in the form of an email from the Course Co-ordinator.

Assignment marks will be made available within one month of submission or before students sit their
degree examination.

Plagiarism Statement

Plagiarism and cheating are offences against the University discipline. The full text of the
University’s regulation on plagiarism and cheating can be found on the University’s website athttp://www.aaps.ed.ac.uk/regulations/Plagiarism/Intro.htm.

Note that computers may be used to detect plagiarism, whether by using something as simple as
a search engine such as Google (it is as easy for a marker to find online sources as it is for you)
or something more complex for specialised comparisons of work. All courses will use the JISC
Plagiarism Detection Service.

Please refer to your Programme Handbook for more information on plagiarism. The Programme
Handbook is also on www.InfoToday.man.ed.ac.uk FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

Appeals

The process for students appealing against the assessment of grades is described in the Code of
Practice for Taught Postgraduate Programmes.

Consultation

Students are encouraged to raise any concerns of a subject specific nature with the relevant course
lecturer; more general issues of concern should be directed to the Course Co-ordinator.

Required Text(s)

Dess, G.G., Lumpkin, G.T. and Eisener, A.B. (2007) Strategic Management: Creating
Competitive Advantages (3rd Edition), McGraw-Hill, New York.

Course Website

Lecture materials will be made available online using WebCT.

Advised Preparatory Work

Since there is a multiple choice examination section designed to test your knowledge of the course
text, and since your class contributions as well as team presentation assignments are also based on

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your ability to apply theory to cases, it is highly recommended that you read the course text before
beginning the programme. Reading and preparing cases each week during the programme is
demanding so it is a major advantage to do this reading over the break before the semester begins.
Secondly it is worth looking at the Gibson Carpets case before the programme either individually or as
a team. This was once set as an exam case, so if you have done some thinking on this, the model case
answer that will be given out at the start of the programme will then be a valuable learning experience,
giving you a sense of course requirements. Please note that quickly glancing at a case and then at a
model answer is rarely that much use when it comes to having to do something yourself! Thirdly
ensure you read any additional assignment readings required before each session, as laid out in the
schedule below.

Course Lecturer

Chris Carr MA (Cantab), D.Phil (Warwick), DMS, ACMA, CEng, MIMechE.
Professor in Corporate Strategy. (Course Coordinator)

Previously Senior Lecturer in charge of strategy at Manchester Business School, following
lectureships at Buckingham, Warwick and Bath universities. Teaching and research experience at
overseas universities includes: most recently as Visiting Scholar, Harvard Business School; Germany
as Professor in International Business at Witten-Herdecke University in Germany; France at HEC,
Spain at the University of Carlos III in Spain, and also the USA, India, China, Turkey, and Russia
working with the Leontief Research Institute. He has spent over 25 years researching strategic
approaches to globalisation, comparing some 20 countries worldwide through extensive field research
particularly in the vehicle components industry. Prior to this he worked in industry for over 10 years
with British Aerospace and then GKN, two of Britain’s largest engineering companies in terms of
market value.

Professor Chris Carr Tel: 0131 650 6307; Email [email protected]
Room 228, William Robertson Building, George Square

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Study Programme

MBA 2008 Strategic Management: Readings and Cases

No Dates 1
st
part of session 9 –
10.30am. (inc usually
presentations at 10am
except those indicated
**)
2
nd
part of session
11.00-12.30pm
Readings from Text & articles to be
read prior to session. Books may be
just glanced at or followed up on
later.

1

10 Jan

Concept of strategy and
strategic decision
making
Generic strategies,
market share, value
chain
Ch 1. Ch 3: pp 85-95. Ch 14
Gibson case & answer.
2 17 Jan

Environmental and 5
Forces Analysis
Ryanair: Defying
Gravity
Ch 3: pp 95-117. Ch 5.
3 24 Jan

Market entry,
networks & oligopoly
Samsung Electronics

Ch 2 & 4.

4 31 Jan

Strategic choices &
leadership, faced with
innovative ‘disrupters’.
Nintendo entry
strategy Rivalry in
Video Games
Chs 11&12.
5 7 Feb

Strategies for
internationalisaation
Kodak Kim & Mauborgne 1997; Zook &
Allen 2003; (Zook 2004);
Christiansen and Raynor (2003).
6 14
Feb

Digital strategies Zara Fashion Ch 7. Yip ‘’88 &89 (or 2003) Carr
1993. Calori et al (2000). Leknes &
Carr 2004.
7 21
Feb

Role of the Centre
Hanson video
Google Inc Ch 8. Eisenhardt & Sull (2001).
**8 28
Feb

Jack Welch and the
General Electric
Management System
GE’s Growth Strategy:
the Immelt Initiative
Chs 6 & 9. (Ch 13). (Welch 2001)
Mintzberg ’87 & 94. (Carr 2006).
**9 6
March

International M&As
Strategic alliances &
change processes
DaimlerChrysler Ch 10. Ohmae 1989 & 1990;
Prahalad & Hamel 1989 & 1990;
(Carr 1999; Bartlett & Ghoshal 1989;
Morosini & Steger 2004)
**10 13
March

Renault / Nissan Global Strategies Ghemawat & Gadir (2000 & 2006);
Ghemawat 2007; Rugman (2005).
Dicken (2007). Nolan et al (2007).

*Ref. Dess, G.G., Lumpkin, G.T. and Eisener, A.B. (2007) Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages (3rd
Edition), McGraw-Hill, New York. Please note that most readings relate to the case to be studied in the work listed. Most
cases are supported by lecturers in the preceding week (except for the last two) so students are encouraged to apply both
ideas from lecturers and assigned readings when preparing for case sessions and discussions.

** Timing of presentation changes to 9am or 11am depending on whether the case is designated for 1
st
part or 2
nd
part of
session.

Case and presentation assignment questions are detailed in Appendix 1. Further readings are detailed
in Appendix 3.

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Appendix 1: Strategic Management Case Assignment and Presentation
Questions

Presentation groups will be expected to make presentation of 12 minutes, leading off at the start of
case sessions into response to all assignment questions, unless stated to the contrary. Very short
individual presentations may also be elicited on particular points. So please come along well prepared.
Unless explicitly stated below, we want you to analysis the case in the time frame of that case.

Ryanair Defying Gravity
1. Appraise Ryanair’s generic competitive strategy as a low cost airline.
2. Appraise its broad SWOT position including rivalry from other airlines, making
recommendations for the development of their future competitive strategy.
Presentation team 1 to lead off in response to questions 1&2.

Samsung Electronics
1. What were the sources of Samsung’s cost advantage in DRAMs in 2003?
2. What were the sources of Samsung’ price premium in DRAMs in 2003?
3. What recommendations would you make to Chairman Lee regarding Samsung’s response to
the threat of large-scale Chinese entry?
Presentation team 2 to lead off in response to questions 1,2&3.

Nintendo
1. Analyse the reasons for Nintendo’s success in entering this market in the face from rivals
such as Atari.
There will be no major team presentation for this case.

Rivalry in Video Games
1. Analyse the reasons for Sony’s success in entering this market (particularly with Playstations 1
and 2) in the face of rivals such as Nintendo.
2. Critically appraise Microsoft’s subsequent entry strategy in respect to X-box.
3. Analyse the reasons for Nintendo’s renewed success with respect to the Wii?
4. Which world players will win out? And why?
5. What should Nintendo do next?
Presentation team 3 to lead off on questions 1 to 4.

Kodak
1. How and why did Kodak move from being so profitable and so dominant, to a position
characterised by much weaker performance?
2. What lessons would you draw for the strategic leadership exhibited by Kodak’s two recent
CEOs, George Fisher and Daniel Carp?
3. What should Kodak’s strategy be at the end of the case and how should it tackle the challenge
from this new digital market?
Presentation team 4 to lead off in response to questions 1, 2 & 3.

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Zara
1. Appraise Zara’s unique competitive strategy and its approach to internationalisation.
2. Appraise its position at the end of the case. What recommendations for the development of
their future international strategy.
Presentation team 5 to lead off in response to questions 1&2.
.
Google Inc
1. What were the key features behind Google’s early success?
2. Do you expect the search business to become more concentrated (i.e. dominated by few
firms)? Is search a winner-take-all business?
3. In renewing its deal with AOL, could Google afford to pay AOL more than 100% of the
revenue generated from AOL searches? How did Microsoft’s maximum affordable bid for
AOL’s search traffic compare to Google’s?
4. In addition to enhancing its core search businesses, should Google also branch out into new
arenas? Which of the following would you recommend: 1) building a full-fledged portal like
Yahoo!’s; 2) targeting Microsoft’s desktop software hegemony; and / or 3) becoming an e-
commerce intermediary like eBay?
5. Do you view Google’s distinctive governance structure, corporate culture, and
organizational processes as strengths or potential limitations?
Presentation team 6 to lead off in response to questions 1, 2, 3 & 4.

Jack Welch and the General Electric Management System
1. Appraise the key features of Jack Welch’s corporate strategy leading to GE’s becoming the
world’s No 1 company in terms of market valuation by 2001.
2. Appraise GE’s position at the end of the case. What threats or opportunities do you see on
the horizon and what advice would you give to Jeffrey Immelt?
Presentation team 7 to lead off in response to questions 1&2.

GE’s Growth Strategy: the Immelt Initiative
1. Appraise the key features of Immelt’s corporate strategy.
2. Appraise GE’s position at the end of the case. What threats or opportunities do you see on
the horizon and what advice would you now give to Jeffrey Immelt?
Presentation team 8 to lead off in response to question 1 & 2.

DaimlerChrysler
1.Critically evaluate Daimler’s approach using acquisition particularly in respect to integration
issues.
Presentation team 9 to lead off in response to question 1

Renault/Nissan
1. What lessons would you draw from Renault Nissan relatively more successful strategic
alliance / merger and what would be your future prognosis?
Presentation team 10 to lead off in response to question 1.

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Appendix 2: Sample Exam Paper

Thursday 22 March 2007 9.30-11.30am
Chairman of the Board of Examiners: Mr S Earp
External Examiner: Dr A Smith

BOTH SECTIONS to be attempted.

SECTION A carries 30% of the marks. SECTION B carries 70%. You are advised to complete section
A first allowing roughly 30 minutes (2mins / question) before moving on to section B.

SECTION B

CASE STUDY: HSBC HOLDINGS

You have been short-listed for a the post of Strategic Planner at HSBC and all candidates have been
issued with the attached case study ‘HSBC Holdings’.

HSBC is deeply concerned that they have already lost $14 billion on their Household International
acquisition, which took place four years ago as referred to in the case. HSBC’s new Chairman Stephen
Green and Mike Geoghegan, Chief Executive are reported to be under unprecedented pressure from
shareholders over ballooning bad debts at their US mortgage business. Thousands of low income-
families in America have been unable to re-pay loans, leading to bad debt provisions of some $11
billion (Sunday Times 4.3.2007, section 3, p.1).

Armed ONLY with this information together with the information contained in the case ‘HSBC
Holdings’, the company has asked you to address the questions below. To keep all job candidates on a
level footing, you MUST NOT draw on other research you may have carried out into HSBC,
Household International or the banking sector. You ARE encouraged, however, to draw on lessons or
parallels from other pertinent cases you have studied on the Strategic Management Programme or
from the related practitioner talks series, as well as from theory and literature.

Question 1

Critically appraise HSBC’s overall competitive strategy, paying particularly attention to its
international strategy and its broad aims for the U.S.A. (35 marks)

Question 2

Critically appraise HSBC’s acquisition of Household International, paying particular attention to
integration problems. Make recommendations as to how HSBC should have better handled this
acquisition and on what it should do now in 2007, commenting very briefly on any critical
implementation issues.

NB. It is not necessary to repeat material in your answers to questions 1 and 2. They will be
marked as a whole. Mark indications above are intended just to give you a clear idea of how to
allocate your time.

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Appendix 3: Further Reading

The following books may help you to understand the concepts we study and will supplement the
lectures and discussions. You should choose from the list those books which address your particular
interests. Brief reasons are given why each book is on the list. Two words of warning: these books
have generally been written by American or British writers to meet the needs of their own managers
and societies, their applicability to other societies is variable. This list of suggested books should be
viewed as indicative, and not compulsory. Please remember that all bibliographies reflect the taste and
preference of the compiler; this one is no exception.

*** Definitely required, purchase.
** Worth looking at with a view to purchase
* Useful for additional reading or purchase if it relates to your interests

ESSENTIAL READING: RECOMMENDED TEXT

***Dess, G.G., Lumpkin, G.T. and Eisener, A.B. (2007) Strategic Management: Creating Competitive
Advantages (3rd Edition), McGraw-Hill, New York.

This is the standard textbook for the Strategic Management and Strategic Change Process courses. It
is relatively short and succinct, though nice and readable. It is essential that you have access to a copy
so purchase is necessary. It covers the basics systematically and your knowledge of topics covered in
Semester 2a will be tested in the exam.

Other Excellent Texts

*Grant R. (2007) Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 6
th
, Edn. Oxford: Blackwell. This is an excellent succinct
alternative text, strong on economics analysis and resource based approaches, but weak on process or
implementation issues. Its sequence is logical and ties in easily with the programme. But it is not fully
comprehensive and it does not have as extensive back-up. Cases to Accompany Contemporary Strategy
Analysis, (2008) 6
th
Edition, also has interesting cases, two of which we will be using.

*Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2007) Exploring Corporate Strategy, 9th edn, London: Prentice Hall, with or
without cases. Another excellent text and better than Grant on process and implementation issues. There may
be many copies around of older editions around and certainly in the Library. It is more European orientated
than US texts.

Other Texts, Literature Summaries, and Collections

Jenkins, M. and Ambrossini, V. with Collier, N. (2007). Advanced Strategic Management: a Multi-Perspective
Approach, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. This gives you a good deal of the concepts and ideas taught on the
Cranfield MBA.

Perry, M. (2006). Global Strategy. Mason, Ohio: South Western / Thomson.

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Pettigrew, A.M. , Thomas, H. and Whittington, R. (2006) Handbook of Strategy and Management, London:
Sage.

Harvard Business Review (2002) Harvard Business Review on Advances in Strategy, Boston: Harvard Business
School Press.

Whittington, R. (2001) What is Strategy and Does It Matter? London: Thomson Learning. A book which
addresses the influence of ‘non-classical’ strategy and its influence on current thinking. Stimulating and brief
but needs to be used as an add-on to a more basic coverage of the subject.

Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. (1998) The Strategy Safari. Free Press
or paperback. Mintzberg style provocative summary of some 10 strategic schools.

More Advanced or Specialised Books particularly recommended for further inspection.
(which students can use or consult)

**Mintzberg, H. (1994) The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. London: Prentice Hall. Well
worth reading; interesting and often provocative.

**Hamel, G. and Prahalad, G.K. (1994) Competing for the Future. Harvard Business School Press. An
influential book on strategy which is particularly strong on core competencies. Paperback version.

*Beinhocker, E.D. (2006). The Origin of Wealth: Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of
Economics, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Very different, but mind stretching, panoramic in scope
and very interesting.

*Bryan, L., Fraser, J., Oppenheimer, J. and Rall, W. (1999) Race for the World, Harvard Business School Press.
A quick read with some good ideas on global strategy, though most summed up on page 91, so I wouldn’t
necessarily purchase unless you get particularly keen on global strategy.

*Berger, S. et. al (2006). How We Compete: What Companies Around the World Are Doing to Make it in
Today’s Global Economy. New York: Currency. Very strong on outsourcing and globalisation.

*Calori, R., Atamer, T. and Nunes, P. (2000) The Dynamics of International Competition: from Practice to
Theory. Sage.
An extremely interesting research based book from France offering an up to date analysis of companies’
perceived strategies for internationalisation. Worth going into further, if you get interested in global strategy.

*Christiansen, C.M. and Raynor, M.E. (2003) The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful
Growth. Harvard Business School. Excellent on innovation following Christiansen’s very well received The
Innovation Paradox. His new book is due out now and is perhaps a preferable buy, though it largely recovers his
older ground.

*Collins, J. (2000) Good to Great, Random House Business Books, London. His previous book Built to Last
was a bit like a more up to date In Search of Excellence, and may raise similar issues. Do all these successful
companies actually last? But this one is addressed to a pertinent question. How do companies actually move
from being mediocre to excelling on performance?

*Campbell, A. and Park, R. (2005) The Growth Gamble: When Leaders Should Bet on New Business and How
to Avoid Expensive Failures. London: Nicholas Brealey. Good on diversification.

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*Dicken, P. (2007) (5
th
Edit). Global Shift: Mapping the Contours of the World Economy. Sage. This latest
edition is a gold mine for global data and some really insightful sector cases studies. The emphasis is geography
but done so well, it’s highly relevant for global strategy.

*Ghemawat, P. (2007). Global Strategy in a World of Differences, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Great issues and some good data, though his interpretation is highly open to question. Most of his case studies
and a good deal of his data actually point to pro-active global strategies being pretty crucial; his theme though is
that we really just need to be ‘semi-global’.

*Gladwell, M. (2000). The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, London: Abacus.

*Hamel, G.(2000) Leading the Revolution, Harvard Business School Press. His most up to date book.
Provocative and a good quick read, though somewhat uncritical in adulation of New Economy companies like
Enron!

*Linder, J.C. (2004). Outsourcing for Radical Change: A Bold Approach to Enterprise Management.
New York: Amacom.

*Miller, D. and Le Breton-Miller, I. (2005). Managing for the Long Run: Lessons in Competitive
Advantage from Great Family Businesses, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

*Mourdoukoutas, P. (2006) Business Strategies in a Semiglobal Economy. New York: M.E. Sharpe.
* Nolan, P., Zhang.J. and Liu, C. (2007). The Global Business Revolution and the Cascade Effect: Palgrave
Macmillan. Superb for data on global consolidation taking place in many sectors worldwide, including
aerospace, beverages and retail amongst others.

*Ohmae, K. The Mind of the Strategist. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Ohmae is one of the few Japanese writers in the field of strategy. He was head of McKinsey’s office in Tokyo.
This original approach is still worth reading.

*Patel, A.B. and Aran, H. (2005). Outsourcing Success: the Management Imperative, Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.

*Porter M. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors. Free Press, is
a classic and very good, although the basic ideas are well covered in the recommended text.

*Porter, M. (1998) On Competition. A Harvard Business Review Book.
A nice collection of the work of a global academic/guru star.

*Rugman, A.M. (2005). The Regional Multinationals: MNEs and “Global” Strategic Management. Cambridge
University Press. A quick, simple read, though controversial as he sets such arbitrarily high criteria for defining
MNEs as “global” that, unsurprisingly they almost all get defined as no more than regional!

*Zook, C. (2004) Beyond the Core: Expand Your Market Without Abandoning Your Roots, Harvard Business
School. Good on related diversification.

*Wheeler, C., McDonald, F. and Greaves, I. (2003) (Eds) Internationalization: Firm Strategies and
Management, Basingstoke: Palgrave / Macmillan. I will refer to chapter 6.

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Other More Advanced or Specialised Books

Bartlett, C.A. and Ghosal, S. (1989) Management Across Borders. Harvard Business School Press.

Carr, C., Bayliss, B. and Tomkins, C. (1994) Strategic Investment Decisions. Avebury Press.
A research based book – very detailed comparative analysis of strategic investment decision processes in Britain
and Germany. Specialised, academic and expensive.

Chandler, A.J. (1990). Strategy and Scope: the Dynamics of Industrial Competition. Boston: Harvard University
Press Paperback. A classic in the field of business history, organisation structures and diversification.

Child, J. and Faulkner, D. & Tallmar, S. (2005, 2
nd
Edit). Cooperative Strategy: Managing Alliances, Networks
and Joint Ventures. Open University Press.

Daussauge, P. and B.Garrette (1999) Cooperative Strategy: Competing Successfully through Strategic Alliances,
Chichester, Wiley.

Dixit, A.K. and Nalebuff, B.J. (1991) Thinking Strategically. Norton & Company.

Drucker, P.F. (1989) The New Realities. London: Heinemann Professional Publishing.

Durand, R. (2006) Organizational Evolution and Strategic Management, London: Sage.

Friedman, T.L. (2006). The World is Flat. London: Penguin. Stimulated debate (over 2m copies) but over-rated.

Gabarra, J.J. (1987). The Dynamics of Taking Charge. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Goold, M., Campbell, A. and Alexander, M. (1994) Corporate-level Strategy - Creating Business Value in the
Multi-business Company. Chichester: Wiley. How can corporate headquarters can add value to subsidiaries?

Hamden-Turner, C. and Trompenaars, F. (1995). The Seven Cultures of Capitalism, Piatkus.

Galpin, T.J. and Herndon, M. (2007). Mergers and Acquisitions: Process Tools to Support M&A Integration at
Every Level. John Wiley/Jossy Bass: San Francisco.

Gratton, L. (2007). Hot Spots: Why Some Companies Buzz with Energy and Innovation and Others Don’t.
Harlow: FT Prentice Hall.

Gregory, I.C. and Rawling, S.B. (1997). Profit from Time: Speed up Business Improvement by Implementing
Time Compression. Basingstoke: Macmillan Books.

Harrison, L.E. and Huntington, S.P. (2000). Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress. New York:
Basic Books.

Hickson, D. and Pugh, D. (1995). Management Worldwide: The Impact of Societal Culture on Organizations
around the Globe, Penguin Books

House, R. et al. (2005). The Globe Leadership Project. London: Sage. Impressive. Expensive though.

Inkpen, A. and Ramaswamy, K. (2006). Global strategy: creating and sustaining competitive advantage across
borders. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Johnson, G., Langley, A., Melin, L. and Whittington, R. (2007). Strategy as Practice: Research Directions and
Resources. Cambridge University Press. Other perspectives on how strategies are formulated.

Kanter, M.R. (1989) When Giants Learn to Dance. Routledge. A description of her view of ‘post-
entrepreneurial’ corporations. Final 30 pages gives effective overview.

Kanter, R.M. (2004). Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End. New York: Three
Rivers Press.

Koen, C.I. (2005). Comparative International Management. London: McGraw Hill. Quite expensive.

Kim, W.C. and Mauborgne, R. (2005). Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space
and Make the Competition Irrelevant. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Lassere, P. (2003). Global Strategic Management. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. E.g. p23 figure.

Lawrence, P. (2002) The Change Game: How Today’s Global Trends are Shaping Tomorrow’s
Companies, London: Kogan Page. Chap 2 especially good on industry consolidation

Lees, S. (2003) Global Acquisitions: Strategic Integration and the Human Factor, Basingstoke:
Palgrave/Macmillan.

Lendrum, A. (2004). The Strategic Partnering Pocketbook: Building Strategic Partnerships and
Alliances. Sydney: McGraw Hill.

McCraw, T.K. (2000). Creating Modern Capitalism: How Entrepreneurs, Companies, and Countries
Triumphed in Three Industrial Revolution, Boston: Harvard University Press. Great business history.

Mellani, K., Frynas, L.G. and Finlay, P. (2005). Global Strategic Management. Oxford University Press.

Middleton, J. (2006). Gurus on eBusiness. London: Thorogood.

Miller, D. and Le Breton-Miller, I. (2005). Managing for the Long Run: Lessons in Competitive
Advantage from Great Family Businesses. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Miniter, R. (2002). The Myth of Market Share. Nicholas Brearley. A fast, controversial read.

Moran, R.T., Harris, P.R., Moran, S.V. (2007). Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership
Strategies for the 21
st
Century. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Expensive though.

Nishiguchi, T. (1994) Strategic Industrial Sourcing: the Japanese Advantage, Oxford, Oxford University
Press. Excellent on role of subcontractors across Europe, the USA and Japan, including historical trends.

Nonaka, I. and Takeuchi, H. (1995) The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the
Dynamics of Innovation. Free Press

Ohmae, K. (1985) Triad power: The coming shape of global competition, New York: Free Press.
Ohmae, K. (1990) The borderless world. New York: Harper Business.
Ohmae, K. (2001) The invisible continent: four strategic imperatives for the new economy. Nicholas Braeley.

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Prahalad, C.K. and Doz, Y. (1987). The Multinational Mission: Balancing Local Demands and Global Vision,
New York: Free Press.

Peters, T. and Waterman, R.(1982) In Search of Excellence. Harper & Row. Influential,still controversial!

Porter, M. (1985) Competitive Advantage - Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.

Porter, M.E. (1990). Competitive Advantage of Nations. Macmillan Press.

Prahalad, C.K. and Y.L. Doz (1987) The Multinational Mission: Balancing Local Demands and Global
Vision, Free Press, New York

Rappaport, A. (1996). Creating Shareholder Value: The New Standard For Business Performance (New
York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 1996)

Reinert, E.S. (2007). How Rich Countries Got Rich, and Why Poor Countries Stay Poor. Oxford Univ Press.

Roberts, J. (2004). The Modern Firm: Organizational Design for Performance and Growth, Oxford: Oxford
University Press.

Rugman, A. (2004). The End of Globalisation. Controversial but stimulating.

Schmidt, W.V., Conaway, R.N., Easton, S.S. and Wardrope, W.W. (2007). Communicating Globally:
Intercultural Communication and International Business, London: Sage.

Sheth, J. and Sosodia, R. (2002). The Rule of Three: Surviving and Thriving in Competitive Markets, Free Press

Simon, H. (1996) Hidden Champions: Lesssons from the World’s Best Unknown Companies, Harvard Business
School Press. Very good, especially on Germany and on smaller companies that have excelled internationally.

Slatter, S., Lovett, D. and Barlow, L. (2006). Leading Corporate Turnaround. How Leaders Fix Troubled
Companies. Jossey-Bass/John Wiley: San Francisco. Good on turnaround strategies and options here.

Stefanowski, R. (2007). Making M&A Deals Happen. New York: McGraw Hill. Quite expensive.

Stern, C.W. and Deimler, M.S. (2006, Ed). The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: Classic Concepts and
New Perpectives, Chichester: John Wiley. Slightly dated contributions, but quite a nice amalgam.

Sutton, J. (1998). Technology and Market Structure: Theory and History. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Tomalin, B. and Nicks, M. (2007). The World’s Business Cultures and How to Unlock Them. Thorogood.

Trompenaars, F. and Prud’Homme, P. (2004). Managing Change Across Cultures. Chichester: Capstone/Wiley.

Van Der Heydjen, (1995) Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation. Wiley

Van Der Heydjen et al, (2002) The Sixth Sense: Accelerating Organizational Learning with Scenarios.
Wiley

Warren, K. (2002). Competitive Strategy Dynamics, Wiley. Different and quite interesting.

Watkins, M. (2003). The First 90 Days. Harvard Business School Press.

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Whittington, R. and Mayer, M. (2000) The European Corporation, Oxford University Press.

Wiebes, E., Baaij, M., Keibek, B. And Witteveen, P. (2007). The Craft of Strategy Formulation: Translating
Business Issues into Actionable Strategies. Chichester: Wiley.

Womack, J.P, Jones, D.T. and Roos, D. (1990), The Machine that Changed the World, Rawson Associates.

Womack, J.P. and Jones, D.T. (2003) Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation,
Free Press / Simon & Schuster, paperback edition.

Yip, G. (2001) Total global strategy (latest edition). Prentice Hall. Draws on the extensive academic/research /
consultancy work. Better to review his Sloan Management Review article first - covers the gist of his argument.

Yoffie, D.B. and Kwak, M. (2001) Judo Strategy: Turning Your Competitors’ Strengths to Your
Advantage, Boston: Harvard Business School Press (or p’back edition would be cheaper). Interesting on
competing in faster moving industries.

Practical Experience of Management Particularly Recommended.

**Asakura, A. (2000). Revolutionaries at Sony: the Making of the Sony PlayStation and the Visionaries Who
Conquered the World of Video Games, McGraw-Hill. Extremely good read showing inside story of technology
innovation and strategic change at one of Japan’s best companies.

*Carlzen, J. (1988?). Moments of Truth. Paperback. Excellent (if you can still find it) on service management,
turnaround and cultural change processes.

*Creaton, S. (2004). Ryanair: How a Small Irish Airline Conquered Europe. London: Aurum Press.

*Gerstner, L.V. (2002) Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Inside IBM’s Historic Turnaround, London: Harper
Collins (paperback). Very good.

*Jones, G. (2005) Renewing Unilever: Transformation and Tradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. An
excellent, pertinent and up to date business history on a classic multinational.

*Liker, J.K. (2004). The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer.
New York: McGraw-Hill. An excellent account of the world’s leading car company.

*Magee, D. (2003) Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan. Harper Books.

*Morita, A. and Sony. (1986) Made in Japan. Fontana Collins.
Lovely paperback if you can still get it.

*Vise, D.A. (2005). The Google Story. London: Pan.

*Welch, J. (2002) Jack: What I’ve Learned Leading a Great Company and a Great People, London: Headline.
Superb read.

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Other Practical Experience of Management

Bevan, J. (2007). The Rise and Fall of Marks and Spencer…and How it Rose Again, London: Profile.

Branson, R. (2006). Screw It. Let’s Do It. London: Virgin Books. Certainly short.

Burgelman, R.A. (2001). Strategy is Destiny: How Strategy Making Shapes a Company’s Future, Free Press (a
study of Intel).

Dauphinais, G.W., Means, G. and Price, C. (2000). Wisdom of the CEO. New York: John Wiley. 29 CEO views
on topical strategic issues.

Fiorina, C. (2007). Tough Choices: A Memoir. London: Nicholas Braerley.

Garten, J. (2002) The Mind of the CEO: One to One with the World’s Top Business Leaders, London: Penguin
(paperback). A nice, quick read reviewing perspectives of several top firms / CEOs.

Johnson, J. and Orange, M. (2003) The Man Who Tried to Buy the World: Jean-Marie Messier and Vivendi
Universal, London: Penguin/Viking.

Jones, E. (1987). A History of GKN. Vol One: Innovation and Enterprise. 19759-1918. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Jones, E. (1990). A History of GKN. Vol Two: The Growth of a Business. 1918-1945. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Kelly, D. (2004). Driven: Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World, Hoboken: Wiley.

McInevny, F. (2007). Panasonic: the Largest Corporate Turnaround in History. New York: Truman Tally
Books.

Principe, A. (2006/forthcoming). Strategy, Systems and Scope. London: Sage. Based mainly on aero-space.

Ratner, G. (2006). The Rise and Fall…and Rise Again. Chichester: Capstone/John Wiley. The story of Gerald
Ratner’s rise and slightly infamous fall of the Ratner’s jewellery chain, now know as Signet.

Ruddock, A. (2007). Michael O’Leary: a Life in Full Flight. Dublin: Penguin.

Simms, A. (2007). Tescopoly. London: Constable.

Steinbok, D. (2001) The Nokia Revolution: the Story of an Extroadinary Company that Transformed an
Industry, New York, Amacom.

Teerlink, R. and Ozley, L. (2000) More Than a Motorcycle: the Leadership Journey at Harley-Davidson.
Harvard Business School Press.

Vlasic, B. and Stertz, B.A. (2000) Taken for a Ride: How Daimler-Benz Drove Off with Chrysler, William
Morrow.

Wolf, M. (2004). Why globalization works. London: Yale University Press.
Yenne, W. (2007). Guinness: the 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint. Chichester: Wiley.

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Newspapers/Periodicals

The following are particularly relevant and the Financial Times in particular should be a regular read.

Financial Times Available at 50p to students in Union Shops.
Business Week*
Economist All available in Main Library - Current
Harvard Business Review* Periodicals section.
Management Today*
The Director
Fortune
Long Range Planning

Recommended Articles

Baden Fuller, C. and Stopford, J. (1991) Globalisation Frustrated: The Case studies of White Goods. Strategic
Management Journal, 12: 493-507.

Bartlett, C. and Ghoshal, S. (2000) Going Global: Lessons from Late Movers, Harvard Business Review, March

Brandenberger, A.M. and Nalebuff, B.J. (1995), The Right Game: Use Game Theory to Shape Strategy.
Harvard Business Review, July-August, 57-71.

Buzzell, R., Gale, B., and Sultan, R. (1975) Market Share –a Key to Profitability, Harvard Business Review, Jan

*Campbell, A., M. Goold, and M. Alexander. (1995) The Value of the Parent Company, California
Management Review, 38 (1): 79 -

*Carr, C.H. (1993) Global, National and Resource Based Strategies. Strategic Management Jrnl, 14: 551-568.

Carr, C.H. (1999) Globalisation, strategic alliances, acquisitions and technology transfer, R&D Management,
Vol 29, No 4, 405-421.

*Carr, C.H. (2005). Are German, Japanese and Anglo-Saxon Strategic Decision Styles Still Divergent in the
Context of Globalization? Journal of Management Studies 42 (6), 1155-1188.

C Ca ar rr r, , C C. .H H. . ( (2 20 00 06 6) ). . “ “R Ru us ss si ia an n s st tr ra at te eg gi ic c i in nv ve es st tm me en nt t d de ec ci is si io on n p pr ra ac ct ti ic ce es s c co om mp pa ar re ed d w wi it th h t th ho os se e o of f G Gr re ea at t B Br ri it to on n, ,
G Ge er rm ma an ny y, , t th he e U Un ni it te ed d S St ta at te es s a an nd d J Ja ap pa an n: : d di iv ve er rs si it ty y, , c co on nv ve er rg ge en nc ce e a an nd d s sh ho or rt t- -t te er rm mi is sm m” ”, , I In nt te er rn na at ti io on na al l S St tu ud di ie es s , ,
M Ma an na ag ge em me en nt t a an nd d O Or rg ga an ni iz za at ti io on n. . V Vo ol l 3 36 6, , N No o 3 3. .

Carr, C.H. and Garcia, C-E. (2003) Globalisation and strategic choice: how multinational and local perspectives
differ: a Spanish case study, European Management Journal, Vol 21, No 6, 671-685.

Carr, C.H. and Harris, S. (2004) The impact of national values on strategic investment decisions in the context
of globalisation, International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Vol 4, No 1, 77-99.

Carr, C.H. and Pudelko, M. (2006) “Convergence of national practices in strategy, finance and HRM between
the USA, Japan and Germany”, International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Vol 6, No 1.

Collis, D. and Montgomery, C. (1995) Competing on Resources: Strategy in the 1990s, Harvard Business
Review, Vol 76, No 3, 1998, 70-83

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Dawar, N. and Frost, A. (1999) Competing with Giants. Survival Strategies for Local Companies in Emerging
Markets. Harvard Business Review, March, pp119-129.

Day, G.S. (1997) Strategies for Surviving a Shakeout, Harvard Business Review (March), 92-102.

Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989). Making Fast Strategic Decisions in High-Velocity Environments. Academy of
Management Journal, 32, 3, 5430-76.

*Eisenhardt, K.M. and Sull, D. (2001) Strategy as Simple Rules, Harvard Business Review, January 107-116.

Ghemawat, P. (2003). Simiglobalization and international business strategy. Journal of International Business
Studies, 34 (2), 138-152.

Ghemawat, P. (2005). Regional strategies for global leadership. Harvard Business Review, Dec, pp. 99-108.
Ghemawat, P. and Ghardir, F. (2000) The Dubious Logic of Global Megamergers. Harvard Business Review,
(July-August), 65-72.

*Ghemawat, P. and Ghardir, F. (2006). Global integration is not equal to global concentration. Industrial and
Corporate Change, 15 (1) 595-623.

Ghosn. C. (2002). Saving the business without losing the company. Harvard Business Review, 80, No 1, 37-45

Goold, M. and Campbell, A. (2002). Parenting in complex structures. Long Range Planning, Vol 35, 219-243.

Ghoshal, S. (1987) “Global strategy: an organizing framework”, Strategic Management Jrnl, 8, 425-440.

*Gottfredson, M., Puryear, R. and Phillips, S. (2005). Strategic sourcing: from periphery to the core. Harvard
Business Review, 83 (2) 132-9.

*Hamel G. and Prahalad, C. K. (1989), Strategic Intent, Harvard Business Review, May/June: 63-76.

Hamel, G., Doz, Y. and Prahalad, C. (1989) Collaborate with Your Competitors and Win. Harvard Business
Review, Jan-Feb: 133-139.

Hamel, G. and Valikangas, L. (2003). The quest for resilience. Harvard Business Review, Vol 81, No 9: 52-63.

Hansen, M.T., Nohria, N. and Tierney, T. (1999). What’s your strategy for managing knowledge? Harvard
Business Review, Vol 77, No 2: 106-116

Hout,T., Porter, M.E and Rudden, K.(1982) “How global companies win out”, HBR Sep-Oct, 98-109

Johnson, G. J. (1988), Rethinking Incrementalism, Strategic Management Journal, 1: 183-200.

Johnson, G. J. (1999), Managing Strategic Change; The Role of Symbolic Action. British Journal of
Management, 1: 183-200.

Kanter, R.M. (2003). Leadership and the psychology of turnarounds. Harvard Business Review, Vol 81, No 6:
58-67.

*Kim, W.C. and Mauborgne, R. (1997). Value innovation: the strategic logic of high growth. Harvard Business
Review, Vol 75: 103-112

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Kogut, B. (1999) What Makes a Company Global? Harvard Business Review, (January)

*Leknes, H. and Carr, C.H. (2004) Globalisation, international configurations and strategic implications: the
case of retailing, Long Range Planning, Vol 37, 29-49.

Levitt, T. (1983). “The globalization of markets”, Harvard Business Review, May-June, 92-102. A highly
controversial classic, still being debated.

*Lindner, J.C. (2004). Transformational outsourcing. Sloan Management Review, 45 (2) 52-8.

Mayer, M. and R. Whittington (2003). 'Diversification in Context: Cross-national and Cross-temporal
extension'. In: Strategic Management Journal, 24: 773 - 781.

Mintzberg, H. (1975) The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact. Harvard Business Review, July-August.

Mintzberg, H. (1985) The Organisation as a Political Arena. Journal of Management Studies 22 (2): 133-154.

*Mintzberg, H. (1987) Crafting Strategy. Harvard Business Review, Sep/Oct: 49-55.

Oh, C.H. and Rugman, A.M. (2006). Regional sales of multinationals in the world cosmetics industry.
European Management Journal, 24 (2/3), pp. 163-173.

*Ohmae, K. (1989) The Global Logic of Strategic Alliances. Harvard Business Review, March-April: 143-154.

Porter, M. (1987) From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy, Harvard Business Review, 65, (3)
pp 43-59.

Porter, M. (1988) What is Strategy? Harvard Business Review.

*Porter, M.E. (1990) The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Harvard Business Review, March/April (2): 73-
93.

*Porter, M. (2001) Strategy and the Internet, Harvard Business Review, March

*Prahalad, C. and Hamel, G. (1990) The Core Competence of the Corporation. Harvard Business Review,
May/June: 71-91.

Rugman, A.M. and Bain, C. (2003). Multinational enterprises are regional, not global. The Multinational
Business Review, 11, 1, 3-12.
Rugman, A.M. and Collinson, S. (2004). The regional nature of the world’s automotive sector, European
Management Journal, 22 (5), pp. 471-482.

Rugman, A.M. and Collinson, S. (2005). Multinational enterprises in the new Europe: are they really global?
Organizational Dynamics, 34 (3), pp. 258-272.
Rugman, A.M. and Girod, S. (2003). Retail multinationals and globalization: the evidence is regional, European
Management Journal, 21 (1), pp. 24-37.

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Rugman, A.M. and Li, J. (2007). Will China’s multinationals succeed globally or regionally?. Long Range
Planning, Vol 25, No 5, 333-343.
Rugman, A.M. and Moore, K. (2003). Canadian multinationals are regional, not global. Policy Options, 44-46.
*Rugman, A. and Verbeke, A. (2004). A perspective on regional and global strategies of multinational
enterprises, Journal of International Business Studies, 35, 1, 3-18.
Schwittay, B. and C.Carr (2002) “New strategic groups concepts in the transition to a changing global
environment: a dynamic analysis of strategic group behaviour in the world-wide spirits industry” in
International Business: Adjusting to New Challenges and Opportunities, Ed. F. McDonald, H.Tuselmann
and C.Wheeler, Basingstoke and New York, Palgrave: 221-233.

H.Simon (1996) “You don’t have to be a German to be a ‘Hidden Champion’, Business Strategy Review,
7, 2, 1-13.

Warren, K. (1999) The dynamics of strategy. Business Strategy Review, 10, (4), 41-54.

*Watanabe, K. (2007). Lessons from Toyota’s Long Drive. (Interview with Toyota’s CEO). Harvard Business
Review. 85, 7/8, 74-83.

G.S.Yip, P.M.Loewe, M.Y.Yoshino, “How to take your company to the global market”, California
Journal of World Business, 1988,Vol 23, No 4, 37-48

Yip, G. (1989) Global Strategy in a World of Nations? Sloan Management Review, Fall, 29-40.

*Zook, C. and Allen, J. (2003) “Growth outside the core”, Harvard Business Review, Dec, 66-73.

E Reads
It is also increasingly easy to access material electronically. Some sites you might try include the
following which I have accessed and found helpful. There are increasing numbers of other electronic sites
including Wikepedia, and www.12manage.com, which gives a bit overview on strategy and other
techniques. Just don’t try plagiarising any of these though!

URL
Name of Sitehttp://COBA.SHSU.edu/jbs/ Journal of Business Strategieshttp://www.smswbe.org/ Strategic Management Society
[USA]http://www.sps.org.uk/ Strategic Planning Society [UK]http://www.itbp.com/strategy/dewit.html Dewit and Meyer text – part
downloadablehttp://www.strategy-business.com/ Strategy & Businesshttp://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codez/strahand/toc.htm Nasa strategic planning guide; usefulhttp://www.wits.ac.za/miu/p15htm Witwwtersrand Uni strategic
planning guide

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Appendix 4: Case Studies (See also Textbook Chapter 14)

In case studies, the individual groups examine together a real life example of a management situation
(edited for teaching purposes). Some cases are ‘dated’ but it is felt that the lessons to be learnt justify
their use, some are contemporary business challenges. There is not always a “teacher’s answer”. What
is crucial is the depth of analysis, an understanding of assumptions made, and the creative quality of
the solution that comes from solid analysis and thought.

Notes on Case Preparation: The following comments may help you in case study preparation:-

In discussing problems of Corporate Strategy it is useful to have descriptions of real life company
situations in addition to readings and lectures on the concepts. This is provided by the case study
method. To be comprehensive in giving the reader an appreciation of the environment, the various
functions, resources, constraints and opportunities before the management, inevitably the case has to
be adequately long.

In preparing a case for classroom discussion the following suggestions may be useful.

1. Read the case hurriedly through once to give yourself an idea of the total perspective. Note
what Exhibits there are.
2. Read it through again. Read particularly the sections which seem most significant to addressing
the questions posed or your own opinions of the important issues. Study the ‘numbers’ often in
exhibits carefully; they sometimes tell a different story from the ‘words’.
3. As you go through steps one and two do not hesitate to make extensive notes

Look Out for:

1. Evolution of the corporate strategy of the organisation, including overall objectives and how they
relate to stakeholders.
2. Evolution of strategies in particular functions such as marketing, manufacturing, finance,
organisation, systems and techniques, and above all the comparative advantage possessed!

In making recommendations for the future as to how the company needs to maintain some parts of its
strategy but to change others, you may find it useful to analyse the four following areas:

1. Opportunities in the environment
2. Threats in the environment
3. Strengths of the company
4. Weaknesses of the company

Also look at the abilities, styles, administrative competence of the Chief Executive or the Chief
Executives whose regimes are described in the case study. Put yourself firmly in the position of a
consultant or a manager in the company and see what realistic insights and recommendations you can
come up with in the various functions and overall corporate strategy. Finally see what lessons you can
distil from the story of the particular company whose case we are discussing, and relate it to your own
experience and that of your colleagues.

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In the classroom discussions the duties of the ‘teacher’ will be to orchestrate the discussion of the
group so as to provide the necessary intellectual and emotional environment which encourages the
class to participate actively in obtaining the objectives of a given session. The degree to which the
‘teacher’ takes an active part depends partly on his/her own personality and style and partly on the
abilities of the class to reach meaningful conclusions without help. In the discussions, it is hoped that
unsubstantiated statements will be challenged, points made, group colleagues defended with clearly
reasoned, analytical argument. Here the ‘teacher’ may be required to act as arbitrator or as a source of
information, and s/he may choose to make notes on the whiteboard of issues raised, solutions
proposed. This will assist the class in following the direction in which the discussion is moving and
the ‘teacher’ in summarising the principal lessons that can be drawn from a specific case.

It is easy for you to ‘opt out’ of case studies either out of shyness or disinterest. The old ‘truism’
about getting out what you put in is particularly apt for case studies. An individual who is by nature
rather inarticulate in a general discussion has all the more reason to learn to overcome this feeling
before a sympathetic audience of one’s peers. Please note that those who refuse to ‘help’ in the group
may not find friends to assist them when their own time comes to be the ‘presenter’.

There will be marked case exercises over Semester 2a, and you will be asked to prepare a case.
Groups are asked to meet, discuss the case and prepare a written report, which will be marked and
commented upon. Groups may be required to present their findings to the class. Group members will
each receive the mark given to the group report. Please note:
- Reports must be handed in by the stated deadline preceding the class session at which the case
is taught. Reports received after this time will be penalised.
- Reports must be typed on good quality paper in adequate English. Headings are suggested.
You should use reasonably full sentences. The whole should, generally, be couched in the
form of a consulting report to a client.
- Poor presentations will be penalised.
- It is a group exercise but all must learn to carry the shared responsibility and gain experience
writing up a report.
- The course teachers are willing to discuss comments but cannot enter into protracted
discussions on marks for individual cases.
- The Group “Reporter” (the person nominated to coordinate the writing of the report) is asked to
type in alphabetical order the names of all members of the group who attend or contribute to
the group report preparation. Anyone not on the list it is assumed has not assisted in the group
exercise and will receive no marks for that exercise. In addition, “Reporters” are asked to
indicate clearly who they are at the front of the report.

Frustrations of Strategic Case Studies

Some people find case studies difficult, even frustrating, because cases draw both on specific
techniques of analysis (i.e. accounting ratios) and on structured common-sense. There is no ‘right’ or
‘maestro’ answer. Strategic decisions are not necessarily optimal solutions. Not only is the future
uncertain but, also, the internal political situation; the relationships between the key executives is such
that certain ideal solutions are unacceptable to some or even all of top management. Strategy then is
also the art of the possible, a best fit, an acceptable solution given the circumstances. Reality is not
clear cut, black and white but an ever changing, shifting, messy shade of grey. Managers have to learn
to work with ambiguity, with emotion laden constraints, with insufficient and/or biased data.

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Decisions can rarely be taken with the apparent mathematical, scientific precision of the laboratory, or
the engineering formula. Strategy and managerial decision making is hedged in by the unpredictability
of human players and of the future.

This does not mean that solid qualitative analysis, the use of techniques of strategic analysis (such as
those ‘templates’ offered by Porter) are not helpful. A healthy scepticism, good lateral thinking and a
creative approach are equally required, which means that there is rarely an ideal solution. There are,
however, a number of possible choices, the most appropriate of which must be weighed and
considered in the light of the known facts, assumptions and circumstance (like the decision maker’s
own ability to carry through and implement the choice made). Assumptions must be identified and
made explicit so that strategy can be adjusted for changes.

Group Work for Case Studies

There is no ideal method as to how groups should operate. Each group will develop its own culture
and ways of doing things that serve its members best. However, a few general comments culled from
the ‘successful’ (in meeting their own learning aims) groups may be found helpful.

- Arrange agreed times at which the group will meet weekly. This should fit with each
member’s work and travel schedule. Book one of the group rooms to hold the meeting.

- At the first meeting for the weekly case/project, a Chairperson and separately the reporter (to
write up the study) will be appointed for the week if not previously agreed. Since everyone
will have already read the case, major issues can be isolated at this time - half an hour should
suffice. A second meeting 2-3 days later will allow the writer to read out the first draft. Help
may be required by some participant reporters with English, grammar, spelling and syntax. All
will make comments based on their own notes of the case. The reporter can, so far as feasible,
incorporate major points in the final draft. One to one and a half hour sessions should suffice.
A third meeting (half an hour) possibly on the morning of the hand-in will revise the final
proposal. All to receive a copy of the group’s report to assist in the classroom discussion.

- It is not beneficial to the group, or to individual members’ relationships with each other, to
spend more than three or four hours on each case in total. You are not expected to bring large
amounts of additional information to bear. If you do, you will drown in information overload!

- Members will have to learn to speak up, listen, and occasionally ‘shut up’. Strong
Chairpersonship may occasionally be required to encourage the shy, and calm the excitable.
Further, participants must concentrate on key issues, not spend wasted minutes on trivial
points.

Private Reading

You will need to be aware of the major topical business issues and events (and the factors which effect
business such as economic or political changes), through regular reading of the Financial Times,
Economist, etc. Furthermore, you may require to follow up on readings suggested in the reading list.

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