Strategic ManagementDr. Don Neubaumdon.neubaum@bus.oregonstate.edu

541-737-6036

400E Bexell

Class Sessions

• Monday & Wednesday - 8:00am

• Monday & Wednesday - 10:00am– Both in 415 Bexell

• Monday & Wednesday – 2:00PM– 207 Bexell

WIC

• Writing Intensive Curriculum– Writing as a critical aspect of the learning

process– Significant portion of your grade – over 30%– Reflecting writing with typical business

content

• Individual Grades - 80%– Midterm/Final – 20% each (40% total)– Industry analysis – 20%– Case write ups – 2 @ 5% (10% total)– Strategic issue summary – 10%

• Group Grades – 20%– In-class case exam – 10%– Strategic plan presentation – 10%

Grading

Grades

• If you NEED a specific grade in this class, other than to simply “pass,” then you MUST email me and come see me by the end of next week.

Midterm and Final

• Multiple Choice and Short Answer

• Midterm – 10/22– Chapters 1-4

• Final – 12/5– Chapters 5-13, non-cumulative

• Both exams will focus on lecture material and text terms.

Typical Questions

• What four generic strategies exist? Why does Porter call them generic?

• According to Porter, when should firms diversify? What rules does he forward to judge the merits of diversification?

• What is the goal of executive compensation? Why is it so difficult to design an effective compensation package?

• What are the axis on the BCG and the GE Nine-Cell Matrix? Which model is superior and why?

Industry Analysis• Within teams, you will select one of the

following industries– Pharmaceutical– Supermarket/Grocery Store– Wireless Communication (service providers)– Casual Dining (Applebee’s)– DIY Retailing

• Due 10/31• Highest team average will receive 5 extra

points

Case Write Ups

• Analyzing two cases

• Napster - Due 10/8

• Nike – Due 11/14

• 3 pages, double spaced– Specific questions and guidelines will be

provided for each case– Re-write each based on feedback you get

from classmates.

Strategic Issues

• Start most class sessions with 2-3 of these• Articles from WSJ, Forbes, Fortune, etc.

highlighting an aspect of strategy• 2 page summary and a short (3 - 5 slides) 5

minute presentation• Written feedback – allowing you to re-write the

paper and redo your slides• Sign up sheet will be distributed• Graded equally on paper and presentation

Group In class Case Exam

• Group Exam – 10/29• Case handed out a week ahead of time• Questions emailed to you the morning of

the 29th• Answers due by the end of the day• Work in your group using laptop/PC and

email your answers to me in the evening

Group Strategic Plan and Presentation

• Groups of four or five• Last week of the quarter – 10/26 and 10/28• Company of your choice, with my approval• PowerPoint presentation of 20 minutes – no

paper necessary• Can not analyze a company in

Pharmaceutical, supermarket, wireless communication, casual dining, or DIY retailing industries

• Sign up sheet for time slots will be distributed

Peer Evaluations

• Your group members will evaluate your contribution throughout the quarter

• Your group grades can be adjusted up and down, based upon their assessment of your contribution and effort.

One Minute Papers

• Write a short, ungraded essay at the end of most classes:– 1) something you learned – 2) giving an example – 3) asking a question or clarification– 4) making a comment – 5) anything else

• Paper notebook with name and section marked on the cover

Participation

• While not specifically graded, I will be assessing your attendance, participation and one-minute papers.

• Final grades might be adjusted up and down, based upon my assessment.

• Students attending every class period will receive 5 points on the final

Golden Rule

• “No Tolerance” policy for cheating

• Guilty parties receive an F and will be dropped from the class

• Disciplinary actions may be taken

Standing-O

• Earn 5 bonus points on midterm

• Announce to us a recent accomplishment or achievement

• While you may do as many Standing-Os you want, you can only earn the 5 points once

Team Specials

• Teams can earn points from “Team Specials” tasks and assignments

• These points are tabulated over the quarter• Students may also request team special points,

subject to instructor approval• Awards:

• Gold – exempt from Final• Silver – 15 points added to midterm• Bronze – opt out of one essay on final

Chapter One

What is Strategy and Why is it Important?

Why do we need strategy?The reasons why firms succeed and fail is

perhaps the central question in strategy

Answers the fundamental question of the firm

Strategic Management Defined• decisions and actions that determine long-term performance• formulation and implementation of plans designed to achieve

objectives• an action managers take to achieve one or more of an

organization’s goals• unifying theme that gives coherence and direction to

organizational/individual decisions• game plan management has for positioning the company in its

chosen market, competing successfully, satisfying customers, and achieving good business performance

• management’s action plan for running the business and conducting operations; commitment to pursue a particular set of actions in growing the business, attracting customers, competing successfully, conducting operations, and improving financial and market performance

What is Strategy?

Strategy is not doing similar activities better than your rivals – that’s operational effectiveness– – –

What is Strategy? 1) Strategy is performing different activities or performing similar

activities in a different way

As suggested by the book: 4 of the most dependable approaches are 1) low cost, 2) differentiating features, 3) fulfilling specialized needs, and 4) build unassailable set of capabilities.

What is Strategy? 1) Strategy is performing different activities or

performing similar activities in a different way

Strategy is about positioning

a) Variety-based positioning–

b) Needs-based positioning–

c) Access-based positioning–

What is Strategy? 2) Strategy is about choosing a position which

requires tradeoffs, choosing what not to do– without tradeoffs, all firms would imitate

Tradeoffs arise from– – –

What is Strategy?

3) Strategy is about combining activities as advantages come from fit and reinforcing

Operational effectiveness is about excellence in individual activities

Fit/integration increases sustainability by reducing imitability

What is Strategy?

4) The desire to grow is most threatening to an effective strategy – – – –

Fig. 1.2: A Company’s Strategy Is Partly Proactive and Partly Reactive

Recognizing Strategic Inflection Points

• Order-of-magnitude change that– Dramatically alters future prospects– Mandates radical revision

• Critical decisions have to be made• Responding quickly lessens a company’s

chances of– Becoming trapped in a stagnant business – Letting attractive new growth opportunities

slip away

What do Good Strategies Have in Common?

Chapter Two

Managerial Process of Crafting and Executing Strategy

Fig. 2.1: The Strategy-Making, Strategy-Executing Process

Developing a Strategic VisionA strategic vision describes the route a company intends to take in developing and strengthening its business. It lays out the company’s strategic

course in preparing for the future.

A strategic vision exists only as words and has no organizational impact unless and until it wins the commitment of company personnel and energizes them to

act in ways that move the company along the intended strategic path!

Key Elements of a Strategic Vision

• Delineates management’s aspirations for the business

• Provides a panoramic view of “where we are going” by charting a strategic path

• Is distinctive and specific– Avoids use of generic, dull & boring language that could

apply to most any company

• Captures employees’ emotions steers them in a common direction

• Is challenging and a bit beyond a company’s immediate reach

Strategic Vision vs. Mission

• A strategic vision concerns “wherewe are going” – Markets to be pursued– Future product/

market/customer/ technology focus

– Kind of company management is trying to create

• The mission statement focuses on its “who we are and what we do”– Current product and

service offerings– Customer needs being

served– Technological

and businesscapabilities

Characteristics of a Mission Statement

• Boundaries of the current business• Fundamental purpose that sets it apart

from other firms of its type• Conveys

– Who we are,– What we do, and– Why we are here

A well-conceived mission statement distinguishes a company’s business makeup from that of other profit-seeking enterprises in language specific enough to give the company its own identify!

Fig. 2.1: The Strategy-Making, Strategy-Executing Process

Objectives• Turns mission into performance outcomes• Organizations produce what is measured• Long and Short term• Strategic Intents• All levels of the organization• Top-down, not Bottom-up

Types of Objectives Required

Outcomes focused

on improving financial

performance

Outcomes focused on improving

competitive vitality and future business

position

Financial Objectives Strategic Objectives

6 Characteristics of a Good Objective

• U SMART– Understandable– Stretching– Measurable– Agreeable– Realistic– Timebound

Importance of Setting Stretch Objectives

There’s no better way to avoid ho-hum results thanby setting stretch objectives and using compensation

incentives to motivate organization members toachieve the stretch performance targets!

– Current financial results are “lagging indicators” reflecting results of past decisions and actions—good profitability now does not translate into stronger capability for delivering better financial results later

– However, meeting or beating strategic performance targets signals growing competitiveness & strength in the marketplace, thus developing the capability for better financial performance in the years ahead

– Good strategic performance is thus a “leading indicator” of a company’s capability to deliver improved future financial performance

Unless a company sets and achieves stretch strategic objectives, it is not developing the

competitive muscle to deliver even better financial results in the years ahead!

Leading versus Lagging Indicators

• A balanced scorecard for measuringcompany performance is optimal; it entails– Setting financial and strategic objectives– Placing balanced emphasis on achieving

both types of objectives

Just tracking financial performance overlooks the importance of measuring whether a company is strengthening its competitiveness and market position.

The surest path to sustained future profitability year afteryear is to relentlessly pursue strategic outcomes

that strengthen a company’s business position andgive it a growing competitive advantage over rivals!

Fig. 2.1: The Strategy-Making, Strategy-Executing Process

Fig. 2.1: A Company’s Strategy-Making Hierarchy

Levels of Strategic Management

HP’s Corporate Strategy

Enterprise Storage & Servers

HP Services

Software Personal Systems

Imagining and Printing

Financial Services

So….how can firm’s be profitable?1) Choose an attractive industry in which

to compete -

2) Attain a competitive advantage within an industry -

Two Models of Profitability

I/O Model (Industrial/Organizational Economics Model)

Resource Based View of the Firm

I/O ModelGeneral EnvironmentIndustry EnvironmentCompetitive Environment

Strategy&

Performance

3 Assumptions1) 2) 3)

Resource Based View

The Firm’s Resources &Capabilities

Strategy&

Performance

3 assumptions1) 2) 3)

Fig. 2.1: The Strategy-Making, Strategy-Executing Process