A. Strategic Management Inputs

A1. Strategic Management

A1.1. Business Mission and Vision

• Business Mission – What is Our Business?
• Business Vision – What Do We Want to Become?
• Benefits of Vision and Mission
• Characteristics of a Mission Statement
• The Process of Developing Vision and Mission Statements

A1.2. Business Objectives and Strategies

• Business Objectives
• Strategies

A1.3. Strategic Management Essentials

• What is Strategic Management?
• Strategic Management Benefits
• Basic Model of Strategic Management
• Maturity Phase in Strategic Management
• Challenges in Strategic Management
• Guideline to Effective Strategic Management

A1.4. I/O Model versus RBV Model

• Industrial Organization Model versus Resource-Based View
• Research on I/O Model versus RBV
• The Right Model: I/O or RBV?

A2. External Environment

A2.1. Business External Environment Components

• What is External Environment in Strategy?
• Why Does External Environment Matter?
• The 2 Components of External Environment
• Component 1: Macro-Environment (General Environment)
• Component 2: Micro-Environment (Industry Environment)

A2.2. Macro Environment Forces (Fully Explained)

• Force 1: Environmental Force
• Force 2: Social Force
• Force 3: Political Force
• Force 4: Economic Force
• Force 5: Technological Force
• Force 6: Legal Force

A2.3. Industry Environment Analysis

• Understand Industry Competitive Forces
• The 5 Competitive Forces Model in Brief
• Industry Life Cycle Affects Nature and Strength of Forces
• Strategic Types of Firms Competing in an Industry
• Strategic Groups of Firms Competing in an Industry

A2.4. Industry Competitive Forces Theory

• Force 1: Rivalry among Existing Firms
• Force 2: Threat of New Entrants
• Force 3: Threat of Substitute Products or Services
• Force 4: Bargaining Power of Buyers
• Force 5: Bargaining Power of Suppliers

A2.5. Legal and Ethical Competitive Intelligence

• What is Competitor Analysis?
• Why is Competitive Intelligence Important?
• What is Competitive Intelligence?
• What Makes a Successful CI Program?
• Misconceptions about CI and CI Programs
• Legal and Ethical Competitive Intelligence Practices
• Competitive Intelligence, Spying, or Corporate Espionage?

A2.6. External Strategic Factors Analysis

• Identifying External Strategic Factors
• External Strategic Factors Analysis Process
• Process Step 1: Scanning
• Process Step 2: Forecasting
• Process Step 3: Assessing

A2.7. Industrial Organization (I/O) Model

• Definition of the Industrial Organization (I/O) Model
• More on the Industrial Organization (I/O) Model
• Understanding Industrial Organization
• The First Implication of the I/O Model
• The Second Implication of the I/O Model
• How Company Can Earn Superior Returns (based on I/O Model) 

A3. Internal Organization

A3.1. Business Internal Environment Analysis

• The Analysis of Internal Environment
• Internal Strategic Factors
• Internal Environment Scanning Process
• The Challenge of Analyzing Internal Environment
• Resource-Based View (RBV)
• Beyond RBV: Other Views on Internal Organization

A3.2. Business Internal Environment Factors

• Resources
• Capabilities
• Core and Distinctive Competencies

A3.3. Organizational Capabilities

• Organizational Structures
• Organizational Culture
• Management

A3.4. Functional Resources and Capabilities

• Strategic Marketing
• Strategic Finances
• Strategic Research and Development
• Strategic Production/Operations
• Strategic Human Resource
• Strategic Information Systems and Technology

A3.5. Business Value Chain Theory

• What is a Value Chain?
• Value Chain Analysis (VCA)
• Industry Value Chain
• Corporate Value Chain
• Elements of the Value Chain
• From Value Chain to Supply Chain

A3.6. Competitive Advantage Key Concepts

• Competitive Advantage & Creating Value
• Building Blocks of Competitive Advantage
• Competitive Advantage Sustainability
• Process to Gain Competitive Advantages

A3.7. Competitive Advantage Generic Blocks

• Block 1: Increasing Efficiency
• Block 2: Quality as Excellence and Reliability
• Block 3: Increasing Innovation
• Block 4: Achieving Superior Customer Responsiveness

A3.8. Resource-Based View (RBV)

• Understand Resource-Based View (RBV)
• Beyond RBV: Other Views on Internal Organization

B. Strategy Formulation

B1. Business Strategy

B1.1. Business Strategy Formulation

• What is Strategy Formulation?
• Review Organization Mission during Strategy Formulation
• Process to Identify and Evaluate Strategies
• Formulation Tool 1: SWOT Analysis
• Formulation Tool 2: TWOS Matrix
• Formulation Tool 3: SPACE Matrix

B1.2. Business Level Strategy

• What is a Business-Level Strategy?
• The Purpose of a Business-Level Strategy
• How to Create a Business-Level Strategy
• Customers: The Foundation of Business-Level Strategies

B1.3. Competitive Positioning by Industry Stages

• Strategies in Fragmented and Growing Industries
• Strategies in Mature Industries
• Strategies in Declining Industries

B1.4. Business-Level Competitive Strategies

• The Nature of Business-Level Competitive Strategies
• Variations of Competitive Business-Level Strategies

B1.5. Cost Leadership Strategy

• What is the Cost Leadership Strategy?
• Cost Leadership also Requires Differentiation
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Cost Leadership
• Cost Leadership Strategy in Five Force Model
• Risks of the Cost Leadership Strategy
• What Firms Need for Cost Leadership Strategy

B1.6. Differentiation Strategy

• Concept of Differentiation Strategy
• Differentiation also Requires Cost Control
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Differentiation
• Differentiation Strategy in Five Force Model
• Risks of the Differentiation Strategy
• What Firms Need for Differentiation Strategy

B1.7. Focus Strategy

• Concept of Focus Strategies
• Two Types of Focus Strategies
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Focused Strategies
• Risks of Focus Strategies

B1.8. Integrated Best Cost Strategy

• Concept of Integrated Best-Cost Strategy
• Stuck in the Middle
• What Firms Need for Integrated Best-Cost Strategy

B1.9. Strategic Competitive Moves

• Strategic Timing Moves
• Strategic Market Location – Offensive Tactics
• Strategic Market Location – Defensive Tactics

B1.10. Business-Level Cooperative Strategies

• Concept of Business-Level Cooperative Strategy
• Types of Business-Level Cooperative Strategies
• Managing Cooperative Strategies

B2. Corporate Strategy

B2.1. Corporate Level Strategy

• What is a Corporate-Level Strategy?
• Corporate Strategy in Value Creation
• Corporate Strategy vs. Business Strategy
• The 3 Key Issues in Corporate Strategy
• Key Issue 1: Directional Strategy
• Key Issue 2: Portfolio Analysis
• Key Issue 3: Corporate Parenting

B2.2. Corporate Directional Strategies

• Directional Type 1: Growth Strategies
• Directional Type 2: Stability Strategies
• Directional Type 3: Retrenchment Strategies
• Directional Type 4: Restructure Strategies
• Directional Type 5: Exit Strategies

B2.3. Vertical Integration Growth Strategies

• Concentration Growth – Vertical Integration Strategy
• Advantages of Vertical Integration
• Disadvantages of Vertical Integration
• Vertical Integration vs. Vertical Disintegration
• Vertical Integration vs. Outsourcing
• Types of Vertical Integration

B2.4. Horizontal Integration Growth Strategies

• Concentration Growth – Horizontal Integration Strategy
• Benefits of Horizontal Integration
• Limitations of Horizontal Integration

B2.5. Basic Concepts of Diversification Strategies

• The Nature of Diversification Strategies
• Levels of Diversification
• Types of Diversification Strategies
• Resources and Diversification

B2.6. Value in Diversification Strategies

• Value-Creating Diversification
• Value-Neutral Diversification
• Value-Reducing Diversification

B2.7. Creating Value with Diversification

• Creating Value with Related Diversification
• Creating Value with Unrelated Diversification

B2.8. Strategic Alliance Strategy

• What is Strategic Alliance?
• Reasons Firms Develop Strategic Alliances
• Market Types in Strategic Alliances
• Types of Strategic Alliances
• Form of Major Strategic Alliances
• Strategic Alliance Advance Landscape

B2.9. Merger and Acquisition Strategy

• The Nature of Mergers and Acquisitions Strategy
• Reasons for Merger and Acquisitions
• Effective Acquisitions

B2.10. Obstacles to Successful Acquisitions

• Problem 1: Integration Difficulties
• Problem 2: Inadequate Evaluation of Target
• Problem 3: Large or Extraordinary Debt
• Problem 4: Inability to Achieve Synergy
• Problem 5: Too Much Diversification
• Problem 6: Managers Overly Focused on Acquisitions
• Problem 7: Too Large

B2.11. Corporate Portfolio Analysis Techniques

• Technique 1: BCG Growth-Share Matrix
• Technique 2: The Internal-External (IE) Matrix
• Technique 3: GE Business Screen
• Technique 4: The Grand Strategy Matrix
• Technique 5: The QSPM

C. Strategy Implementation

C1. Strategy Implementation

C1.1. Strategy Implementation Essentials

• What is Strategy Implementation?
• Who Implements Strategy?
• Divisional/Functional Objectives
• Developing Programs, Budgets, and Procedures
• Achieving Synergy for Better Strategy Implementation
• Managing Conflict in Establishing Objectives
• Resource Allocation in Strategy Implementation

C1.2. Functional Strategy Implementation

• Production/Operations
• Human Resource
• Marketing
• Finance/Accounting
• Research and Development (R&D)
• Management Information System (MIS)

C1.3. Organizational Structure in Strategy Implementation

• Essentials of Organizational Structure
• Organizational Structure in Strategy
• Related Concepts to Organizational Structure

C1.4. Building Blocks of Organizational Structure

• Components of Organizational Structure
• Vertical Differentiation in Organizational Structure
• Horizontal Differentiation in Organizational Structure
• Integration in Organizational Structure

C1.5. Fundamental Forms of Organizational Structure

• Simple Structure
• Functional Structure

C1.6. Divisional Structure of Organization

• What is a Divisional (Multidivisional) Structure?
• Divisional–Corporate Authority Relationship
• 4 Types of Divisional Structure
• Advantages of a Divisional Structure
• Disadvantages of a Divisional Structure

C1.7. Modern Forms of Organizational Structure

• Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Structure
• Matrix Structure
• Network Structure (Virtual Organization)
• Cellular (Modular) Structure

C1.8. Staffing in Strategy Implementation

• What is Organizational Staffing?
• Key Concepts in Organizational Staffing

C1.9. Leadership in Strategic Implementation

• What is Strategic Leadership?
• Leading in Strategy Implementation
• Who is Responsible for Strategic Leadership?
• Skills of Strategic Leaders
• Transformational Leadership

C1.10. Keys to Strategic Leadership

• Key 1: Determining Strategic Direction
• Key 2: Effectively Managing the Firm’s Resource Portfolio
• Key 3: Emphasizing Ethical Practices
• Key 4: Establishing Balanced Organizational Controls

C1.11. Organizing Top Leadership

• Top Management Team
• Executive Succession
• Selecting Leaders from Labor Markets
• Relative Power of CEO and Top Management Team

C1.12. Organizational Culture in Strategy Implementation

• Organizational Culture in Supporting Strategies
• Key Concepts in Managing Strategy-Culture Relationship

C1.13. Strategy Implementation Programs

• Program 1: Business Process Reengineering
• Program 2: Six Sigma
• Program 3: Total Quality Management
• Program 4: Management by Objectives

D. Strategy Evaluation

D1. Strategy Evaluation

D1.1. Strategy Evaluation and Control

• Evaluation and Control in Strategic Management
• The Process of Strategy Evaluation and Control
• Characteristics of an Effective Evaluation System
• A Strategy Evaluation and Control Framework
• Contingency Plan in Strategy Evaluation and Control

D1.2. Nature of Organizational Controls

• Organizational Controls
• Strategic Controls (Output Controls)
• Financial Controls
• Behavioral Controls
• Clan Controls

D1.3. Strategy Performance Measurement

• Measuring Strategy Performance
• Measures Performance of Corporate-Level Strategy
• Measure Performance of Divisions and Functions
• Evaluation of Top Management
• Strategic Incentive Management
• Problems in Measuring Performance
• Guidelines for Proper Control