Strategische Unternehmensführung

The field of strategic management is of equal importance for both practice and business theory. Dealing with the strategic aspects of corporate management seems not only attractive, but also necessary. Long-term survival on the market and the sustainable achievement of competitive advantages are generally not primarily attributable to indicators such as the size or age of a company, but rather to its successful strategies. The development and implementation of strategies are therefore key tasks for the management of companies.

In order to create a broad and comprehensible basis for understanding strategic management, this lecture will first explain important basic terms and the purpose of strategic management. It then addresses the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on strategy development. A process model of strategic management is then presented and its key phases discussed in detail. Important tools and decision-making aids for strategic management (e.g. industry structure analysis and business model analysis) will be presented and illustrated using specific practical examples. The event will also focus on the discussion of viable strategies in global competition, the investigation of the influence of digitalization on strategy development and the associated analysis of digital platform strategies as well as the investigation of the responsibility of internationally active companies for sustainable development.

The aim of the lecture is to give students an insight into the research field of strategic management. They should also be able to apply the content they have learned to specific practical problems and independently analyze strategic decisions made by companies. Students will also recognize the need to deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and digitalization for strategy development in companies. Through numerous practical examples, students gain a deeper insight into the current strategic problem areas and challenges facing companies. 

The lecture covers the following topics in detail: 

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose and Areas of Responsibility of Strategic Management

1.2 Definition of Terms

1.3 Digitalization and the Innovator’s Dilemma 

1.4 Areas of Research in Strategic Management 

2. A Concept of Strategic Management

2.1 Overview of the Concept

2.2 Formulating the Vision and Setting Strategic Goals 

2.3 Segmentation of the Business 

2.4 Strategic Analysis as a Prerequisite for Formulating Strategies

2.5 Strategy Definition

2.6 Strategy Implementation and Strategic Control 

2.7 Strategic Management and Ethical Reflection

3. Outlook

The lecture Strategic Corporate Management will take place in a blended learning format in the winter semester 2021/22. This means that some lectures will take place digitally via Zoom and some lectures will take place in a face-to-face format in the lecture hall. The lectures always take place on Mondays, from 10:15-11:45 a.m. (in the lecture hall ESA B in face-to-face format). The lectures on 11.10.2021, 18.10.2021 and 22.11.2021 will take place as synchronous Zoom sessions virtually and not in presence.

As an additional offer to students who cannot attend the face-to-face lectures, Professor Gilbert will supplement his face-to-face lecture in lecture hall ESA B with a synchronous Zoom meeting, if technical conditions permit.

The tutorial will also take place in presence on the dates listed in the table below, provided that the pandemic development allows this. Please note: Due to the dynamic development of the COVID 19 pandemic, however, it may be necessary to switch teaching completely to a purely virtual format at short notice. In this case, teaching will continue as a combination of synchronous Zoom sessions and asynchronous teaching units (videos on Lecture2Go). Therefore, please pay attention to updates in the course description, which will be regularly adapted to the dynamic pandemic situation!

From a methodological point of view, PowerPoint slides are used as a framework for discussing the content to be discussed. These slides will be included in the lecture and tutorial videos. The respective slide sets for the lecture and individual exercise sessions can be downloaded by the course participants on STiNE. These slides serve more as a visual “stimulus” and not as a substitute for a manuscript. Students are therefore strongly advised to supplement the lecture and tutorial slides with their own notes.

The course consists of a lecture and tutorial.

This course is based on our own textbook on strategic management. The content and structure of the lecture is closely based on this book:

Kreikebaum, Hartmut/Gilbert, Dirk Ulrich/Behnam, Michael (2018): Strategisches Management, 8. überarbeitete Auflage, Stuttgart. 

Print: 

ISBN 978-3-17-031111-4 

E-Book-Formate: 

pdf: ISBN 978-3-17-031112-1 

epub: ISBN 978-3-17-031113-8 

mobi: ISBN 978-3-17-031114-5 

The State and University Library's Content Select interface provides unlimited access to the e-book of the textbook: https://katalogplus.sub.uni-hamburg.de/vufind/Record/166846666X  

With regard to the basic texts, the 7th edition (2011) of the above-mentioned textbook can also be used as an alternative for in-depth study.

The exam will take place from Friday, February 4 to Monday, February 7, 2022 as a take-home exam.

All further details about the exam will be announced at the event.