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. In addition, the influence of current developments (e.g. disruptive technologies or the war in Ukraine) on strategy development will be discussed. 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 course 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 lecture “Strategische Unternehmensführung” 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 Conception 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 & Strategic Control
2.7 Strategic Management and Ethical Reflection

3. Outlook

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 also recognize the need to deal with the consequences of current developments, such as the war in Ukraine and digitalization for strategy development in companies. Through many practical examples, students gain a deeper insight into the current strategic problem areas and challenges facing companies.

The course consists of a lecture and tutorial.
Both the lecture and the tutorial will take place in presence. The lecture will take place in Phil B - lecture hall B, kick-off date is Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 12:15 pm.

The tutorials will take place in the rooms ESA H (Thurs. 12:15 to 13:45) and VMP 9 S30 (Thurs. 14:15 to 15:45). The first date is November 14, 2024.

All further information on the course can be found in the course description, which can be downloaded below. Please refer to the course description for exact details and dates! The course description contains all important information about the course and will be available for download on this page in the course of February (please note the status of the course description, there may be regular updates)!

Important: We strongly recommend that students attend both the lecture and the tutorials in person. The content of both sessions is essential for the exam and there will be no recording or broadcast of the classes.
Students will be provided with PowerPoint slides highlighting the main points of the lectures and tutorials, but these slides will not contain all the essential information required to pass the course. Therefore, students are strongly advised to take their own notes in addition to the slides provided. Please also note that the content of discussions in the course may be relevant to the exam. The slides and all other written materials for the lecture and tutorials can be downloaded from STiNE during the semester.

Students therefore have individual responsibility for their learning success, which depends on their personal commitment. Course participants are therefore strongly advised to follow the lectures closely and to invest time in self-study and literature work for the subject “Strategic Management”. The content discussed in the lectures should be prepared and followed up using the textbook mentioned below and other recommended literature sources. The tutorial creates space to deepen what has been learned by applying it independently to exercises. This opportunity should also be used urgently with a view to the exam.

Please note that active participation in courses offered by the Chair of Business Administration, in particular Business Ethics, is also advantageous for writing a thesis with us, as we prefer to supervise students who have attended our courses.

The content and structure of the lecture is closely based on the following textbook:

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

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 course is completed in the form of a face-to-face exam (90 minutes). No aids are permitted (no open book exam!). The dates and rooms for the exam will be announced on STiNE and in the course in good time.