BMSO 614

The fundamental question that this course addresses is "why are some firms more successful and more profitable than others?" This is both a static and dynamic question, in that we can ask why a given firm is competitively stronger and more profitable at a moment in time, as well as how a firm can sustain competitive advantage and grow profitably over a period of time. This course aims to give you the tools, frameworks, and ideas necessary to develop business strategies, both in the short and the long run. We focus on how best to analyze the structure and dynamics of the external industry environment; how best to analyze and identify a firm’s valuable assets, resources and capabilities and how they might be protected, leveraged, and extended in the market; how to respond to environment changes; and how to design strategies for profitable growth and diversification over time.