| Learning objectives |
The goal of this class is to establish a strong
link with practice, in particular learning how to deal with
relevant business problems and finding solutions, yet relating
significantly to general conceptual and theoretical conversations.
To be awarded the highest mark (12), the student, with no or just a
few insignificant shortcomings, must fulfill the following learning
objectives:
- Be familiar with the academic conversation and literature about
transformation strategies and entrepreneurial strategies in
corporations, and being able to critically and analytically apply
it to real-life cases.
- Understand and apply transformation and entrepreneurial
corporate strategies/models/tools to specific real-life cases and
discuss the implications for firms' decision making and
performance.
- Offer reflections on value creation opportunities and synergies
implications of transformation and entrepreneurial strategies
applied to real-life cases.
|
| Course prerequisites |
| No strict prerequisites. |
| Examination |
|
Transformative
and Entrepreneurial Corporate Strategies:
|
| Exam
ECTS |
7,5 |
| Examination form |
Oral exam based on written product
In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product
must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The
grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and
the individual oral performance, see also the rules about
examination forms in the programme regulations. |
| Individual or group exam |
Individual oral exam based on written group
product |
| Number of people in the group |
2-5 |
| Size of written product |
Max. 25 pages |
|
The length of the paper depends on the group
size, such as:
2 people = 10 pages
3 people = 15 pages
4 people = 20 pages
5 people = 25 pages
The max pages does not include exhibits or appendixes. |
| Assignment type |
Project |
| Release of assignment |
Subject chosen by students themselves, see
guidelines if any |
| Duration |
Written product to be submitted on specified date and
time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade,
and informing plus explaining the grade |
| Grading scale |
7-point grading scale |
| Examiner(s) |
Internal examiner and second internal
examiner |
| Exam period |
Autumn |
| Make-up exam/re-exam |
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
No regulation
|
Description of the exam
procedure
The group assignment aims to generate a team-based dynamic
during which students have to collectively organize and apply
contents from the course discussed previously in class and
available in the course material.
Ideally, each group will perform a strategic analysis of a case
(which they will pick and we will advice on), applying
frameworks and tools in order to provide a conclusive assessment of
the specifc case from a "Transformative and Entrepreneurial
Corporate Strategies" perspective.
Skill developed: team-working, simulation of real business
situations on decision making, delivery-minset developmemt,
writing.
|
|
| Course content, structure and pedagogical
approach |
|
Course Description
The course aims to provide the students with a deeper
understanding of strategies designed and applied by firms to
transform their organization and improve their entrepreneurial
behavior. In recent years, the pressure to become continuosly
innovative has been veru high for any player in any industry active
in any market. This pressure has materialized mostly in 2 main
priorities for firms: the creation of an entrepreneurial
strategic approach and the design/implementation of
a micro-macro organizational transformation. These priorities
implied a strong commitment from the top management team, yet at
the same time a demand for an alignment at any organizational
level, creating challenges for business units and employees to
create new solution oriented to transform each firm. And, digital
solutions have been surely a key elements of this new wave of
strategic management.
This course will uncover and discuss these topics, bringing in
class one CBS faculty and three international top level
managers, which are very expert and fully dedicated
professionally in the areas of the course. In particular,
these are the profiles of the 3 practioners lectures:
- Managing Director, leading global strategic
management consulting company
- Chief Transformation Office, large international banking
group.
- Managing Partner (and former Vice President of Global Sales),
international leading corporate venture capital unit of a global
top corporation.
Ideally, the course will be based on the following main
questions:
- What is the role of digitalization in transforming
organizations?
- How does digitalization promote entrepreneurial mindset and
initiatives?
- What are the opportunities and challenges for organizational
transformation using digitalization as both internal organizational
strategy and key driver for market success?
- What is an optional macro-organizational strategic design to
promote transformation and entrepreneurial behavior?
- What are the micro-level opportunities and challenges in
organizational transformation, in particular from an human
resources perspective?
- How do firms promote new strategies connecting macro
organizational structures and micro HR-level (i.e., units,
individuals) to successfully implement corporate
transformation?
- How corporate entrepreneurship in the form of corporate venture
capital contribute to the corporate growth?
- How do CVC units are formed, organized and developed?
- What are the integration challenges of startup investing for
larger corporation? What are the competitive and
transformative and entrepreneurial implications of corporate
venture capital for firm strategy and success?
Course Contents, Topics and Structure:
- An introduction to Corporate Entrepreneurship
- An introduction to Corporate Transformation and Digitalization
Strategies
- Digital Transformation: Challenges and Opportunities for and
integrated successful strategy
- HR Transformation Strategies and Analytics: a macro-micro
approach
- Building an entrepreneurial corporation: corporate venturing
and startups collaborations
|
| Description of the teaching methods |
The course aims to be strongly based on real
cases brought directly to class from the corporate expert faculty
members. Surely, some literature of transformation and
entrepreneurial strategies will be provided and will be used as
general guidance for each topic of the course. This combination
will allow a balanced learning experience.
So, the course draws extensively on real corporate cases and to
apply the presented frameworks to real-life situations.
Ideally a lecture will have the following components:
• Theoretical and conceptual discussion.
• Discussion of a real business case
• Exercises in class by small group of students.
In order to unleash the full learning potential of this course,
students are expected to read carefully the readings and the cases
assigned to each session before coming to each specific class
session. This will be fundamental to obtain: i) rich and deep class
discussion on the case ii) productive small group exercise iii)
ease to focus on the application iv) create an interactive
atmosphere in class. These four main benefits of readings cases
before coming to class will increase chances to create a more
effective understanding and assimilation of the course
contents. |
| Feedback during the teaching period |
| During the course, students will present in class
and receive oral feedbacks on the progress of their group work, and
on their individual contribution |
| Student workload |
| Class attendance |
33 hours |
| Group work (individual effort) |
45 hours |
| Preparation for individual oral exam |
45 hours |
| Preparation for lectures (incl. reading) |
83 hours |
|
| Expected literature |
|
Academic readings, business cases and press articles will
be used. Also, self-prepared material by the faculty on real life
cases.
Ideally, one or two short readings per topic. A short sample of
examples of such readings could be:
-
Callan (1992). Individual and organizational strategies for
coping with organizational change, Work &Stress
-
Henderson (2002). Transformative Learning as
a Condition for Transformational Change in
Organizations.
-
Björkdahl. (2020). Strategies for Digitalization
in Manufacturing Firms, California Management Review
-
Cappa et al. (2021). Big Data for Creating and Capturing Value
in the Digitalized Environment: Unpacking the Effects of Volume,
Variety, and Veracity on Firm Performance, Journal of Product
Innovation Management.
-
Irtyshcheva (2020). Strategic Human Capital management in the
context of digitalization. Baltic Journal of Economic
Studies.
-
D'angelo et al. (2023). Understanding Corporate
entrepreneurship in the digital age: a review and research agenda.
Working paper
-
Chersborogh (2002). What is CVC. Harvard Business
Review
|
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