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  • 1.  Answers: MBA Strategy Course

    Posted 10-08-2010 10:36

    Hello,

     

    I appreciate the feedback that I received to my recent post to BPSnet.  I found the willingness people showed to share their experience, insights, and materials gratifying.  As promised, here is a distillation of the responses.

     

    1.       What have people experienced in relation to the pro/con of using a strategy simulation in general and for a capstone experience?

    The overall feedback is that using a simulation is positive and can be used successfully as a Capstone experience.  There was no clear consensus on what simulation to use.  The two mentioned most frequently were BSG-online and CAPSTONE. 

    2.       What other approaches have people used and found worked well for a capstone exercise?

    The other options people consistently mentioned were case studies or business case competitions.  The most often used method appears to be case studies.

    3.       What are the pro/con of having strategy as a stand alone course vs. treated as a captsone?

    This was the question with the least feedback.  However, my general impression from the replies is that strategy naturally serves as a capstone course.

    4.       What "strategy" content do people view as "core" to MBA knowledge?

    It is obvious that others have spent time thinking about this and I was referred to a presentation Rob Grant from U. Bocconi made at the SMS conference in Rome.  He's found the primary content of strategy courses is: Industry Analysis; Resources & Capabilities / Competitive Advantage; and Corporate Strategy. 

     

    Respectfully,

     

    Dave

     

    David R. King, Ph.D.
    Associate Professor of Management


  • 2.  Answers: MBA Strategy Course

    Posted 10-10-2010 15:22
    David:
     
    Thanks for sharing the results of your poll with the rest of us.
     
    One of my colleagues uses simulations exclusively.  I use cases.  He has used "Capsim" but has recently begun using "Zoom."
     
    For what it is worth, we have often discussed the two "real" underpinnings of strategy as "RBV" (Resource-Based View of the firm) and "TCE" (Transaction Cost Economics of the firm and of the industry value chain).  The first concept leads to value maximization given the constraints of resource availability (including concepts like "Core Competency"), and the second leads to questions of firm and overall industry value chain efficiency.
     
    Perhaps assuming that these two precepts underpin all is a gross oversimplification, but I find that the idea holds pretty well.  Of course, other aspects of industry structure analysis - supplier-buyer bargaining power, modularity, segment structure (fragmentation-concentration, entry/exit barriers) helps to understand competitive and inter-firm relationships.
     
    Strategy implementation leads naturally into organization design and control/compensation systems.
     
    Please forgive my late response. 
     
    Jim Biteman
    Tulane University
    Tulane University
    -----Original Message-----
    From: King, David [mailto:david.king@MARQUETTE.EDU]
    Sent: Friday, October 8, 2010 10:36 AM
    To: BPS-NET@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
    Subject: Answers: MBA Strategy Course

    Hello,

     

    I appreciate the feedback that I received to my recent post to BPSnet.  I found the willingness people showed to share their experience, insights, and materials gratifying.  As promised, here is a distillation of the responses.

     

    1.       What have people experienced in relation to the pro/con of using a strategy simulation in general and for a capstone experience? The overall feedback is that using a simulation is positive and can be used successfully as a Capstone experience.  There was no clear consensus on what simulation to use.  The two mentioned most frequently were BSG-online and CAPSTONE.  2.       What other approaches have people used and found worked well for a capstone exercise?The other options people consistently mentioned were case studies or business case competitions.  The most often used method appears to be case studies.3.       What are the pro/con of having strategy as a stand alone course vs. treated as a captsone?This was the question with the least feedback.  However, my general impression from the replies is that strategy naturally serves as a capstone course.4.       What "strategy" content do people view as "core" to MBA knowledge?It is obvious that others have spent time thinking about this and I was referred to a presentation Rob Grant from U. Bocconi made at the SMS conference in Rome.  He's found the primary content of strategy courses is: Industry Analysis; Resources & Capabilities / Competitive Advantage; and Corporate Strategy. 

     

     

    Respectfully,

     

    Dave

     

     

    David R. King, Ph.D.
    Associate Professor of Management