Spring break has just passed. Now most strategy courses are moving beyond foundational material into more complicated ideas such as corporate strategy.
In my teaching, as well as in my Strategic Management textbook, I emphasize hands-on analysis so that students can gain practice in doing strategy, not just reading about it. The same is true for the area of corporate strategy.
Here's a teaching case that offers the opportunity for hands-on analysis of corporate strategy. Students must analyze corporate divisional data, then prepare BCG and Parenting Fit matrices in order to assess the corporate portfolio. This can result in superb classroom discussions. Developed with my Wake Forest colleague Pat Dickson, we've used the case multiple times with outstanding success. In fact, the last time I taught the case a number of my finance students told me afterward it had been the single best case discussion they had experienced in any class.
It's a case about United Technologies, shortly before its merger with Raytheon. At the time they had four major divisions, and new management was contemplating spinoffs and downsizing to refocus. The following link will take you to a site that provides the case, a teaching note, and all the ancillary materials your students would need.
https://www.strategicmanagement.org/7e/special/UTX-case.html
All best for a great spring!
Page
Page West, PhD
Wake Forest University