Course Outline
Course Title: Strategic Management
Credits: 3
Course Status: Core
Course Code: SMCC2180
Instructor: Prof Jyothi Rani Korem
Email: jyothi.korem@mahindrauniversity.edu.in
Program: BBA
Term 4
Office Hours for Students
By appointment
Course Structure:
This is a 3-credit course i.e. 42 contact hours.
Course Description:
Strategic Management course integrates concepts taught in various courses like Accounting, Economics,
Finance, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, and Statistics. It requires a good scanning and understanding of
geo-political, economic, psychological and social structures.
It is concerned with decisions that affect the superior performance of businesses. It introduces key concepts
that help in understanding and formulating strategy and perform analysis of competition.
It takes a general management perspective, in contrast to a functional perspective, viewing the organization
as a whole. The key issues covered involve selecting competitive strategies and creating sustainable competitive
advantages.
Learning Outcomes:
This course teaches students how to understand business environments and make smart decisions for longterm success. Students will learn how companies compete, how to create strong strategies, and how to solve
real business problems in ethical and practical ways.
1. Analyze the structural attributes of an industry using tools such as Porter’s Five Forces and PESTEL,
and develop strategies that position the firm favorably against competitors.
2. Evaluate a firm's internal environment, including its resources, capabilities, and core competencies,
and assess how these can be leveraged for sustainable competitive advantage.
3. Demonstrate understanding of competitive advantage and its sources (e.g., cost leadership,
differentiation), and identify how firms can achieve and maintain it in dynamic markets.
4. Assess competitive dynamics, including rivalry, disruption, and innovation, and formulate appropriate
strategic actions and responses.
5. Design strategies for international expansion, including modes of entry and adaptation to global
market conditions.
6. Apply strategic frameworks to real-world business challenges, showing critical thinking and evidencebased decision-making in ambiguous or complex scenarios.
7. Recognize and evaluate ethical considerations in strategic decision-making, including corporate
governance, stakeholder impact, and sustainability trade-offs.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
SLO 1: Explain key strategic concepts, including competitive advantage, industry structure, and
value creation.
SLO 2: Conduct internal and external analysis of a firm using strategic tools such as SWOT,
PESTEL, and Porter’s Five Forces.
SLO 3: Develop strategic options based on a firm’s resources, capabilities, and industry
conditions.
SLO 4: Integrate decisions across business functions (e.g., marketing, finance, operations) to
support strategic goals.
SLO 5: Communicate strategic recommendations effectively through written reports and oral
presentations.
SLO 6: Assess the ethical, governance, and sustainability implications of strategic decisions.
ALIGNMENT OF PROGRAM OBJECTIVES & STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES [MAP THE
SLOs WITH CORRESPONDING PLOs AS APPLICABLE]
Program Learning Objectives
PLO#1: To be effective communicators (written, verbal and
interpersonal along with contemporary digital modes of
communication)
PLO#2: To develop skills of critical thinking, with the ability
to analyze, assess and evaluate complex problems with an eye
on decision making
PLO#3: Build ability to assess the multi-dimensional nature
of the business environment and its impact on business
strategy
PLO#4: To become knowledgeable in key functional areas
and tools of business and their application to solving business
problems
PLO#5: To understand and apply the latest in technological
tools and data-driven methods to solving business problems
Page 2 of 5
SLO Mappings
#1,2,4
#1,2,3
Assessment Method
Class Participation,
Assignments, Mid Term
and End Term Exam
Assignments on
frameworks
#5
Case Studies
#6
Assignments, In-class
quizzes, Case Studies
#2,3,4
Case Studies
Prerequisites: None
Pedagogy: The course employs classroom lectures and case studies. Each student will be expected to prepare
and to participate actively in class/case discussions. In addition, students may be asked to present in class.
Laptops should be used in class only for class activities as suggested by the instructor.
Prescribed Text Books:
Textbook
Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach: Theory & Cases, 13E, by Charles W.L. Hill (Author), Melissa
A. Schilling (Author), Gareth R. Jones (Author); Cengage
Reference Books
Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization: Concepts and Cases with MindTap, 12E, by
Michael A. Hitt (Author), R. Duane Ireland (Author), Robert E. Hoskisson (Author); Cengage
Strategic Management, adapted by Reed Kennedy with Eli Jamison, Joe Simpson, Pankaj Kumar, Ayenda
Kemp, Kiran Awate, and Kathleen Manning; Pamplin College of Business in association with Blacksburg,
Virginia; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21061/strategicmanagement
Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors Paperback – 19 January 2004
by Michael E. Porter
Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance
by E. Michael Porter
Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition
by Renee A. Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim
Attendance Policy: Same as per guidelines provided by School of Management, Mahindra University.
Database / Software requirements (if applicable): None
Course Evaluation Criteria:
S. No.
Component
Weightage
(%)
1
Pop Quizzes/Case Submissions
20
2
3
4
Mid Term Exam
End Term Examination
Class Participation
20
30
15
Page 3 of 5
5
Project
Total
15
100
Session wise Details:
Lecture
1-3
4-9
10-15
16-21
22-27
28-33
34-36
37-39
40-42
Topic
Introduction: Course Introduction; What is Business
Strategy?
The Environment
Firm Level Analysis
Textbook Chapter
#1
Corporate Strategy
Innovative Strategies
#2
#3
#4
#4
#6,7
#13
Competitive Strategy
Ethics and Governance
#5
#12
Cost Leadership
Differentiation
In addition to the textbook chapter, for each topic, the case studies and additional material will be used as
applicable.
Attendance & Punctuality
Learning is an interactive process. Learning is largely based on the experiences that students bring to the
learning community and what they can add to class discussions. Therefore, attendance is an important aspect
of studying at Mahindra University. You must be present in all the classes.
Absence is only appropriate in cases of extreme personal illness, injury, or close family bereavement. Voluntary
activities are never valid reasons for missing any class.
The faculty will keep track of student attendance and decide on the nature and extent of the penalty for any
absence from the class. Penalty may include a reduction in grade.
Late arrival is disruptive to the learning environment, so you have to be in class before the scheduled time.
External Websites Disclaimer
Neither the professor nor Mahindra University is responsible for the content of external websites discussed
in the classroom and/or linked to via online course materials, emails, message boards, or other means.
Referred websites are for illustrative purposes only and are neither warranted nor endorsed by the professors.
Web pages change frequently, as does domain name ownership. While every effort is made to ensure proper
Page 4 of 5
referencing, it is possible that students may, on occasion, find materials to be objectionable for reasons beyond
our control.
Copyright
The content provided by the instructor in the class is copyrighted. Please do not distribute or share this
material with external entities without the author’s explicit written consent.
Student Code of Ethics
•
•
Each student enrolled in this course accepts personal responsibility to uphold and defend academic
integrity and to promote an atmosphere in which all individuals may flourish.
The Student Code of Ethics strives to set a standard of honest behavior that reflects well on students
and the school. All students enrolled in these courses are expected to follow the explicit behaviors
detailed in the Student Code of Ethics.
Code of Ethics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do not use notes, texts, solution manuals, or other aids for a quiz or exam without instructor
authorization.
Do not copy the work of others and/or allow others to view your answers or copy your work during
a quiz, exam, or on homework assignments.
Do not allow other parties to assist in the completion of your quiz, exam, homework, paper, or project
when not permitted.
Do not work with other students on projects or assignments without authorization from the course
instructor. Properly cite and specifically credit the source of text, graphic, and web materials in papers,
projects, or other assignments.
Do not forge the signature of an instructor, advisor, dean, or another student. Provide truthful
information for class absences when asking faculty for excused absences or for make-up for a quiz,
exam, or homework.
Provide truthful information on your resume, including work history, academic performance,
leadership activities, and membership in student organizations.
Respect the property, personal rights, and learning environment of all academic community members.
Live up to the highest ethical standards in all academic and professional endeavors.
Students violating the Student Code of Ethics will be reported to the Dean’s office and are subject to penalties
described in the Code of Student Life, which may include suspension from the school. Mahindra University
SoM is committed to maintaining the integrity of the University’s academic mission.
Page 5 of 5