Ph.D. STRATEGY, CORE COURSE 1
FOUNDATIONS OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Duration:
Dates:
Place:
Language:
Objective:
30 participation hours
22-26 February
Norwegian School of Management - BI
Elias Smiths vei 15
N-1300 SANDVIKA
English
and 8-12 March 1999 13:00 - 16:00
Strategic Management is a broad and applied field of research with multiple roots in other disciplines. In order to gain an in depth understanding of the evolution of the field of strategic management research, students need to know these roots as well as more recent developments in the field. In this course, classical books and supporting articles are analyzed and discussed in detail. Roots are explored in disciplines as diverse as economics, decision science, organization theory, business history, and organization behavior.
Prerequisites: This course is the first in a sequence of three core courses in strategy.
The next two courses will: 1) go deeper into the analyses of key issues in strategy, and 2) look into theories and issues on the research frontier in strategy. This course is not required but strongly recommended for the other two courses. “Foundations of Strategy” is mandatory for students majoring in strategic management at NSM.
Evaluation: Six minor one to two page book review summaries plus one final paper incorporating two or more of the books are required, in addition to presentations and active participation in seminars.
Teaching method: Seminars, lectures
Working hours:
Literature:
Lecturers:
150 student hours
Books and articles (compendium) - see attached reading list.
BI faculty in strategy, business history, and organization and management.
Responsible lecturer: Professor Mark P. Kriger
Direct dial (47)-67 55-72-67
Fax: (47)-67 55-76-77

Ph.D. STRATEGY, CORE COURSE 1
FOUNDATIONS OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Winter 1999
Professor Mark P. Kriger, BI with other BI faculty
Strategic Management is a broad and applied field of research with multiple roots in other disciplines. In order to gain an in depth understanding of the evolution of the field of strategic management research, students need to know these roots as well as more recent developments in the field. In the present course, classical books and articles are analyzed and discussed in detail. Roots are explored in disciplines as diverse as economics, decision science, organization theory, business history, and organization behavior.
The course is the first in a sequence of three core courses in strategy. The next two courses will: 1) go deeper into the analyses of key issues in strategy, and 2) look into theories and issues on the research frontier in strategy. Course 1 is not required but strongly recommended for the other two courses. The course is mandatory for students majoring in strategic management at NSM.
Evaluation : Six minor (one to two page summaries) book reviews are evaluated by pass/fail and one paper (15 to 25 pages) are required (graded A-F), in addition to presentations and active participation in seminars.
Course format : The course is designed as 10 three hour seminars, each with one main topic.
In each session, a lecture and discussion of the core book is combined with a student presentation and discussion of one of the recommended books or articles. All required readings should be completed before the start-up of the course. For each core book, the students are required to submit a one page critical summary/review of key contributions to the field of strategic management. In addition, students are required to write one major term paper utilizing one or more of the recommended books together with one of the required books, to be submitted within one month after the completion of the seminars.
Term paper: The term paper should review the book chosen in detail, and at a minimum contain the following sections:
1) The authors, their background, previous and/or later publications;
2) The place of the book within the author's complete works;
3) Main contributions of the books to strategy or strategic management;
4) Weaknesses of the books;
5) Implications/applications in future research;
6) The likely continued durability of these books as foundation works in strategy and why.
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OVERVIEW OF THE SESSIONS:
Session 1: Strategic Management
Responsible: Professor Mark Kriger
TIME:
PLACE:
Required:
MON 22 FEB 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
- Andrews, K.R. The concept of corporate strategy ., 3rd ed., Homewood, J. Irwin, 1987.
- Roethlisberger, F.J. The elusive phenomena
. Chapter 25: ’The uneven development of knowledge and action.’, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, 1977.
Recommended:
- Ansoff, I.
Corporate strategy . Rev. ed. London: Penguin, 1987.
- Churchman, C.W. "The myth of management". In: Churchman, C.W. Challenge to reason.
N.Y.: McGraw Hill, 1968.
- Selznick, P. Leadership in administration: A sociological interpretation ., Rev.ed. Berkeley,
Cal.: University of California Press, 1984.
Session 2: Evolutionary Theories of the Firm
Responsible: Assoc. Prof. Bente R. Løwendahl
TIME:
PLACE:
Required:
TUES 23 FEB 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
- Penrose, E.T. The theory of the growth of the firm ., 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press
1995.
Recommended:
- Nelson, R.R. & Winter, S.G. An evolutionary theory of economic change . Belknap, 1982.
- Quinn, J.B. Strategies for change; logical incrementalism . Homewood, Ill.: Irwin, 1980
- Lindblom, C.E. "The science of muddling through." Public Administration Review , 1959,
Vol 19:2, 79-88.
Session 3: Approaches to Strategic Analysis
Responsible: Professor
TIME:
PLACE:
WED 24 FEB 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 43-04
Required:
Burns, T. & Stalker, G.M. The management of innovation . 3 rd ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press 1994.
Recommended:
- Cyert, R.M. & March, J.G.
A behavioral theory of the firm. 2nd ed. Cambridge, Mass.:
Blackwell 1992.
- March, J.G. & Olsen, J.P. Ambiguity and choice in organizations ., 2nd ed. Bergen:
Universitetsforlaget, 1979. Chapters 1 & 2.
- Allison, G.T. Essence of decision: Explaining the Cuban missile crisis ., Boston: Little,
Brown, 1971
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Session 4: Strategy and Structure
Responsible: Assoc. Prof. Rolv Petter Amdam
TIME:
PLACE:
THUR 25 FEB 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
Required:
- Chandler, A.D. Jr. Strategy and structure: Chapters in the history of the American
Industrial Enterprise . Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1962.
Recommended:
- Chandler, A.D. Jr. Scale and Scope: The dynamics of industrial capitalism , Cambridge,
Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1990.
- Bowman, E.H. "Strategy changes: Possible worlds and actual minds." Chapter 2 in
Fredrickson, J.W. (ed.): Perspectives on strategic management , New York:
Harper & Row, 1990.
- Schelling, T.C. The strategy of conflict . Cambridge, Ma.: Harvard University Press, 1980.
Session 5: Micro Economics: Theories of Industry and Strategy
Responsible: Assoc. Prof. Øystein Fjeldstad
TIME:
PLACE:
Required:
FRI 26 FEB 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
- Porter, M.E.
Competitive strategy . New York: Free Press, 1980.
Recommended:
- Porter, M.E. "The contributions of industrial organization to strategic management."
Reprinted in Barney, J. & Ouchi, W.G. (eds.) Organizational economics , San
Francisco, Jossey Bass, 1986: 372-408.
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Sessions 6-10: 8 - 12 March 1999
Session 6: Strategic Processes
Responsible: Professor Mark Kriger
TIME:
PLACE:
Required:
MON 8 March 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
- Huff, A.S. & Reger, R.K. “A review of strategic process research,” Journal of Management ,
Summer 1987, 13 : 211-236.
- Chakravarthy, B. & Doz, Y. “Strategy process research: Focusing on corporate selfrenewal,”
Strategic Management Journal , Summer 1992, 13 : 5-14.
- Van de Ven, A. “Suggestions for studying strategy process: A research note,” Strategic
Management Journal , Summer 1992, 13 : 169-188.
Recommended:
- Bower, J.L. Managing the resource allocation process ., Rev. ed. Boston, Mass.: Harvard
Business School Classics, 1986.
- Chakravarthy, B. and Lorange, P. Managing the strategy process: A framework for the multibusiness firm . Englewood Cliffs., N.J.: Prentice-hall 1991.
- Mason, R. and Mitroff, I. Challenging strategic planning assumptions . New York: Wiley,
1981.
- Mintzberg, H. "Patterns in strategy formation". Management Science , 1978. 24 :9, 934-948.
Session 7: Strategy and Organization Theory: The Firm in Its Environment
Responsible: Professor
TIME:
PLACE:
Required:
TUES 09 March 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
- Miles, R.E. & Snow, C.C. Organizational strategy, structure and process . Tokyo, McGraw
Hill, Kogakusha 1978.
Recommended:
- Child, J. "Organizational design and performance: contingency theory and beyond."
Organization and Administrative Sciences , 1977, 3:169-183.
- Freeman, R.E. Strategic management: A stakeholder approach ., Boston, Mass.: Pitman,
1984.
- Lawrence, P.R. & Lorsch, J.W. Organization and environment. Managing differentiation and integration . Homewood, Ill.: Irwin 1969.
- Pfeffer; J. & Salancik, G.R. The external control of organizations: A resource dependence perspective . New Your, Harper & Row, 1978.
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Session 8: Strategy and Organization Theory: The Firm as an Organization
Responsible: Professor
TIME:
PLACE:
WED 10 March 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
Required:
- Thompson, J.D.
Organizations in action . New York: McGraw Hill, 1967.
Recommended:
- Blau, P.M. & Scott, W.R. Formal organizations: A comparative approach . London:
Rootledge and Kegan Paul 1966.
- Pfeffer, J. Organizations and organization theory . Boston, Pitman, 1982.
- Levine, S. & White, P.E. "Exchange as a conceptual framework for the study of interorganizational relationships.", Administrative Science Quarterly , 1961, 5 (March), 583-
601.
- March, J.G. & Simon, H.A. Organizations ., 2 nd ed. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell 1993.
- Weick, K. The social psychology of organizing . 2nd ed., Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley
1979.
- Woodward, J. Management and technology . London: British Crown, 1958.
Session 9: Micro Economics: Theories of the Firm and Its Environment
Responsible: Professor Torger Reve
TIME:
PLACE:
THURS 11 March 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
Required:
- Williamson, O.E. Markets and hierarchies . New York, Free Press, 1975.
- Williamson, O.E. “Transaction Cost Economics: The governance of contractual relations,”
Journal of Law and Economics , 1979, 22 :233-261.
Recommended:
- Coase, R.H. "The nature of the firm". Reprinted in Barney, J. & Ouchi, W.G. (eds.)
Organizational Economics , San Fransisco, Jossey Bass, 1986: 80-98.
- Porter, M.E. Competitive advantage . New York, Free Press, 1985.
- Rumelt, R.P. Strategy, structure and economic performance . Rev. ed. Boston, Mass.:
Harvard Business School Press, 1986.
- Williamson, O.E. The economic institutions of capitalism . New York, Free Press, 1985.
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Session 10: Summary and Critical Views of Strategic Management
Responsible: Professor Mark Kriger
TIME:
PLACE:
FRI 12 March 1999 13:00-16:00
Room 22-52
Required:

Mintzberg, H. The rise and fall of strategic planning . New York: The Free Press, 1994, chapters 1 and .
Recommended:

Perrow, C. Complex organizations . 3 rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill 1986.

Brunsson, N. The irrational organization . Chichester: Wiley, 1985.

Morgan, G. Images of organization . Beverly Hills, Calif.: Sage, 1986.

Weick,K.: "Substitutes for strategy," Chapter 10 in Teece, D.J. (ed.): The Competitive
Challenge , Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1987.
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