FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES IN STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATION
Dr. Oecon in Strategy, Core Course 2
Spring 1999
Duration:
30 participation hours
Dates:
April 19 – 23. 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00
Place:
Norwegian School of Management - BI
Elias Smiths vei 15
N-1300 Sandvika
Language:
English
Objective:
As an administrative science, strategic management is a broad and
applied field of research that builds on different disciplines to
understand an organization's success or failure in the market. In
contrast to the functional areas of business administration, we take the
top managers' perspective in how organizations can build competitive
advantage. In this doctoral seminar the fundamental issues within the
field are analyzed and discussed, based on the original conceptual and
empirical research from the leading authors in strategic management.
Evaluation:
- Five two-page brief summaries of discussed articles (one each day)
- One 25-page double-spaced paper due on Friday May 14
(conceptual or research proposal).
Teaching method:
Seminars, lectures
Working hours:
Literature:
150 student hours
Rumelt, Schendel, and Teece (1994). Fundamental issues in strategy:
A research agenda. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Collection of articles (compendium)
Øystein Fjeldstad, Bente Løwendahl, Erik Jacobsen, Mark Kriger, and
Manuel Becerra
Lecturers:
Responsible
lecturers:
Professor Mark Kriger and Associate Professor Manuel Becerra
Direct dial: (47)-67-55-72-67
(47)-67-55-72-73
Fax:
(47)-67-55-76-77
(47)-67-55-76-77
E-mail:
mark.kriger@bi.no
manuel.becerra@bi.no
1. Where are we today in the field of strategic management? April 19, 9:00-12:00. (Dr.
Kriger and Dr. Becerra)
Rumelt, R.P., Schendel, D., and Teece, D.J. (1994). Fundamental issues in strategy. In
Rumelt, R.P., Schendel, D., and Teece, D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston:
Harvard Business School Press.
Bettis, R.A. (1991). Strategic management and the straightjacket: An editorial essay.
Organizational Science, 2: 315-319.
Donaldson, L. (1990). The ethereal hand: Organizational economics and management theory.
Academy of Management Review, 15: 369-381
Barney, J.B. (1990). The debate between traditional management theory and oragnizational
economics: Substantive differences or intergroup conflict? Academy of Management
Review, 15: 382-393.
Required additional readings:
De Witt, B., and R. Meyer (1998). Strategy: Process, content, context. Introduction chapter.
London: ITP.
2. Economic models of strategy. April 19, 13:00-16:00. (Dr. Becerra)
Spulber, D. (1994). Economic analysis and management strategy: A survey continued.
Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, 3: 355-406.
Camarer, C.F. (1991). Does strategy research need game theory? In Rumelt, R.P., Schendel,
D., and Teece, D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston: Harvard Business
School Press
Eisenhardt, K. (1989). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of Management
review, 14: 57-74.
Required additional readings:
Caves, R.E. (1980). Industrial analysis, corporate strategy, and structure. Journal of Economic
Literature, 18: 64-92.
Scott, J. (1982). Multimarket contact and economic performance. Review of Economics and
Statistics, 64: 368-375.
3. The role of the industry and the firm on strategy. April 20, 9:00-12:00. (Dr. Fjeldstad)
Porter, M.E. (1994). Toward a dynamic theory of strategy. In Rumelt, R.P., Schendel, D., and
Teece, D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
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Stabell, C.B., and Fjeldstad Ø.D. (1998). "Configuring value for competitive advantage."
Strategic Management Journal, 19: 413-437.
Rumelt, R.P. (1991). How much does industry matter? Strategic Management Journal, 12:
167-185.
Required additional readings:
Caves, R.E., and Porter; M.E. (1977). From entry barriers to mobility barriers: Conjectural
decisions and contrived deterrence to new competition. Quarterly Journal of Economics.
May: 241-261.
Ravenscraft, D.J. (1983). Structure-profit relationships at the line of business and industry
level. Review of Economics and Statistics. February, 22-31.
McGee, J., and Thomas, H. (1986). Strategic groups: Theory, research, and taxonomy.
Strategic Management Journal, 7: 141-160.
4. Views about organizations. April 20, 13:00-16:00. (Dr. Becerra)
Carroll, G.R. (1994). A sociological view of why firms differ. In Rumelt, R.P., Schendel, D.,
and Teece, D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School
Press.
Kogut, B., and Zander U. (1992). Knowledge of the firm, combinative capabilities, and the
replication of technology. Organization Science, 3: 383-397.
Astley, W.G., and Van de Ven (1983). Central perspectives and debates in organization
theory. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28: 245-273.
Required additional readings:
Jennings, D.F., and Seaman, S.L. (1994). High and low levels of organizational adaptation:
An empirical analysis of strategy, structure, and performance. Strategic Management
Journal, 15: 459-475.
Seth, A., and Thomas, H. (1994). Theories of the firm: Implications for strategy research.
Journal of Management Studies, 31: 165-191.
5. Competitive dynamics. April 21, 9:00-12:00. (Dr. Becerra)
Lieberman, M.B., and D.B. Montgomery (1988). "First-mover advantages." Strategic
Management Journal, 9: 41-58.
Grimm, C.M., and Smith, K.G. (1997). Strategy as action. Cincinnati: Southwestern College
Publishing. Ch. 3.
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Chen, M.J., and Miller, D. (1994). Competitive attack, retaliation and performance: An
expectancy-valence framework. Strategic Management Journal, 15: 85-102.
Required additional readings:
Jacobson (1992). The ‘Austrian’ school of strategy. Academy of Management Review, 17:
782-807.
Robinson, W., Fornell, C., and Sullivan, M. (1992). Are market pioneers intrinsically stronger
than later entrants? Strategic Management Journal, 13: 609-624.
6. Cognition and strategic decision making. April 21, 13:00-16:00. (Dr. Kriger)
Eisenhardt, K.M., and Zbaracki (1992). Strategic decision making. Strategic Management
Journal, 13: 17-38.
Kahneman, D., and Lovallo, D. (1994). Timid choices and bold forecasts: A cognitive
perspective on risk taking. Walsh, J.P. (1995). In Rumelt, R.P., Schendel, D., and Teece,
D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Walsh, J.P. (1995). Managerial and organizational cognition: Notes from a trip down memory
line. Organization Science, 6: 280-321.
Required additional readings:
Langley, A., et al. (1995). Opening up decision making: The view from the black stool.
Organization Science, 6: 260-279.
Kriger, M.P., and Barnes, L.B. (1992). Organizational decision-making as hierarchical levels
of drama. Journal of Management Studies, 29: 439-457.
Eisenhardt, K. (1989). Fast decisions in high velocity environments. Academy of Management
Journal, 32: 543-576.
7. Corporate strategy. April 22, 9:00-12:00. (Dr. Jacobson)
Campbell, A., M. Goold, and M. Alexander (1995). "The value of the parent company."
California Management Review, 38: 79-.
Hill, C.W. (1994). Diversification and economic performance bringing structure and
corporate management back into the picture. In Rumelt, R.P., Schendel, D., and Teece,
D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Williamson, O.E. (1991). Strategizing, economizing, and economic organization. In Rumelt,
R.P., Schendel, D., and Teece, D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston: Harvard
Business School Press.
Required additional readings:
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Gupta, A.K. (1987). SBU strategies, corporate-SBU relations, and SBU effectiveness in
strategy implementation. Academy of Management Journal, 30: 477-500.
Majumdar, S.K., and Ramaswamy, V. (1994). Explaining downstream integration.
Managerial and decision economics, 15: 119-129.
8. The resource-based view of the firm. April 22, 13:00-16:00. (Dr. Løwendahl)
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of
Management. 17: 99-120.
Amit, R., and Schoemaker, P.J. (1993) Strategic assets and organizational rent. Strategic
Management Journal, 14: 33-46.
Connor, K. R. (1991). A historical comparison of resource-based theory and five schools of
thought within industrial organization economics: Do we have a new theory of the firm?
Journal of Management, 17: 121-134.
Required additional readings:
Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A resource-based view of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5:
171-180.
Peteraf, M.A. (1993). The cornerstones of competitive advantage: A resource-based view.
Strategic Management Journal, 14: 179-191.
Collis, D.J. (1991). A resource-based analysis of global competition: The case of the bearings
industry. Strategic Management Journal, 12: 49-68.
9. Global strategy. April 23, 9:00-12:00. (Dr. Becerra)
Ghoshal, S. (1987). Global strategy: An organizing framework. Strategic Management
Journal, 8: 425-440.
Doz, Y.L., and Prahalad, C.K. (1994). Managing DMNCs: A search for a new paradigm. In
Rumelt, R.P., Schendel, D., and Teece, D.J. (eds.) Fundamental issues in strategy. Boston:
Harvard Business School Press.
Roth, K., Schweiger, D.M., and Morrison, A.J. (1991). Global strategy implementation at the
business unit level: Operational capabilities and administrative mechanisms. Journal of
International Business Studies, Third Quarter. 369-402.
Required additional readings:
Buckley, P.J., and Casson, M. (1976). The future of the multinational enterprise. New York:
Holmes and Meier Publishers. Chapter 3.
Hamel, G. (1991). Competition for competence and interpartner learning within international
strategic alliances. Strategic Management Journal, 12: 83-103.
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10. Strategic management: The search for new paradigms (Dr. Kriger)
Prahalad, C.K. and Hamel, G. (1994) Strategy as a Field of Study: Why Search for a New
Paradigm? Strategic Management Journal, 14 (Summer Special Issue): 5-16.
Ghoshal, S. and Bartlett (1994). Linking Organizational Context and Managerial Action: The
Dimension of Quality of Management. Strategic Management Journal, 14 (Summer
Special Issue): 91-112.
Required additional readings:
Levy, D. (1994). Chaos Theory and Strategy: Theory, Application and Managerial
Implications. Strategic Management Journal, 14 (Summer Special Issue): 167.
Hedlund, G. (1994). A Model of Knowledge Management and the N-Form Corporation.
Strategic Management Journal, 14 (Summer Special Issue): 73-90.
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