COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE STRATEGIES (MGT 5229)
Bang College of Business
KIMEP University
___________________________________________________________________________
1.
Basic Information
Course Code and Title: MGT 5229 Competitive Advantage Strategies
Class Time and Dates : Saturday 10.00-12.45 ; #110 / N
Semester
: Spring 2013
Course Credit
: Three (3) credits
Prerequisite
: MGT5201 Marketing Management
Instructor
: Bulent Dumlupinar, Ph.D.
Office: Room #311/Dostyk
Phone: 270 44 40, ext.2076
E-mail: bulentd@kimep.kz
2.
Instructor’s Availability
Office/Advising Hours: Tuesday 15.00-17.00; Thursday 15.00-17.00
Additional hours will be available by appointment
3.
Instructional Resources
Reference Textbooks:
1) Barney, J.B, and Hesterly,W.S., “Strategic Management and Competitive
Advantage”, 4e, Prentice Hall, 2012
2) Barney, J., “Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage”, 3e, Prentice Hall,
2007
Other Textbooks:
1) Johnson,G., et. al “Exploring Corporate Strategy”, 7e, Prentice Hall, 2005
2) Aaker, D.A., “Developing Business Strategies”, 6e, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001
3) Coulter, M., “Strategic Management”, 4e, Prentice Hall, 2008.
4) Wheelen,T.L. and Hunger,J.D., “Strategic Management and Business Policy”, 12e,
Prentice Hall, 2010
4.
Course Description / Overview
The This course offers to students concepts and models useful in the formulation,
analysis, and implementation of functional, business unit and corporate level strategy.
The course explores the essential practices of strategy formulation and achievement of
advantage in competitive settings. It examines the use of industry analysis of the
enterprise with emphasize on gaining advantage firm level and customer value
creation. Cooperative strategies, including alliances and joint ventures are also
examined as alternatives for establishing advantageous positions in globally
competitive industries and markets. Growth strategies are analyzed in detail with
reference to Kazakh companies.
Conceptional frameworks are made operational through the “strategic audit”, a
complete case analysis methodology which provides a professional framework for
case analysis in terms of external and internal factors and takes the student through the
generation of strategic alternatives and implementation programs.
5.
Learning Objectives
Learning objectives is to introduce to students the appropriate conceptional
frameworks for approaching the main management decisions connected with the
strategy. The study of strategic management emphasizes the monitoring and evaluating
of external opportunities and threats in light of a corporation’s strengths and
weaknesses. On successful completion of this course, students will be able to do the
followingsKnowledge: Students will

Demonstrate an understanding the foundation concepts of strategic
management
 Understand the competitive environment and differentiation
 Understand the principle driving forces that will shape the future of
international competition
 Learn generic strategies, industry analysis, and value chain analysis
 Learn to generate strategies in order to compete succesfully
 Learn three levels of strategy; namely functional, business, and corporate level
and benchmark for local Kazakh companies
Skills: Students will
 Use strategic management tools both for competitive and cooperative purposes
 Apply strategies for Kazakh companies through cases in order to be
competitive
 Analyze both success and failure situations of companies due to competition
 Think critically for solving strategic issues
Application Abilities: Students will be able to
 Apply their knowledge to real cases in business life
 Enhance their strategic thinking capabilities
 Implement ethical behavior to to each case and ethical decisions to achieve
goals and objectives
Values and Attitudes: Students will understand
 Mission and objectives of KIMEP
 KIMEP core values
 The ethical behavior and
 Respect for instructors, peers, and other staff.
6.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Outcomes are achieved results-consequences, specific and measurable, of what has
been learned and more student centered. At successful completion of the course,
students will be able to;
 Work in groups and be part of a team for effective strategic decision making
 Communicate business knowledge both orally and written,
 Recognize and respond appropriately to an ethical and regulatory dilemma,
 Recognize and diagnose strategic managerial problems,
 Demonstrate competence in the field of strategic management,
 Analyze, compare, and contrast local and international strategic managerial
problems,
 Apply strategic solutions in the context of Kazakhstan business environment,
 Work effectively with other team members in the pursuit of common objectives,
 Present analytical knowledge and critical thinking about the subject.
7.
Course Learning Activities: 135 hours
Students are expected to involve with various learning activities both in class and
outside the class supervised by the instructor. The suggested distribution of time for
the course per semester is as follows.
Classroom Contact (45 hours): During the 15 weeks semester, students will spend 3
hours per week, totalling 45 hours in the semester. Attendance is mandatory. Mid-term
exams are included in this period.
Preparation for Case Presentation (45 hours): Each group of students will make three
chapter presentations during the semester. All the cases are placed in instructor’s LDrive. Each chapter is related with a specific strategic situation, dealing with an
company/industrial problem and the students are expected to apply these to
Kazakhstan’s business conditions. All the students are expected to read and understand
the cases/chapters before coming to the class; so that everyone can participate during
interactive discussions.
Reading Assignments and Preparation for the Exams (45 hours): This includes
reading lecture notes, preparing essays and articles, and study for the final exam.
8.
Assessment Scheme
Continuous Assessment:
 Mid-Term Exams, (2*10), 20 points
 Group Case Presentations, (2*15), 30 points
 Attendance, and Chapter Presentation, 10 points
60%
Final Assesment:

Total:
Final Exam/Project/Case, 40 points
40%
100%
9.
Grading Scale
Letter grades for the course will follow the same standards as specified in the Catalog.
See the following table for grading scale:
Letter grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
10.
Numerical scale or
percentile
90-100
85-89
80-84
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
57-59
53-56
50-52
Below 50
Teaching Methodology
Students are encouraged to join and participate in all class discussions interactively.
They are expected to prepare and read related topics before coming to the class.
Readings consist of relevant chapters in the text books, assigned articles, PowerPoint
lecture slides, and further articles on the L-Drive. Case analysis, problem solving, real
case applications are frequently used to improve students’ understanding of related
topic. Learning through interactive discussions among students are always encouraged
and all the class is expected to actively participate. Theoretical explanation is always
provided by the instructor whenever neeeded. Questions are usually directed to silent,
nonparticipating students in order to involve them in discussions.
11.
Learning Philosophy
The learning philosophy of this course is:
To help students meet their fullest potential in the area of “Strategy and Business
Policy” by supporting risk-taking and inviting sharing of ideas,
To guide students, providing access to information rather than acting as the primary
source of information and the students' search for knowledge is met as they learn to
find answers to their questions,
To hear the voice of each student and thus environment evolves where students feel
free to express themselves,
To make Students to feel free to propose their own ideas without premature judgment
and conversations take place in which all students feel they can contribute by
providing fair criticism,
To realize the importance of open and constructive interaction/collaboration with the
students,
To understand the role of the faculty is to provide opportunities to become active
learners by creating powerful learning environments for students to gain knowledge,
rather than trying to transfer faculty members' knowledge to students through lectures
so that they develop critical thinking skills,
To realize that the faculty member's role in facilitating learning is to provide an
opportunity to discuss and integrate knowledge into “real life” situations,
To understand that learning takes place through inquiry: questioning, exploring,
experimenting and problem solving.
Assessment in Detail (TEAM INFORMATION):
Please note team guidelines:
 Teams will contain 3-4 members with a total of 4 groups. The list of team members
together with approved topics by myself, must be provided to me latest 2 February
2013 for case presentation: 1 and 15 March 2013 for case presentation: 2. If a student
is not assigned to a team, he/she will receive a grade 0 (zero) for team work in the
course for both case presentation and term project.
 Once the teams are formed, each team will get a number. When you submit your
teamwork to the instructor for grading, please include the following information on
the cover page (see example below) to assure proper credit:
1. Team number
2. ID of all students in the team with their last and first names, and mail addresses
3. Title of the study
4. Course name (Competitive Advantage Strategy)
For both case Presentation; your team will have choice of presenting either:
 A management/strategy article relevant to the course of the class, OR
 A practical example illustrating one of the management theories/concepts
explored in class, OR
 A case from Kazakhstan industry to be provided to you. However, it should be
tailored toward an area specific to Strategic Management. The specific topic is
at the discretion of the student.
.
Notes Regarding Presentations:
 These presentations with PowerPoint should last no more than 30-minutes
(including 10 minutes class-room questions) and will be held on the dates
indicated in Syllabus.
Articles/presentations not exceeding 2 printed pages (1.5 space, Times New Roman), plus a
cover page to be given to me at least two days before the presentation date.
Your oral presentation will be graded on two parts: content and delivery:
Content includes whether your presentation was accurate, complete, detailed, error free, and
up-to-date (Case material provided is often outdated. It is your responsibility to complement
the existing data from the case material with new, up-to-date information through primary
AND secondary research methods). Were appropriate analytical tools included? Were they
correct? Were your recommendations specific? Did you show clearly how your
recommendations could be implemented? Tell exactly when, how, where, and why your
recommendations are appropriate. In grading your assignments, I look for effective use of the
concepts, models, and techniques discussed in this class. The course concepts and conceptual
frameworks should support your recommendation, which should be clearly articulated in the
paper. Make sure that:
a) Issues/problems are clearly identified
b) Solutions are (theoretically) justified
c) Recommendations are made
d) Implementation of the solution is discussed.
Delivery includes whether your case presentation was interesting, lively, special, upbeat, and
clear. Were your PowerPoint slides readable from the back of the class? Were your voice
tone, eye contact, posture, and appearance good? Your slides used to make your oral
presentation as interesting and informative as possible? DO NOT READ ANY PART OF
THE PRESENTATION !! (except perhaps the mission statement).
a) Visual materials and slides
b) Body language (eye contact, not turning back, appearance, etc,)
c) Communication and speaking skills (not reading, addressing audience, etc.)
d) Well organized presentation and good time management
e) Managing questions.
In evaluating the cases, you should use the concepts and models discussed in the readings.
Learning how to apply these concepts and models is essential for success in this class. During
each presentation, the class will ask the presenting team questions, solicit further explanation
of any unclear parts of the presentation, point out any mistakes in the analyses presented,
comment on the feasibility and thoroughness of recommendations given, and, perhaps, offer
counter-recommendations with supporting analyses or information. Helpful criticism, praise,
and compliments should be given, as appropriate. Everyone needs to attend class and to
participate in these class discussions.
Some helpful hints for the written papers:








You are not writing a Harvard-style case, which only lays out the company’s problem, and
leaves the solution for the class discussion. In the case write-ups, you are to provide a
solution.
Numerical analysis is usually a good idea. Please be sure that the analysis has something
interesting to say (for example, simply calculating a growth rate in sales or a commonsized income statement is not particularly interesting), it is imperative that you discuss the
implications of the numerical analysis on your overall analysis.
Please include page numbers.
Avoid the use of the passive tense. “A strategy for the company has been formulated” is
unclear, as it does not indicate who created the strategy. “I recommend the following
strategy for the company” is a much better phrase. Please note that the use of the first
person will often make the paper much clearer.
Be sure to footnote/reference the source of all factual information. In general, all numbers
in the text and the exhibits should be accompanied by information indicating its source
(e.g., page number in the case or other assigned readings for this course).
Please be sure to include dollar signs, percent signs, etc. Numbers should have
identifying information attached, including the type of information (e.g., sales, income,
and assets), the year of the information, and the company to whom this information
applies.
The exhibits should be placed in the same order that they are referred to in the text.
Please include page numbers.
Attendance requirements:
Class participation is based on the amount of contribution to the class discussion and the
insights provided by these contributions (i.e. the quality of the comments). Please note that
attendance does not constitute participation. In each class session I will hand out an
attendance sheet for you to sign; only students who sign in can receive credit for participation
in that class session. Don’t be late to the class and don’t leave the class in the middle for
whatever reason; especially for talking on the phone. Wait for the brake or the end of the
class. All mobile telephones must be turned off during class. In addition, class is a time to
come together as a collective learning community. Therefore it is completely inappropriate to
use valuable class time for individual endeavors such as reading, surfing on the internet, or
responding to e-mail – please respect class time.
What does it means Non-Participant in the class? This person says little or nothing in this
class. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would be
unaffected. You are expected to be an Outstanding Contributor: contributions in class reflect
exceptional preparation. Ideas offered provide major insights as well as direction for the class.
If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of discussions would be diminished
significantly.
Hints for good participation credit:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Always be prepared for class.
Make points that go beyond the mere recitation of case facts. Provide analysis
and synthesis, not only opinions. Use evidence to back up your points.
Use your calculator. Quantitative analysis, when properly performed, can be
very powerful.
Listen to your classmates and contribute to the discussion.
Avoid giving one or two word answers. Also, avoid being an airbag (i.e.,
don’t try to dominate the discussion).
During each presentation, the class will ask the presenting team questions, solicit further
explanation of any unclear parts of the presentation, point out any mistakes in the analyses
presented, comment on the feasibility and thoroughness of recommendations given, and,
perhaps, offer counter-recommendations with supporting analyses or information. Helpful
criticism, praise, and compliments should be given, as appropriate. Everyone needs to attend
class and to participate in these class discussions.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE STRATEGY (MGT 5229)
Spring 2013
Syllabus
Week
1
2
3
Date
12 Jan
19 Jan
26 Jan
Course Topics
What is Strategy?
Strategic Management Process
Firm’s External Environment
4
02 Feb
Firm’s Internal Capabilities
(Team #1)
5
09 Feb
6
16 Feb
Cost Leadership
(Team #2)
Product Differentiation
(Team #3)
7
23 Feb
8
9
10
11
02 Mar
09 Mar
16 Mar
23 Mar
12
13
30 Mar
06 Apr
14
13 Apr
15
20 Apr
16
27 Apr
Vertical Integration (Team #4)
Case Presentation: Team #1, & 2.
Midterm: 1
Reading Articles, Cases and other Materials
> Can You Say What Your Strategy is?
>
> Strategies for Competitive Advantage in ECommerce
> Porter: What is Strategy?
> What is Corporate Strategy?
> Strategy is About Competitive Advantage
> When You Have to Cut the Costs
> Blue Ocean Strategy
> Porter’s Generic Strategies
> Activity System
> Vertical Integration (Brazil)
Mid-term break
Case Presentation: Team #3 & 4.
Official Vacation
Guest Lecturer
Corporate Diversification (Team #1)
Strategic Alliances (Team #2)
Mergers and Acquisitions (Team #3)
International Marketing, Globality, and
International Strategic Management
(Team #4)
 Competitor Analysis (B)
 Market Expansion & Growth of
the Companies
 Porter’s Diamond and Clusters
Competing Against Multinationals (B)
Case Presentation: Team #1
Midterm: 2
Case Presentations: Team #2, 3, & 4.
> Strategic Alliance
> Nike Diversification
> Diversification
> (W12) Merger & Acquisitions (7 Articles)
> Global Competition
> Internationalization of MNCs
> Predicting Your Competitor’s Reaction
> Strategic Group (video)
> Growth Outside the Core
> Strategies for High Market Share
> Porter’s Kazakhstan Report
> Emerging Giants: Building World Class
Companies from Emerging Markets
Final Exam: May 2013 (to be announced by the Registrar Office)