Corporate Strategy (Rahman)
Harvard Extension School
MGMT E-5005 (CRN 14321)
Corporate Strategy
4 credits
Fall 2015
Dr. Noushi Rahman
Email: nrahman@fas.harvard.edu (preferred)
Phone: (646) 897-9774
TA: Alexis Rahman; Email: alexisrahman@fas.harvard.edu
Meeting time: Thursday, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Web Conference (via Collaborate)
Prerequisites: B or higher grade in EXPO 34 or a satisfactory score on the mandatory test of critical reading and
writing skills
LINKS TO COURSE CANVAS, WEB CONFERENCE, AND SESSION RECORDINGS
Course Canvas: https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/4149
Web Conference: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.72AF90308D2E14091C55A2511C2C0B&sid=2007009
Session Recordings: https://sas.elluminate.com/mrtbl?suid=M.D42328998F4E4480FE8C1B6DA5B172&sid=2007009
Presentation Practice: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.8268759E797C863285F6E97696120B&sid=2007009
REQUIRED READINGS
No text book; assigned readings are specified in the session plan and are available under Course Documents + 10
cases/assignments + ‘1 of 4’ business books covering corporate strategy (the following table contains book
information – note that you are responsible for just one book per team).
Link to the course pack (for the 5 cases to be purchased from Harvard Business Publishing):
https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/38617277
Authors
Titles
Publishers
Dates
ISBNs
1. Chris Zook
Beyond the core:
Expand your market
without abandoning
your roots
Harvard
Business School
Publishing
2004
978-1578519514
2. Andrew Campbell and
Michael Goold
The collaborative
Basic Books
enterprise: Why links
between business units
often fail and how to
make them work
2000
978-0738203102
3. Patrick M. Lencioni
The advantage: Why Jossey-Bass
organizational health
trumps everything else
in business
2012
978-0470941522
4. A.G. Lafley and Roger L.
Martin
Playing to win: How
strategy really works
2013
978-1422187395
Harvard
Business School
Publishing
Corporate Strategy (Rahman)
Harvard Extension School
PURPOSE
This course deals with understanding the values of managing multiple lines of businesses under the ownership of
one corporate umbrella (that is, a diversified firm). The goal is to anticipate the problems in managing a firm's
diverse businesses, and in appraising its likely performance in the future. The detection, development, and
deployment of resources across diverse businesses play a key role in corporate strategy formulation. Limits to firm
growth are recognized, specifying boundary conditions of corporate strategy. Business portfolio techniques are
applied as necessary analytical tools to define strategic business units, to determine their corporate development
roles, to allocate resources among them, and to influence their development. The importance of business ethics
and the role of corporate governance to generate corporate reputation are covered as pressing contemporary issues
in corporate strategy.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Final
In-Class Participation (best 8 of 10×2.5)
1 Group Presentation (on assigned book)
18%
24%
18%
20%
20%
EXPLANATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Midterm and Final Exams: Exams will be multiple-choice tests. While you may use your class notes during the
exam, the 2-hr time frame is strictly enforced and may leave you with little time to look up extra information.
Exams will be made available through HES Online Services.
In-Class Participation: Besides the first class, the presentation class, and the three exam periods, the ten remaining
classes have assigned cases. In each of those sessions with assigned cases, you are expected to actively discuss
the case in class relating the story to the assigned course topic of that session. Attendance is required to
participate (emailed contributions are not acceptable in lieu of class participation), and you cannot earn the weekly
participation points without your contributory involvement in class discussion.
Team Presentation: The class will have four teams (to be determined randomly on the first day of class) and each
team will be responsible for one of the four books assigned for ‘team review.’ The main goal of the presentation
is to draw as many connections as possible between course concepts and the book’s contents. The presentation
must be a team effort; plan to present for about 20 minutes and engage the class in discussion for another 5
minutes (no more than 25 minutes per presentation from start to finish, including all Q&A). Grading rubric is in
Appendix A. The presentation can take any form (from traditional, to business talk show, to game shows, to other
forms of play-acting). Presenter must have video available on the presentation date.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Since this is an online course, you have ample flexibility to submit deliverable assignments throughout the week.
Late submissions are not acceptable under any circumstance.
GRADING (in %)
A = 93-100
A- = 90-92.9
B+ = 87-89.9
B = 83-86.9
B- = 80-82.9
C+ = 77-79.9
C =73-76.9
C- =70-72.9
D+ = 67-69.9
D = 63-66.9
D- = 60-62.9
For additional information, please refer to the Harvard Extension School grading policies
(http://www.extension.harvard.edu/exams-grades-policies/grades)
E = less than 60
Corporate Strategy (Rahman)
Harvard Extension School
SESSION PLAN
Session
Content
1
(Sep 3)
Introduction and overview; group allocation
Topic: An introduction to corporate strategy
Article: Collis, D. 1995. Corporate strategy: A conceptual
framework. HBS notes.
Topic: Evolution of corporate strategy
Article: pp. 1-8 of Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P (2006). Corporate
strategy and structure: Historical perspective. In Alignment: Using
the balanced scorecard to create corporate synergies, Chapter 2.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
N/A
Topic: Resources and rents
Article: Wernerfelt, B. (1989). From critical resources to corporate
strategy. Journal of General Management, 14(3), 4-12.
Topic: Scale and scope within an industry
Article: Collis, D. 1995. The scope of the corporation. HBS notes.
ECCO A/S - Global Value Chain
Management
Bo Nielsen, Torben Pedersen, Jacob Pyndt
Ford-GM historical case from Raff, D. M.
G. (1991). Making cars and making money
in the interwar automobile industry:
Economies of scale and scope and the
manufacturing behind the marketing.
Business History Review, 65(4), 721-753.
2
(Sep 10)
3
(Sep 17)
4
(Sep 24)
5
(Oct 1)
6
(Oct 8)
Topic: Diversified expansion
Article: Salter, M. S., & Porter M. E. 1986. Note on diversification
as a strategy. HBS notes.
Topic: Managing the multibusiness corporation
Article: Porter, M. E. (1987). From competitive advantage to
corporate strategy. Harvard Business Review, 65(3), 43-59.
8
(Oct 22)
Topic: Creating corporate advantage
Article: Collis D. J., & Montgomery, C. A. (1998). Creating
corporate advantage. Harvard Business Review, 76(3), 70-83.
9
(Oct 29)
Topic: Organizational limits to firm’s growth
Article: Penrose, E. (1955). Limits to the growth and size of firms.
American Economic Review, 45(2), 531-543.
Midterm 2 (Topics covered after Midterm 1)
12
(Nov 19)
13
(Dec 3)
14
(Dec 10)
15
(Dec 17)
Railroad case from Chandler, A. D.
(1992). Corporate strategy, structure and
control methods in the United States
during the 20th century. Industrial and
Corporate Change, 1(2), 263-284.
Midterm 1(Topics covered up to this point)
7
(Oct 15)
10
(Nov 5)
11
(Nov 12)
Case
Topic: Corporate strategy and gaining reputation
Article: Dowling, G., & Moran, P. 2012. Corporate reputations:
Built in or Bolted on? California Management Review, 54(2), 2542.
Topic: Managing corporate reputation with corporate actions
Article: Gardberg, N., Sampath, V., & Rahman, N. (2012).
Corruption and corporate reputation: The paradox of buffering and
suffering. Academy of Management Proceedings. 72, 1-6.
Topic: Corporate governance
Article: Pillmore, E. M. (2003). How we’re fixing up Tyco.
Harvard Business Review, 81(12), 96-103.

Book 1: Beyond the core

Book 2: The collaborative enterprise

Book 3: The advantage: Why organizational health trumps
everything else in business

Book 4: Playing to win: How strategy really works
Final Exam (Topics covered after Midterm 2, excluding book
reviews)
Loews Corporation: Corporate Strategy as
a Portfolio by Joseph L. Bower OR
Ebner Group’s diversification strategy –
chat with the CEO/CIO
Ballarpur Group (BILT) by Ghemawat
and Khanna OR
Ebner Group’s portfolio analysis (with real
data provided by Ebner)
Creating a Corporate Advantage: The Case
of the Tata Group
Raveendra Chittoor; Arohini Narain;
Richa Vyas; Chetan Tolia
Leclerc: The growth challenge
Tim Calkin
ABB’s Hydropower Sustainability
Dilemma
Timo Busch, Vincent Dessain, Kathleen
McCarthy
ABB Reaches $58 Million Settlement
(Updated) [The FCPA Blog]
Richard L. Cassin
Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc.
Tarun Khanna, Krishna Palepu
Team presentations (each presentation’s
main goal is to draw detailed links
between assigned book’s message and
course concepts)
Corporate Strategy (Rahman)
Harvard Extension School
Appendix A
Team Presentation – Evaluation Rubric
Team Members:
Book:
Criteria
Effective coverage of
the book assigned
Integration of the
assigned book’s content
to the Corporate
Strategy course
Visuals (grammatical
issues, typo, parallel
structure in bullet items)
Effective engagement
of audience/students +
fun factor
Ability to handle
questions from the
audience
Overall
Observations
Grade