About this course: Develop your ability to think strategically, analyze the competitive environment, and recommend firm positioning and value creation. In this course, we will explore the underlying theory and frameworks that provide the foundations of a successful business strategy and provide the tools you need to understand that strategy: SWOT, Competitor, Environmental, Five Forces, and Capabilities Analyses, as well as Strategy Maps. We'll apply these tools in case studies of industry leaders Google, Redhook, Piaggio and Apple.

Created by: University of Virginia

Taught by: Michael Lenox, Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Officer
Darden School of Business
Taught by: Jared Harris, Samuel L. Slover Research Chair in Business Administration
Darden School of Business

Basic Info	Course 1 of 5 in the Business Strategy Specialization.
Commitment	4 weeks of study, 5-6 hours/week
Language	English, Subtitles: Vietnamese, Portuguese (Brazilian)
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.7 stars Average User Rating 4.7See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Introduction to Strategic Analysis

Welcome to the first module in the Foundations course. In this module, we'll discuss the meaning and importance of business strategy to an organization's competitive positioning. You'll learn about the strategic analysis and the SWOT, competitor, and environme...

12 videos, 12 readings

Graded: Introduction to Strategic Analysis

WEEK 2

Analyzing Industry Structure

Hello and welcome back. In this module, we'll explore how to assess an industry's structure and how the competitive dynamics in an industry affect profitability. We'll go into depth with the five forces tool, a common and highly influential analytical framewor...

11 videos, 3 readings

Graded: Analyzing Industry Structure

WEEK 3

Analyzing Firm Capabilities

Welcome! In this module, we'll examine the tangible and intangible assets that form an organization's strength. We'll show you in depth how to complete a capabilities analysis and how to use this analysis to guide decision making. In the Apple case study you'l...

9 videos, 4 readings

Graded: Analyzing Firm Capabilities

WEEK 4

Determining Competitive Position

Welcome to the final module. In these lessons, we'll explore firms' competitive positioning relative to rivals and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of four generic competitive positions firms occupy. We'll use an easy and intuitive tool--strategy maps-...

8 videos, 6 readings, 1 reading

Graded: Determining Competitive Position

Graded: Competitive Position Assignment

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University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is distinctive among institutions of higher education. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, and located on a World Heritage site in Charlottesville, the University sustains the ideal of developing, through education, leaders who are well-prepared to help shape the future of the nation. The University is public, while nourished by the strong support of its alumni. It is also selective; the students who come here have been chosen because they show the exceptional promise Jefferson envisioned.

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