Course Outline for “Strategic Implementation through Simulation”

Any strategy, if it has to be successful, requires good formulation and implementation. Strategy
formulation is taught in basic strategic management course. Strategy implementation is also
taught through many courses as well as tools. There is an aspect of strategic implementation
(though some may call it formulation itself, depending upon how the terms are understood),
which is understood but left untouched in different courses. This aspect is that of strategy fit.
Strategic fit refers to how business and corporate strategies fit other functional strategies like
market entry, stage of PLC, stage of industry life cycle, type of production process, research and
development, type of pricing, types of organizational structures, HR practices, financing
strategies and ultimately bottom-line. The course is geared towards fulfilling this need. It is
geared towards concretizing “Strategy Formulation”, so that students can see how strategy is
linked to different facets in organization rather than being independent of ground realities. Six
business strategies would be discussed along with their relationships to other functions.

These strategies are:

1. Broad Differentiation

2. Broad Cost Leadership

3. Focused Differentiation

4. Focused Cost Leadership

5. Technology Differentiation

6. Traditional Cost Leaderships

At the corporate level, the strategies would be discussed in terms of ability of the corporate to
maintain business portfolios of businesses.

Pedagogy:

Principal pedagogical method followed would be that of Simulation. A group of student would
be given a company to manage from inception to the maturity stage of the industry life cycle.
There would be 4 practice rounds and eight real rounds of simulation conducted in the class. The
industry chosen would be electronics sensors, which have use to electrical and electronics sector.
Students are supposed to take decision that strategy-dependent than strategy-independent.

In addition to simulation, a few cases and lectures would be conducted. Students are expected to
read cases before coming to the class.
Since the predominant methodology is games based on simulation, it is important to assess
whether students have learnt from the experience. It is expected that students would make
presentation at the end of each round detailing their learning.

Tentative Class wise Schedule:

Class1: Strategy introduction- Revisiting Strategic Management from the Core course

Class2: Strategic Fit

Class3: Strategic Fit for Business Strategy

Class4: Case for Strategic Fit- Business Strategy

Class 5: Strategic Fit for Corporate strategy

Class6: Case for Strategic fit for corporate strategy

Class7: Capstone- Practice round1

Class 8: Capstone Practice round2

Class 9: Capstone Practice round3

Class10: Capstone Practice round4

Class11: Capstone Competition Round1

Class12: Capstone Competition Round2

Class13: Capstone Competition Round3

Class14; Capstone Competition Round4

Class15: Capstone Competition Round5

Class16: Capstone Competition Round6

Class17: Capstone Competition Round7

Class8: Capstone Competition Round8

Class19: Capstone Presentations

Classs20: Capstone Presentations

 Evaluations:

1. Competition Round-40 %

2. Presentations: 30%

3. Project: 20% (Students are expected to pick up company of their choice and analyze how
business and corporate strategies have changed for company during different stages of
industry life cycle, and life span of the company.

Books and References:

No book is prescribed for the course but students may find some of the articles mentioned below
as useful:

 Why Business Models Matter; Magretta, Joan; Harvard Business Review; 05/01/2002:6.
 The Theory of the Business; Drucker, Peter F.; Harvard Business Review; 09/01/1994:10
 The Rise and Fall of the J. Peterman Co.; Peterman, John; Harvard Business Review;
(09/01/1999:7)
 What Is Strategy?; Porter, Michael E.; Harvard Business Review; 11/01/1996:18.
 Swarm Intelligence: A Whole New Way to Think About Business; Bonabeau,
Eric;Meyer, Christopher; Harvard Business Review; (05/01/2001:9)
 The Core Competence of the Corporation; Prahalad, C.K.;Hamel, Gary; Harvard
Business Review; 05/01/1990:12.
 Strategy as Revolution; Hamel, Gary; Harvard Business Review; 07/01/1996:14.
 Strategy Under Uncertainty; Courtney, Hugh;Kirkland, Jane;Viguerie, Patrick; Harvard
Business Review; 11/01/1997:14.
 Where Value Lives in a Networked World; Sawhney, Mohanbir;Parikh, Deval; Harvard
Business Review; 01/01/2001:8
 The Empire Strikes Back: Counterrevolutionary Strategies for Industry Leaders. By:
D'Aveni, Richard. Harvard Business Review, Nov2002, Vol. 80 Issue 11, p66, 9p, 2c.
 Maneuver Warfare: Can Modern Military Strategy Lead You to Victory?; Clemons,
Eric;Santamaria, Jason A.; Harvard Business Review; (04/01/2002:9)
 The Right Game: Use Game Theory to Shape Strategy; Brandenburger, Adam;Nalebuff,
Barry J.; Harvard Business Review; (07/01/1995:15)
 The Hidden Challenge of Cross-Border Negotiations; Sebenius, James K.; Harvard
Business Review; 03/01/2002:9
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 The Quest for Resilience. By: Hamel, Gary; Välikangas, Liisa. Harvard Business
Review, Sep2003, Vol. 81 Issue 9, p52, 12p, 2c
 The Trouble I've Seen; James, David N.; Harvard Business Review; (03/01/2002:7)
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Harvard Business Review; 07/01/2000:7.
 Saving the Business Without Losing the Company; Ghosn, Carlos; Harvard Business
Review; 01/01/2002:9.
 Harley's Leadership U-Turn; Teerlink, Rich; Harvard Business Review; 07/01/2000:5.
 Right Away and All at Once: How We Saved Continental; Brenneman, Greg; Harvard
Business Review; 09/01/1998:11.
 Leadership and the Psychology of Turnarounds. By: Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. Harvard
Business Review, Jun2003, Vol. 81 Issue 6, p58, 10p, 5c
 Holes at the Top: Why CEO Firings Backfire. By: Wiersema, Margarethe. Harvard
Business Review, Dec2002, Vol. 80 Issue 12, p70, 8p, 2 graphs, 4c
 Distance Still Matters: The Hard Reality of Global Expansion; Ghemawat, Pankaj;
Harvard Business Review; (09/01/2001:10)
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Harvard Business Review; 03/01/2000:11.
 The End of Corporate Imperialism; Prahalad, C.K.;Lieberthal, Kenneth; Harvard
Business Review; 07/01/1998:12
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J.;Birkinshaw, Julian M.;Toulan, Omar; California Management Review; 10/01/2001:14.
 Developing Global Strategies for Service Businesses; Lovelock, Christopher H.;Yip,
George S.; California Management Review; 01/01/1996:24
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Review; 11/01/1999:8.
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01/01/1999:5.
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Dawar, Niraj;Frost, Tony; Harvard Business Review; 03/01/1999:11.
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11/01/2000:7.
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Review, Aug2003, Vol. 81 Issue 8, p58, 10p, 2c.
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1c.
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Business Review; (04/01/2002:11)
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David; Harvard Business Review; (07/01/2001:6)
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Harvard Business Review; 03/01/2002:7.
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Josiah. Harvard Business Review, Jan2003, Vol. 81 Issue 1, p48, 6p, 1c.
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Business Review; 06/01/2002.
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Review; 11/01/1997:7.
 Strategy and the Internet; Porter, Michael E.; Harvard Business Review; 03/01/2001:17.
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Review; 11/01/1997:10.
 Managing in the Whitespace; Maletz, Mark C.;Nohria, Nitin; Harvard Business Review;
02/01/2001:10.
 Why Bad Projects Are So Hard to Kill; Royer, Isabelle; Harvard Business School
Publishing; Harvard Business Review; 02/01/2003
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Harvard Business Review; 03/01/1999:7.
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05/01/2000:9.
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Harvard Business Review; 05/01/2001:8.
 What's a Business For?; Handy, Charles; Harvard Business School Publishing; Harvard
Business Review; 12/01/2002:6.
 Appraising Boardroom Performance; Conger, Jay;Finegold, David;Lawler, Edward E.,
III; Harvard Business Review; 01/01/1998:13.
 Siblings and Succession in the Family Business; Miller, Warren D.; Harvard Business
Review; 01/01/1998:11.
 Holes at the Top: Why CEO Firings Backfire; Wiersema, Margarethe; Harvard Business
School Publishing; Harvard Business Review; 12/01/2002:7
 Don't Hire the Wrong CEO; Bennis, Warren G.;O'Toole, James; Harvard Business
Review; 05/01/2000:7.
 Lincoln Electric's Harsh Lessons from International Expansion; Hastings, Donald F.;
Harvard Business Review; 05/01/1999:10
 The Successor's Dilemma; Ciampa, Dan;Watkins, Michael D.; Harvard Business
Review; 11/01/1999:8.
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Sep2002, Vol. 80 Issue 9, p60, 7p, 1c
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Sep2002, Vol. 80 Issue 9, p106, 8p, 1c
 The Board's Missing Link. By: Montgomery, Cynthia A.; Kaufman, Rhonda. Harvard
Business Review, Mar2003, Vol. 81 Issue 3, p86, 8p, 3c
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12/01/2001:10.
 Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve; Collins, Jim; Harvard
Business Review; (01/01/2001:11)
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 Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?; Goffee, Rob;Jones, Gareth; Harvard Business
Review; (09/01/2000:9).
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 Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance; Goleman, Daniel;Boyatzis,
Richard;McKee, Annie; Harvard Business Review; 12/01/2001:10.
 The Failure-Tolerant Leader. By: Farson, Richard; Keyes, Ralph. Harvard Business
Review, Aug2002, Vol. 80 Issue 8, p64, 6p, 2c.
 The Leadership Journey. By: Schaeffer, Leonard D.. Harvard Business Review, Oct2002,
Vol. 80 Issue 10, p42, 6p, 1c.
 Leading for Value. By: Pitman, Brian. Harvard Business Review, Apr2003, Vol. 81 Issue
4, p41, 6p, 2c.
 Crucibles of Leadership. By: Bennis, Warren G.; Thomas, Robert J.. Harvard Business
Review, Sep2002, Vol. 80 Issue 9, p39, 7p, 2c.
 Tipping Point Leadership. By: Kim, W. Chan; Mauborgne, Renee. Harvard Business
Review, Apr2003, Vol. 81 Issue 4, p60, 10p, 2 diagrams.
 Primal Leadership. By: Goleman, Daniel; Boyatzis, Richard; McKee, Annie. Harvard
Business Review, Dec2001, Vol. 79 Issue 11, p42, 9p.
 Not All M&As Are Alike—and That Matters; Bower, Joseph L.; Harvard Business
Review; 03/01/2001:9.
 The Dubious Logic of Global Megamergers; Ghemawat, Pankaj;Ghadar, Fariborz;
Harvard Business Review; 07/01/2000:9.
 Making the Deal Real: How GE Capital Integrates Acquisitions; Ashkenas, Ronald
N.;DeMonaco, Lawrence J.;Francis, Suzanne C.; Harvard Business Review; 01/01/1998:11.
 Stock or Cash? The Trade-Offs for Buyers and Sellers in Mergers and Acquisitions;
Rappaport, Alfred;Sirower, Mark L.; Harvard Business Review; 11/01/1999:8.
 Capturing the Real Value in High-Tech Acquisitions; Chaudhuri, Saikat;Tabrizi,
Behnam; Harvard Business Review; 09/01/1999:8.
 Growth Through Acquisitions: A Fresh Look; Anslinger, Patricia L.;Copeland, Thomas
E.; Harvard Business Review; 01/01/1996:10.
 Are Your Paying Too Much for That Acquisition?; Eccles, Robert G.;Lanes, Kersten
L.;Wilson, Thomas C.; Harvard Business Review; 07/01/1999:11.
 Is Your Strategic Alliance Really a Sale?; Bleeke, Joel A.;Ernst, David; Harvard
Business Review; 01/01/1995:9.
 How Snapple Got Its Juice Back; Deighton, John; Harvard Business Review;
01/01/2002:6.
 M&A Needn't Be A Loser's Game. By: Selden, Larry; Colvin, Geoffrey. Harvard
Business Review, Jun2003, Vol. 81 Issue 6, p70, 10p, 2 charts, 4c.
 Divestiture: Strategy's Missing Link; Dranikoff, Lee;Koller, Tim;Schneider, Antoon;
Harvard Business Review; 05/01/2002:9.
 The Growth Crisis—and How to Escape It; Slywotzky, Adrian J.;Wise, Richard; Harvard
Business Review; 07/01/2002:11.
 Coevolving: At Last, a Way to Make Synergies Work; Eisenhardt, Kathleen M.;Galunic,
D. Charles; Harvard Business Review; 01/01/2000:11.
 Spinning Out a Star; Lord, Michael D.;Mandel, Stanley W.;Wager, Jeffrey D.; Harvard
Business Review; 06/01/2002.
 A Test for the Fainthearted; Kuemmerle, Walter; Harvard Business Review;
05/01/2002:5.
 Bringing Silicon Valley Inside; Hamel, Gary; Harvard Business Review; 09/01/1999:15.
 How Venture Capital Works; Zider, Bob; Harvard Business Review; (11/01/1998:9)
 Four Rules for Taking Your Message to Wall Street; Hutton, Amy P.; Harvard Business
Review; 05/01/2001:7.
 Wealth Happens; Buchanan, Mark; Harvard Business Review; 04/01/2002:6.
 How to Write a Great Business Plan; Sahlman, William A.; Harvard Business Review;
07/01/1997:11
 Gurus in the Garage; Leonard, Dorothy;Swap, Walter; Harvard Business Review;
11/01/2000:8.
 Making Sense of Corporate Venture Capital; Chesbrough, Henry W.; Harvard Business
Review; 03/01/2002:8.
 Knowing a Winning Business Idea When You See One; Kim, W. Chan;Mauborgne,
Renee A.; Harvard Business Review; 09/01/2000:9.
 Why Entrepreneurs Don't Scale. By: Hamm, John. Harvard Business Review, Dec2002,
Vol. 80 Issue 12, p110, 6p, 1 chart, 2c
 How to Make People Decisions; Drucker, Peter F.; Harvard Business Review;
07/01/1985:4
 New Thinking on How to Link Executive Pay with Performance; Rappaport, Alfred;
Harvard Business Review; 03/01/1999:11.
 A Simpler Way to Pay; Zehnder, Egon; Harvard Business Review; 04/01/2001:6.
 Making Partner: The Mentor's Guide to the Psychological Journey; Ibarra, Herminia;
Harvard Business Review; 03/01/2000:10.
 The Right Way to Be Fired; Stybel, Laurence J.;Peabody, Maryanne; Harvard Business
Review; 07/01/2001:10.
A New Game Plan for C Players; Axelrod, Beth;Handfield-Jones, Helen;Michaels, Ed; Harvard
Business Review; 01/01/2002:9.
 The Right Way to Manage Expats; Black, J. Stewart; Gregersen, Hal B.; Harvard
Business Review; 03/01/1999:7.
 They're Not Employees, They're People; Drucker, Peter F.; Harvard Business School
Publishing; Harvard Business Review; 02/01/2002:7.
 Managing Oneself; Drucker, Peter F.; Harvard Business Review; 03/01/1999:11.
 The Young and the Clueless. By: Bunker, Kerry A.; Kram, Kathy E.; Ting, Sharon.
Harvard Business Review, Dec2002, Vol. 80 Issue 12, p80, 8p, 6c.
 Capital Versus Talent: The Battle That's Reshaping Business. By: Martin, Roger L.;
Moldoveanu, Mihnea C.. Harvard Business Review, Jul2003, Vol. 81 Issue 7, p36, 6p, 2 graphs,
1c.
 Having Trouble with Your Strategy? Then Map It; Kaplan, Robert S.;Norton, David P.;
Harvard Business Review; 09/01/2000:9.
 Management Tools and Techniques, A Survey; Rigby, Darrell; California Management
Review; 01/01/2001:23.
 Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System; Kaplan, Robert
S.;Norton, David P.; Harvard Business Review; 01/01/1996:11.
 The Balanced Scorecard: Measures That Drive Performance; Kaplan, Robert S.;Norton,
David P.; Harvard Business Review; 01/01/1992:9.
 What's It Worth?: A General Manager's Guide to Valuation; Luehrman, Timothy A.;
Harvard Business Review; 05/01/1997:11.
 A New Tool for Boards: The Strategic Audit; Donaldson, Gordon; Harvard Business
Review; 07/01/1995:9.
 Who Needs Budgets? By: Hope, Jeremy; Fraser, Robin. Harvard Business Review,
Feb2003, Vol. 81 Issue 2, p108, 8p, 1 chart, 5c
 Judo Strategy: The Competitive Dynamics of Internet Time; Yoffie, David
B.;Cusumano, Michael A.; Harvard Business Review; 01/01/1999:12.
 Mastering Balance: How to Meet and Beat a Stronger Opponent; Yoffie, David B.;Kwak,
Mary; California Management Review; California Management Review;
 Strategy as Simple Rules; Eisenhardt, Kathleen M.;Sull, Donald; Harvard Business
Review; 01/01/2001:11.
 How to Identify Your Enemies Before They Destroy You; Rafii, Farshad;Kampas, Paul
J.; Harvard Business Review; 11/01/2002:9.
 How to Fight a Price War; Rao, Akshay R.;Bergen, Mark E.;Davis, Scott; Harvard
Business Review; 03/01/2000:10.
 Pricing and the Psychology of Consumption; Gourville, John;Soman, Dilip; Harvard
Business School Publishing; Harvard Business Review; 09/01/2002:6.
 That You Don't Know About Making Decisions; Garvin, David A.;Roberto, Michael A.;
Harvard Business Review; 09/01/2001:9.
 Five Reasons Why You Still Need Scenario Planning. By: Stauffer, David. Harvard
Management Update, Jun2002, Vol. 7 Issue 6, p3.
 Scenario Planning Reconsidered. Harvard Management Update, Sep2000, Vol. 5 Issue 9,
p4, 3p.
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Review, Nov/Dec97, Vol. 75 Issue 6, p141, 9p.
 The World Bank's Innovation Market. By: Wood, Robert Chapman; Hamel, Gary.
Harvard Business Review, Nov2002, Vol. 80 Issue 11, p104, 8p, 3c.
 Why Hard-Nosed Executives Should Care About Management Theory. By: Christensen,
Clayton M.; Raynor, Michael E.. Harvard Business Review, Sep2003, Vol. 81 Issue 9, p66, 9p, 1
diagram, 3c.
 The Fruitful Flaws of Strategy Metaphors. By: von Ghyczy, Tihamér. Harvard Business
Review, Sep2003, Vol. 81 Issue 9, p86, 8p, 3c.
 Fair Process: Managing in the Knowledge Economy. By: Kim, W. Chan; Mauborgne,
Renée. Harvard Business Review, Jan2003, Vol. 81 Issue 1, p127, 10p, 1 diagram, 3 cartoons.
 The Enemies of Trust. By: Galford, Robert; Drapeau, Anne Seibold. Harvard Business
Review, Feb2003, Vol. 81 Issue 2, p88, 8p, 5c.
 I Was Greedy, Too. By: Coutu, Diane L.. Harvard Business Review, Feb2003, Vol. 81
Issue 2, p38, 7p, 6c.
 How the Quest for Efficiency Corroded the Market. By: Healy, Paul M.. Harvard
Business Review, Jul2003, Vol. 81 Issue 7, p76, 10p, 2c.
 The Competitive Advantage of Corporate Philanthropy. By: Porter, Michael E.; Kramer,
Mark R.. Harvard Business Review, Dec2002, Vol. 80 Issue 12, p56, 13p.
 What's a Business For? By: Handy, Charles. Harvard Business Review, Dec2002, Vol.
80 Issue 12, p49, 7p, 2c.