St.

Michael’s College
College of Accountancy
Iligan City

SYLLABUS
IN

BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGY

Prepared by:

MILLERAN FROUH L. OCHEA, CPA

I. Course Title : Business Policy and Strategy

II. Credit : Three (3) Units

III. Prerequisite : Production and Operations Management

Principles of Marketing
Financial Management I
Good Governance and Social Responsibility

IV. Course Description:

The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad overview of the basic concepts in strategic management. Students are exposed to a number of
frameworks and models to better understand and analyze the macro-environment, the industry environment, and firm level resources. The end goal is for
students to be able to think strategically, as opposed to only having a functional orientation, and to formulate and to implement creative and innovative strategies
that are conducive to the demands of the firm and the environment in which it resides. Together with Management Consultancy, this course serves as an
integrative course to be taken in the last term/semester.

V. Objectives:

At the end of the course, the students are expected to have:

1. develop their capacity to think strategically about a company: its present business position, its long-term direction, its resources and competitive
capabilities, the caliber of its strategy, and its opportunities for gaining sustainable competitive advantage;
2. identify global opportunities and determine key strategies to successfully pursue these opportunities. To be able to identify global threats and determine
key strategies to insulate a company from these threats and to understand the challenges of a global market;
3. acquainted with the managerial tasks associated with implementing and executing company strategies, drills in the range of actions managers can take to
promote competent strategy execution, and give some confidence in being able to function effectively as part of a company’s strategy-implementing
team; and
4. develop and improve time management skills.
 TIME
LEARNING CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOME TEACHING EPISODES EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
FRAME
WEEK 1 General Business Policies  Describe the steps in the strategic  Lecture/Discussion  Oral recitation
 Origin of policies management process  Assignment
 Procedures and rules  Discuss the strategic planning phase
 Formulating and implementing policies  Define globalization
 Integrating objectives, strategies and  Discuss and understand the
policies electronic age
 Enumerate and discuss the theories
 Globalization
in organizational adaptation
 The Electronic Age
WEEK 2 Strategic Management: An overview  Define strategic management and  Interactive Discussion  Pen and paper test
 Strategic Management Process its four key attributes
 Discuss the vital role of corporate
 Situation Analysis
governance and stakeholder
 Strategy Formulation
management as well as how
 Strategy Implementation "symbiosis" can be achieved among
 Strategy Evaluation an organization's stakeholders
 Strategic Management: Planning Phases  Discuss the importance of social
responsibility, including
environmental sustainability, and
how it can enhance a corporation's
innovative strategy
 The need for greater
empowerment throughout the
organization
WEEK 3 Analyzing the External Environment  Discuss the importance of  Interactive Discussion  Group discussion
Creating the Environmentally Aware developing forecasts of the  SWOT Analysis for  Brainstorming
Organization business environment different businesses  Assignment
 Competitive Intelligence  Discuss the critical inputs to
 SWOT Analysis forecasting: environmental
scanning, environmental
 Market Trends
monitoring and collecting
competitive intelligence
 TIME
LEARNING CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOME TEACHING EPISODES EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
FRAME
WEEK 4 The General Environment  Discuss the impact of the general  Interactive Discussion  Graded recitation
 The Demographic Segment environment on a firm's strategies
 The Political/Legal Segment and performance
 Understand the concept of
 The Technological Segment
strategic groups and their strategy
 The Economic Segment
and performance implications
 The Global Segment
 Relationships among Elements of the
General Environment
WEEK 5 The Competitive Environment  Identify the forces in the  Interactive Discussion  Pen and paper test
 Porter's Five Forces Model of Industry competitive environment that can  Group activity for the  Assignment
Competition affect profitability, and how a firm five forces
 How the Internet and Digital Technologies can improve its competitive
Are Affecting the Five Competitive Forces position by increasing its power
 Using Industry Analysis: A few Caveats vis-à-vis these forces
 Strategic Groups within Industries
WEEK 6 PRELIM
MIDTERM Assessing the Internal Environment of the  Explain why the management of  Interactive Discussion  Attentive class
WEEK 7 Firm knowledge professionals and  Tracing the different participation
Value Chain Analysis knowledge itself are so critical in stakeholders in a value
 Primary and Support Activities today's organization chain
 Interrelationship among Value-Chain  Explain the importance of
Activities within and across Organizations recognizing the interdependence
 Applying the Value Chain to Service of attracting, developing and
Organizations retaining human capital
 Discuss the key role of social
 Resource-Based View of The Firm
capital in leveraging human capital
 Types of Firm Resources within and across the firm
 Firm Resources and Sustainable  Describe the importance of social
Competitive Advantage networks in knowledge
 The Generation and Distribution of A management and in promoting
Firm's career success
 TIME
LEARNING CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOME TEACHING EPISODES EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
FRAME
Profits: Extending the Resource-Based View of
the Firm
 Evaluating the Firm's Performance: Two
Approaches
 Financial Ratio Analysis
 Integrating Financial Analysis and
Stakeholder Perspectives: The Balanced
Scorecard
WEEK 8 The Vision and Mission Statement  Discuss the meaning and relevance  Interactive Discussion  Oral recitation
 The Need for a Vision and Mission of mission/vision statement  Differentiation of  Pen and paper test
Statement  Compare the vision/mission vision and mission
 Vision and Mission Statement statements of local companies statements of existing
Distinguished firms
 The Elements of Mission Statement
 The Strategic Vision Statement
 Characteristics of Strategic Vision
 Elements of Strategic Vision
 Communicating the Vision and Mission
Statement
WEEK 9 Business-Level Strategy: Creating and  Discuss the central role of  Interactive Discussion  Attentive class
Sustaining Competitive Advantage competitive advantage in the study participation
 Types of Competitive Advantage and of strategic management  Assignment
Sustainability  Enumerate the three generic
 Overall Cost Leadership strategies: overall cost leadership,
 Differentiation differentiation, and focus
 Focus  Identify the pitfalls managers must
 Combination Strategies: Integrating avoid in striving to attain generic
Overall Low Cost and Differentiation strategies
 How the Internet and Digital Technologies  Explain how internet-enabled
Are Affecting the Competitive Strategies business models are being used to
improve strategic positioning
 Industry Life Cycle Stages: Strategic
 TIME
LEARNING CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOME TEACHING EPISODES EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
FRAME
 Implications  Explain the importance of
 Strategies in the Introduction Stage considering the industry life cycle
to determine a firm's business-level
 Strategies in the Growth Stage
strategy and its relative emphasis
 Strategies in the Maturity Stage on functional area strategies and
 Strategies in the Decline Stage value-creating activities
 Turn-Around Strategy
WEEK 10 Corporate-Level Strategy: Creating Value  Identify the reasons for the failure  Interactive Discussion  Oral recitation
through Diversification of many diversification efforts  Pen and paper test
 Making Diversification Work: An Overview  Explain how managers can create
 Related Diversification: Economies of value through diversification
Scope and Revenue Enhancement initiatives
 Leveraging Core Competencies  Explain how corporations can use
related diversification to achieve
 Pooled Negotiating Power
synergistic benefits through
 Vertical Integration economies of scope and market
 Unrelated Diversification: Financial power
Synergies and Parenting  Enumerate the various means of
 Corporate Parenting and Restructuring engaging in diversification- mergers
 Portfolio Management and acquisitions,
 Caveat: Is Risk Reduction a Viable Goal of joint/ventures/strategic alliances,
Diversification? and internal development
 The Means to Achieve Diversification
 Mergers and Acquisition
 Strategies Alliances and Joint Ventures
Internal Development
WEEK 11 MIDTERM
WEEK 12 International Strategy: Creating Value in  Explain the importance of  Interactive  Attentive class
Global Markets international expansion as a viable Discussion participation
Factors Affecting a Nation's Competitiveness diversification strategy
 TIME
LEARNING CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOME TEACHING EPISODES EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
FRAME
 Factor Conditions
 Demand Conditions  Enumerate the sources of national
 Related and Supporting Industries advantage: that is, why an industry
in a given country is more (or less)
 Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry
successful than the same industry
 Concluding Comment on Factors
in another country
Affecting a Nation's Competitiveness
 Discuss cost reduction and
International Expansion: A Company's
adaptation to local markets
Motivation and Risk
 Motivation for International Expansion
 Potential Risks of International Expansion
 Global Dispersion of Value Chains:
Outsourcing and Offshoring

WEEK 13 Achieving Competitive Advantage in Global
Markets
 Two Opposing Pressures: Reducing Costs
and Adapting to Local Markets
 International Strategy
 Global Strategy
 Multi-domestic Strategy
 Transnational Strategy
Entry Modes of International Expansion
 Exporting
 Licensing and Franchising
 Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures
 Wholly Owned Subsidiaries
WEEK 14 Strategy Implementation
 Communicating Strategy
 Strategy and Structure
 Organizational Leadership
 Discuss the motivations( or  Interactive Discussion  Group work:
benefits) and the risks associated Brainstorming
with international expansion,  Pen and paper test
including the emerging trend for
greater offshoring and outsourcing
activity
 Enumerate the four basic types of
entry strategies and the relative
benefits and risks associated with
each of them
 Understand the meaning of strategy  Interactive Discussion  Attentive class
implementation participation
 Identify and enumerate the levels of  Assignment
strategy
 TIME
LEARNING CONTENT
FRAME
 Strategy and motivational systems
 Establishing short-range objectives
WEEK 15 Strategic Human Resource Development
 Introduction to Strategic Human Resource
Planning
 The Strategic HR management planning
process
 Documenting the Strategic Human
Resource Planning
 Implementing the Strategic Human
Resource Plan
WEEK 16
WEEK 17 Strategy Evaluation and Control
Ensuring Informational Control: Responding
Effectively to Environmental Change
 A Traditional Approach to Strategic Control
 A Contemporary Approach to Strategic
Control
WEEK 18 Attaining Behavioral Control: Balancing
Culture, Rewards, and Boundaries
 Building a Strong and Effective Culture
 Motivating with Rewards and Incentives
 Setting Boundaries and Constraints
 Behavioral Control in Organizations:
Situational Factors
 Evolving from Boundaries to Rewards
LEARNING OUTCOME TEACHING EPISODES EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
 Identify the strategies for the different
functions in the organization
 Understand the meaning of strategic  Interactive Discussion  Oral recitation
human resource management  Group work: Interview
 Discuss the importance of human different human
resources in strategy execution and resource
implementation; department of local
 Explain the importance of hiring the establishments and
right people as the starting point to ask regarding their hiring
man key positions and implement procedures and
strategies to achieve organizational qualifications needed
objectives
SEMI-FINALS
 Discuss the value of effective  Interactive Discussion  Oral recitation
strategic control systems in strategy  Quiz
implementation  Assignment
 Distinguish the key difference
between "traditional" and
"contemporary" control systems
 Enumerate the benefits of having the  Interactive Discussion  Oral recitation
proper balance among the three levers  Brainstorming
of behavioral control: culture; rewards
and incentives; and boundaries
 Identify the three key participants in
corporate governance: shareholders,
management, and the board of
directors
 TIME
LEARNING CONTENT LEARNING OUTCOME TEACHING EPISODES EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
FRAME
WEEK 19 Analyzing Strategic Management Cases  Discuss the strategic case analysis is  Interactive Discussion  Oral recitation
Why Analyze Strategic Management Cases? used to simulate real-world  Presentation of  Case study analysis
experiences different cases for
How to Conduct a Case Analysis
 Discuss how analyzing strategic group dynamics
 Become Familiar with the Material management cases can help develop
 Identify Problems the ability to differentiate,
 Conduct Strategic Analysis speculate, and integrate when
 Propose Alternative Solutions evaluating complex business
 Make recommendations problems
 Enumerate the steps involved in
How to Get the Most from Case Analysis
conducting a strategic management
case analysis

WEEK 20 FINALS

References:

Zarate, Cynthia A. Business Policy and Strategy, 1st Edition , Manila :RBSI,2011

Dess, Gregory G, et.al. Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantages, 4th Edition,New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008