The purpose of this course is to enhance students¿ knowledge on the foundations of strategic management research. The primary objective of strategic management is twofold: (1) to explain differences in firm behavior, as this is enacted at the organizational apex; (2) to explain differences in performance among firms, as well as provide suggestions on how to improve performance. We will review the main explanations offered by strategic management research and related topics, such as the industry-based view, the resource-based view, business and corporate strategies, and parameters related to the implementation of these strategies, in particular the governance context within which strategy is enacted and by whom. At the end of the course, students should be proficient on the foundations of strategic management research, and endowed with a greater ability to critically analyze research on this field, as well as to ask novel research questions. With these goals in mind, the design of the sessions emphasizes participants¿ autonomous thinking and involvement.
Thus, the more specific objectives of the course are:
- Review the main explanations offered by strategic management research with regard to differences in firm behavior and performance. To do so, we will examine a list of articles that refer to the related key topics in strategy research.
- Critically analyze and comment theoretical and empirical issues in strategy from an interdisciplinary perspective.
- Integrate existing knowledge to develop an original research proposal with an interesting research question and testable propositions.
- Develop skills to present and defend your research proposal, and ideas more generally.
- Learn how to review a research paper.