CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Basic Strategy in Context European text and cases 1e Neil Thomson Charles Baden- Fuller (Solutions Manual All Chapter)

• / 4

Lecturer’s Resource Manual – Basic Strategy in Context. Thomson & Baden-Fuller 1 © 2010 Neil Thomson and Charles Baden-Fuller www.wileyeurope.com/college/thomson

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Lecturers' Resource Manual is to act as a teaching resource for lecturers who have adopted the textbook Basic Strategy in Context and its cases as part of their course(s). The teaching notes are intended to offer instructors some insights into the cases and how they might be applied in a teaching environment. For instructors to gain the maximum benefit from this teaching package we suggest that before reading the case teaching notes they read the actual case in Basic Strategy in Context, but for the really time-strapped we include a case synopsis for each chapter. Given some case familiarity, the teaching note can then be read in context and will provide a first step on the road to delivering the case in a teaching environment.

Having read both the case study and the teaching note we suggest that instructors supplement these with their own insights and analysis generating a unique teaching plan. The role of the teaching notes in this context is to act as a trigger to provoke thoughts on case analysis and class design. They work best when used in a 'compare and contrast' manner with your own teaching plans. The teaching notes are not definitive there are other ways to employ the cases. What they do offer is the starting point from which to tailor your own class, and the teaching plans of others against which to compare your own.

Each case teaching note follows the same broad structure, within which we have explained how we would use the case. We will now outline the eight basic headings which each case employs.

INTRODUCTION

Here the introduction to the relevant chapter is reproduced to remind you of the theory to be covered, cases and place in the body of strategy.

CASE SYNOPSIS

This is a shortened version of the case in Basic Strategy in Context. It reminds the reader what the main elements of the case story are and the principle settings in which the case can be applied

TEACHING OBJECTIVES

This section offers insights into the student learning objectives that can be achieved by the analysing the case. Where appropriate we suggest you use the in chapter questions with their highlighted links back to the relevant material in the case in Basic Strategy in Context. The principle settings in which the case can be applied are discussed if relevant. 2 / 4

Lecturer’s Resource Manual – Basic Strategy in Context. Thomson & Baden-Fuller 2 © 2010 Neil Thomson and Charles Baden-Fuller www.wileyeurope.com/college/thomson

TEACHING APPROACH AND STRATEGY

This section suggests how the case might be organised in a class environment. Advice may also be offered on the expected response of students and how a class may unfold where appropriate, alternative methods of delivering the class may also be offered.

CASE ANALYSIS

In this section a review of the in-chapter analysis is given and additional analysis of the case is offered where we push the links to theory beyond the basic concepts and also across boundaries into other areas of strategy. It is in this section that instructors can get a feeling for the level of analysis required for an in-depth coverage of the case.

TRIGGER QUESTIONS AND MODEL ANSWERS

Trigger questions are offered which the instructor may wish to employ when starting or during the class to provoke discussion and offer guidance to the students about the main issues raised by the case. Additional insights around the trigger questions will be offered including potential answers.

POWERPOINT OVERHEADS (PP)

The most relevant models and diagrams from the chapter are reproduced here in PP format.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Each chapter finishes with some homework questions. Additional questions for in-class work or homework are included.

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

Suggested readings to accompany the case are offered at this stage in some of the teaching notes. Links to additional readings may also be referred to in the body of the case analysis

FOR THE LECTURER:

We believe this book differs vastly from other books in the field.The first two differentiating aspects have been discussed for the students above.• The audience is very specific – undergraduate business students, who in continental Europe are now studying for only 3 years under the changed rules of the Bologna agreement. We even provide a strategy light option whereby we have chosen drop dead necessary chapters for the really compressed course, see 1-8 below. 3 / 4

Lecturer’s Resource Manual – Basic Strategy in Context. Thomson & Baden-Fuller 3 © 2010 Neil Thomson and Charles Baden-Fuller www.wileyeurope.com/college/thomson • The tight link from theory to case with highlighted connections and model answers is infrequent and even if present usually banned to an instructor’s manual and then hidden from the real audience, the students themselves.The third differentiating aspect from competitive offerings is the strong overarching theme and major focus – how can the firms be successful in our complex and diverse evolutionary society? The cases have been grouped around six questions and in light of this structure the distance of our treatment from standard offerings in other works is made clear, see Table 1-1 below.

TABLE 1-1

Differentiation from other texts in Strategy

Topic “the industry recipe” view Our view What is strategy? Planning is supreme.The firm is the focus.Multiple views of strategy coexist Focus on differing levels affected by, and affecting strategy.What are resources? Discussed at the level of the firm and then internally.Discussed at multiple levels and can be borrowed when not internally available.The environment The “positioning school” rules.The environment is complex and changeable making positioning a craft.Management tools including information systems (MIS) MIS based competition. MIS based competition is a zero sum game.Winning here can include value chain network control.Forgetting basics Theory needs extending or reinventing.Theory can help if used outside the box.Luck Make your own. Make your own and lever it.

To help the lecturer choose the relevant case in conjunction with the topic(s) of the meeting day, we show below in Table 1-2 a listing of the main cases and their applicability to the above topics at each level of analysis. Table 1-2 is followed by another table where we list the cases and link them to the various main topics of strategic management.

• / 4