MGT 488 All DQs

Week 1

What is a strategic business plan? Why is this plan important to an organizations long-term success? What role does innovation play in developing a strategic business plan?

Why is the internal organizational analysis important to strategic management planning? What are various sources of internal organization dynamics that influence strategic business planning? How might nonsubstitutable capabilities affect strategic management planning?

What are the components that comprise a sustainable competitive advantage for a firm? How might these components vary for different industries?

What are the risk factors involved if a firm fails to maintain a competitive advantage?

Week 2

What is the importance of an organizations mission? How does the mission affect the way an organization operates? What components do you consider to be critical for an organizations mission?

Who are stakeholders? How do stakeholders influence strategic business planning? What is the significance of their role in strategic business planning? Provide specific examples.

What role do ethics play in competitor intelligence gathering? At what point does the quest for competitor information become unethical? What practices, although legal, might be considered unethical?

Week 3

What are the key elements of a strategic business continuity plan? How might these elements vary for different types of industries? How do these elements compare to what you know about your particular business?

What is the role of competitive dynamics within the context of strategic business planning? What types of considerations might be made in a highly competitive business environment where firms are price-takers? What types of considerations might be given in a competitive business environment where firms are price-makers?

Based on your readings and discussions from this week ... What is a business-level strategy? What is the purpose of a business-level strategy? What are the types of business-level strategies?

Week 4

What is the effect of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 on corporate governance? How has the increased focus on corporate governance affected American corporations?

What is the relationship between strategy and structure within the context of strategic implementation? What is a simple structure? What is a functional structure? What is a multidivisional structure?

What is the role of leadership in strategic implementation? What are the key strategic leadership actions? How might these key leadership actions affect strategic leadership in the future?

What is strategic entrepreneurship? How might the leadership of a firm use strategic entrepreneurship to increase firm value? What role would innovation play in creating value through strategic entrepreneurship?