Strategic Management Spring Semester

Registration for Strategic Management in Spring Semester 2025:

Due to didactic reasons, the number of participants is limited to 80. Please register through myStudies to enroll for the course. Slots are assigned based on a first-come first-serve policy (in the order of the registration date on myStudies). 

Please be aware that many students cancel their registration and you will move up the list over time.

 

This course conveys concepts and methods in strategic management, with a focus on competitive strategy. Competitive strategy aims at analyzing and establishing position of firms within an industry, securing firm performance. Thus, the course focuses on a number of important topics, such as the evolution of industry, industry structure, the analysis of a firm's resources- and knowledge, and innovation.

Goals of the course

Strategic Management is designed to teach relevant competences in strategic planning and -implementation, for both professional work-life and further scientific development. The course provides an overview of the basics of strategy as well as the most prevalent concepts and methods in strategic management.

Format

The course is a combination of lectures about concepts/methods, and case studies where the students solve strategic issues of the involved companies. In two sessions, the students will also be addressing real-time strategic issues of firms that are represented by executives.

Schedule

In-class sessions: Thursdays, 16:00 - 18:00 (4:00pm - 6:00pm) in CAB G51

Case debate: Thursday, 18:00 - 20:00 (6:00pm - 8:00pm) in CAB G51

The sessions only take place at the specified dates below.

 

 

The details of the exam can be found on the program webpage:

https://mtec.ethz.ch/studies/programme-framework/performance-assessments/examination-dates.html

Date

Time

Contents and Lecture Slides

06.03.2025

16:00-20:00

Introduction + Entering the field

13.03.202516:00-20:00Strategy and Technology Dynamics 

27.03.2025

16:00-20:00

Strategy and Industry Evolution + Case

10.04.2025

16:00-20:00

Resource-based view of the firm + Case
17.04.2025

16:00-20:00

Knowledge-based view of the firm + Case
08.05.202516:00-20:00Course summary + Case
   
  EXAM

 

Administrative

Credit: 3 ECTS Credit Points

Performance Assessment:

  • 50% end-of-semester examination
  • 50% case assignments

The grade is calculated by 50% end-of-semester examination and 50% case assignment (compulsory continuous performance assessment). The case assignment must be passed on its own and will be performed in a group of maximum 5 students.

Exam

The exam will be in the form of a "End-of-semester Examination", closed book.

The exam date is announced via the D-MTEC website

Please find a protected page sample exam here.

Case Studies

More details on the case studies can be found on Moodle.

 

Literature Strategy and Technology Dynamics

Required readings:

Optional readings: