Strategy and Leadership Theories 1600-SZD-N-TSP-ZJ
Traditionally the strategic management field is divided into competitive strategy and strategy process subfields. The Competitive strategy field consists of many theories. Most important describe and explain such issues as industry structure, industry dynamics, intra-industry structure (strategic groups), market entry (first mover advantage, market entry), types of strategy (empirical or theoretical typologies of strategies), competitive advantage – its sources and sustainability, structure of strategic networks and alliances .
The Strategy process field consists of theories dealing with such issues as: environmental analysis and sense-making of strategic issues, rational and/or emerging processes of strategy development, strategic decision-making, commitments, resources and capabilities development, interplay of strategy development and variables of culture, structure, technology and time, processes and flows in strategic networks and alliances.
Both of these subfields have incredibly rich literature that could be accessed by studying mainly the following journals: Strategic Management Journal , Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Management, Strategy Science. And more practically oriented journals like: Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, Harvard Business Review, Business Horizons.
The situation is even more complicated as concepts from Strategic Management freely travel into the fields of International Business (IB), Leadership and Entrepreneurship, that have their own A class journals (eg. International Business Review, Journal of International Business Studies, Leadership Quarterly, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, Journal of Business Venturing).
The course addresses some of the major theoretical perspectives and selection of the current research streams. A selection of articles will be proposed for discussion at each of three sessions by the course leader, and students will have a privilege to propose one current paper they find most interesting for common discussion. The course will be divided into three sessions: 1) strategic management field and foundational papers 2) current theoretical perspectives in strategic management 3) leadership theory. All sessions will be hosted by the course leader in his private house to assure an environment to cherish a community of scholarship meeting for peer-to-peer discussion.
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: Knows and understands:
WG_1 - to the extent necessary for existing paradigms to be revised - a worldwide body of work, covering theoretical foundations as well as general and selected specific issues - relevant to a particular discipline within the social sciences
WK_1 - fundamental dilemmas of modern civilisation from the perspective of the social sciences
WK_2 - economic, legal, ethical and other relevant determinants of scientific activity in the field of the social sciences
Social competences: Is ready to:
KK_1 - critically evaluating achievements within a given scientific discipline in the field of the social sciences
Assessment criteria
Description of requirements related to participation in classes, including the
permitted number of explained absences; Assessment involves active class participation: the clarity of introduction of the designated articles for the common discussion, the ability to lead and inspire discussion with peer PhD students and active participation in discussion on articles introduced by peer PhD students. Class participation entails everyone being prepared for class and ready to discuss all assigned papers in a way that identifies new insights, gaps in the literature, and exposes new research opportunities. A strong knowledge of the literature is critical because it enables us to understand what has been done, how it was done, and, most importantly for PhD students, to critically assess what is missing and identify opportunities for contribution. There is no preset standard of permitted absences.
Principles for passing the classes and the subject (including resit session): active attendance and positive assessment of the course leader. Since the assessment is based on active participation there will be no resit session.
Methods for the verification of learning outcomes; evaluation based on direct observation
Evaluation criteria: Course leader assessment on three criteria: 1) the clarity of introduction of the designated articles for the common discussion (30%), 2) the ability to lead and inspire discussion with peer PhD students (20%), active participation in discussion on articles introduced by peer PhD students (50%).
Practical placement
-
Bibliography
Kenworthy, T. P., & Verbeke, A. (2015). The future of strategic management research: Assessing the quality of theory borrowing. European Management Journal, 33(3), 179-190.
Csaszar, F. A., Hinrichs, N., & Heshmati, M. (2024). External representations in strategic decision‐making: Understanding strategy's reliance on visuals. Strategic Management Journal, 45(11), 2191-2226.
Jarzabkowski, P. (2003). Strategic practices: An activity theory perspective on continuity and change. Journal of Management studies, 40(1), 23-55.
Ocasio, W. (1997). Towards an attention‐based view of the firm. Strategic management journal, 18(S1), 187-206.
Gulati, R. (1998). Alliances and networks. Strategic management journal, 19(4), 293-317.
Haslam, S. A., Alvesson, M., & Reicher, S. D. (2024). Zombie leadership: Dead ideas that still walk among us. The Leadership Quarterly, 35(3), 101770.
Hoppe, B., & Reinelt, C. (2010). Social network analysis and the evaluation of leadership networks. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(4), 600-619.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: