CORPORATE STRATEGY

1. Knowledge and understanding: At the end of the coursework, students will have a good understanding of the links between finance and corporate strategy, as well as the basic logic underlying firms value creation. In particular, this course encourage the students to learn the theoretical principles concerning corporate strategy decisions and financial decision-making support. Moreover, the course will instill adequate professional skills to facilitate the application of the methods and models studied in the job market, to encourage further discussion of operational issues addressed, as well as to stimulate specific analysis and original applications.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding: Students will acquire knowledge and understanding theoretical and practical of the implementation of financial decisions which have strategic value for the firm. The course aims to develop participants’ attitude to the strategic thinking applied to firms intended as a dynamic and complex system and the formulation of decisions by which financial issues contribute to the realization of the corporate strategy. Particular attention is therefore directed to the acquisition of the analytical tools and concepts proposed in the classroom. Through the presentation of a series of real cases, the aim is to develop critical thinking skills of the participants useful, once at work, to apply the issues studied in different contexts, including interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary settings.

3. Making judgements: Students will acquire autonomy in making judgments and ability to link theoretical arguments and their applications, with a particular focus on the strategic choices bearing value and firm growth as well as to the specific contribution of strategy and finance to the their realization. In order to do so, the participants’ ability to self-reflection and evaluation of the issues studied is highly stimulated in the classroom.

4. Communication skills: Students will acquire communication skills and appropriate use of technical language regarding the main corporate strategy decisions and resources and the results given by financing processes and functions. Each participant will be placed in the position to relate and transfer to third parties, with clarity and precision, information, analysis, plans and proposals that concerns complex strategic and financial issues.

5. Learning skills: Students are provided with advices and encouragements for active participation in the education process and for improving their methodology of study in order to make it more effective the learning experience of the discipline. During the course the teacher will assess the acquisition of the knowledge transmitted by modulating the method and pace of learning according to the actual composition of the classroom. In this way, students will acquire a high capacity of learning, both theory and applications, and this will be able to make them autonomous in updating the issues discussed in the classroom and apply them in job contexts.

The course of Corporate Strategy focuses on the strategic and financial logics underlying top manager s’ key choices. Generally speaking, firm strategy is the result of the set of choices that it operates. They usually find constraints in the availability of financial resources. Strategy is therefore defined as the set of managerial initiatives that tend to achieve performance that are superior vis-à-vis the other players. Students are required to display an in-depth understanding and to articulate an informed and coherent discussion on the principal features that concerns these relevant issues. The course is divided in two parts. Part One will cover such corporate-level tools as the management for value creation, the systemic nature of the choices of corporate strategy and the relationships between the firm’s internal and external variables, the relationship between strategy, governance and finance and strategic-financial positioning. Part Two will look at a few relevant types of creative strategic decisions, including blue ocean strategies, diversification strategies, coopetition strategy, M&A strategies and strategies for metanational and international growth. In line with the general objectives of the degree curriculum, particular attention will be given to the economic evaluation of strategy.

Teaching methods:

Lectures, applied activities, in-class presentations and discussions with executives and entrepreneurs operating in a variety of firms, progress reports and final tests.