Foundations of Business Strategy from Coursera

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Syllabus

Introduction to Strategic Analysis

Welcome to the first module in the Foundations course. In this module, we'll discuss the meaning and importance of business strategy to an organization's competitive positioning. You'll learn about strategic analysis and the SWOT, competitor, and environmental analysis tools. Have fun building your strategy skillset!

Analyzing Industry Structure

Hello and welcome back. In this module, we'll explore how to assess an industry's structure and how the competitive dynamics in an industry affect profitability. We'll go into depth with the five forces tool, a common and highly influential analytical framework. Happy analyzing!

Analyzing Firm Capabilities

Welcome! In this module, we'll examine the tangible and intangible assets that form an organization's strength. We'll show you in depth how to complete a capabilities analysis and how to use this analysis to guide decision making. Happy analyzing!

Determining Competitive Position

Welcome to the final module. In these lessons, we'll explore firms' competitive positioning relative to rivals and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of four generic competitive positions firms occupy. We'll use an easy and intuitive tool--strategy maps--to visually communicate information about firm positioning, and discuss which position is best for a particular firm to see maximum value. Happy analyzing!

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores analytical tools, such as SWOT, Competitor, Environmental, Five Forces, and Capabilities Analyses, which are standard in business management

Taught by Michael Lenox and Jared Harris, who are recognized for their work in business strategy

Examines industry structure and competitive dynamics, which is highly relevant to business management

Develops competitive positioning skills, which are core skills for business managers

Shares strategy maps as a visual tool for communicating information about firm positioning

Reviews summary

Well received intro to business strategy

Learners say this course is a well-received introduction to business strategy, especially for complete beginners. The course provides a basic tool-set to help analyze competitive positioning within an industry, and introduces a set of visual tools that may be helpful in a presentation at a management level. The course is led by an experienced lecturer with superior teaching skills, and assignments are relatively easy. While the lectures are clear and succinct, some students felt they lacked depth. Additionally, despite touching on interesting topics from macroeconomics, the course does not go into enough detail.

Lectures are clear and succinct.

"The lectures are clear, succinct, short, but lack depth."

Assignments are relatively easy.

"The only assignments that needed to ber turned in before the final project were (relatively easy) weekly quizzes that covered the lecture topics."

Provides useful visual tools for presentations.

"The course gives a basic tool-set for analysis of competitive positioning of a firm."

"It introduces a nice set of fairly visual tools which might be helpful for a presentation at management level."

Led by an experienced lecturer with superior teaching skills.

"Experienced lecturer!"

"The superior teaching skills of Professor Michael Lenox has made the course even more attractive to the students."

Perfect course for those new to the field.

"Michael Lenox of UVA’s Darden School of Business puts together a very basic business strategy course for students who have no experience in the field at all."

"But I believe that was Lenox’s intention, as the course was designed for people with no background, and it is perfect for them."

"It's a very nice course to start with, It might seem too easy for those with more knowledge in the subject, but I think that it's a very good start for those of us that just started exploring the Business subject."

Some students found that lectures lacked depth.

"The lectures are clear, succinct, short, but lack depth."

Career center

Learners who complete Foundations of Business Strategy will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Consultant

Consultants help organizations improve their performance. They analyze problems, develop solutions, and implement change. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful consultant, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and communicate effectively. The course also covers topics such as project management and financial analysis, which are essential for consultants.

See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant

Manager

Managers plan, organize, and lead teams to achieve organizational goals. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful manager, including the ability to think strategically, make decisions, and motivate others. The course also covers topics such as budgeting, human resources, and marketing, which are essential for managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Manager

Business Analyst

Business analysts help organizations improve their business processes. They analyze problems, develop solutions, and implement change. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful business analyst, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and communicate effectively. The course also covers topics such as process improvement, data analysis, and project management, which are essential for business analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Product Manager

Product managers are responsible for the development and launch of new products. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful product manager, including the ability to think strategically, analyze market data, and develop product roadmaps. The course also covers topics such as product design, customer research, and marketing, which are essential for product managers.

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Strategy Analyst

Strategy analysts help organizations develop and implement their strategies. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful strategy analyst, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and communicate effectively. The course also covers topics such as financial analysis, industry analysis, and competitive analysis, which are essential for strategy analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Strategy Analyst

Corporate Development Manager

Corporate development managers are responsible for mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful corporate development manager, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and negotiate effectively. The course also covers topics such as financial analysis, legal issues, and tax implications, which are essential for corporate development managers.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful marketing manager, including the ability to think strategically, analyze market data, and develop marketing plans. The course also covers topics such as advertising, public relations, and digital marketing, which are essential for marketing managers.

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Market Researcher

Market researchers study consumer behavior and market trends. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful market researcher, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and communicate effectively. The course also covers topics such as survey design, data analysis, and market segmentation, which are essential for market researchers.

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Finance Manager

Finance managers are responsible for the financial health of an organization. They develop and implement financial plans, manage budgets, and analyze financial data. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful finance manager, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and make decisions. The course also covers topics such as accounting, financial planning, and risk management, which are essential for finance managers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Finance Manager

Operations Manager

Operations managers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of an organization. They plan, organize, and direct the activities of employees to ensure that the organization meets its goals. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful operations manager, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and make decisions. The course also covers topics such as production planning, inventory management, and quality control, which are essential for operations managers.

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Project Manager

Project managers plan, organize, and execute projects to achieve specific goals. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful project manager, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and manage resources. The course also covers topics such as project planning, risk management, and stakeholder management, which are essential for project managers.

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Sales Manager

Sales managers are responsible for leading and motivating sales teams to achieve revenue targets. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful sales manager, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and motivate others. The course also covers topics such as sales planning, customer relationship management, and negotiation, which are essential for sales managers.

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Research Analyst

Research analysts study market trends, industry dynamics, and economic data to make recommendations to clients. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful research analyst, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and communicate effectively. The course also covers topics such as financial modeling, valuation, and portfolio management, which are essential for research analysts.

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Management Consultant

Management consultants help organizations improve their performance by providing advice on strategy, operations, and technology. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful management consultant, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and communicate effectively. The course also covers topics such as project management, financial analysis, and organizational development, which are essential for management consultants.

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Data Analyst

Data analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to help organizations make informed decisions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful data analyst, including the ability to think strategically, analyze data, and communicate effectively. The course also covers topics such as statistics, data mining, and data visualization, which are essential for data analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Foundations of Business Strategy

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Reviews summary

Well received intro to business strategy

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