Strategic Management (BUSM 3200)
Exam Questions Review – Key Points and References (Part B)
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Note: this set of notes is provided as guidelines as to how you should go about to prepare YOUR OWN set of study notes for exam revision. Remember these are just GUIDELINES or short bullet points advising you what could be the approach to answering the questions and the sources you can extract the information from – BOTH the text and the lecture notes (GDS version only). You have ALREADY been advised by the course coordinator that these questions are just samples and are NOT to be construed as spotted questions for the coming examination. These are just good “practice questions” that you should use for purposes of revising your topics. Please make sure that you study widely around the chapter topics and DO NOT assume that the questions below will be set directly as they are in the coming examination. Remember this – study the topic but never study the question. The questions below could be set differently but topics could be similar. For example “generic strategies” is a topic but differentiation or focus or cost leadership could be tested during different semesters. Good luck in your preparations.
Note: these are brief points; use this word document to work with your team/groups to insert your own points and examples. I provide the template only! 7. Describe the concepts of organisational culture and strategic management. Explain how organisational culture can influence its strategic management. Give example to support your argument.
Approach
a) Refer to chapter 5 of text; pages 171-182. b) Lecture slides Lecture 4: slides #64-92 c) Define organisational culture d) Describe the elements of ORG Culture e) The four layers of ORG culture – see Figure 5.5 : values, beliefs, behaviours and paradigms f) Most important is to demonstrate the LINK between ORG culture AND strategic management g) In other words show, with examples, how corporate culture can impact on the firm’s competitive advantage h) Culture is in fact a resource / competency. You can even bring in VRIN to show how internal culture can be something of value or rare or cannot be imitated. i) Can also discuss the Cultural Web – see Figure 5.7
8. Singapore Airline has implemented its differentiation strategy since its establishment. In doing so, it has offered a high quality of customer services, maintained a very good safety record, and procured new aircrafts, including Airbus 380. At the same time, it attempts to reduce its overall costs through lowering its back-office costs and administrative overhead. Do you think these activities are contradictory or complementary in implementing Singapore Airline’s differentiation strategy? Why? (Hint: You can address these issues based on your understanding of the concept of value, value chain analysis, and business strategy).
Approach:
a) This question is taken from Chapter 6; lecture 5 b) It focuses on Porter Generic Strategies c) What is differentiation strategy? How does SIA pursue this strategy? d) Then the discussion whether a firm can pursue MORE than one strategy? Yes it can e) See page 207 of the text where Porter says that “there are circumstances in which the strategies can be combined” f) The two strategies can be combined – they are not used in a mutually exclusive manner g) If cost leadership is pursued it is good because of operational efficiencies and lowers total cost. BUT this must NOT in any way lower the overall quality of the product or service in the in the final instance. h) You need to explain both strategies briefly showing the advantages and how it will impact on the Value Chain of the airline operations. i) You may even draw two versions of the VC for SIA
9. Describe the corporate rationales of synergy manager and parental developer, and compare and contrast
