University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce

MBA/MPM/M.Sc. in Management Program - 2012
Course

: MMS 6101 Strategic Management

Course Lecturers

: Marlon Gunasekera
Rukmal Weerasinghe

Course Description
This is an advance course aims at cultivating the strategic perspective among the participants
in managing organizations for long term survival and growth. The primary concern of this
course is to introduce a strategic orientation among the participants in formulating and
implementing strategies at corporate level in such organisations. This course intends to
address complex strategic issues and learn the art of gaining and retaining competitive and
strategic advantage in a turbulent business environment.
Expected Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course the participants will be able to;
understand the complexities and different perspectives of strategy making in a
turbulent and complex business environments.
understand the strategic management process and various approaches to strategic
planning in modern-day organizations.
preview the business environment realistically, craft strategies practically, and select
the best strategies among the alternatives and successfully implement those for the
sustainable success and growth.
prepare, monitor, critique, an edit strategic/corporate plans of new and ongoing
organizations.
Lesson Plan:
Week
Date &
Time
01
05th October
2014

Lesson

Readings

Introduction to Strategy
and Strategic
Management
Rukmal Weerasinghe

Johnson & Scholes,

Chapter 01
What is Strategy?
Porter M.E., Harvard Business
Review
The Strategy Concept I:
Five Ps For Strategy
Mintzberg, H.
California Management
Review
The Strategy Concept II:
Another look at why
organizations Need
Strategies?
Mintzberg, H
California Management
Review

Evaluations
Groups should
be formed (5
members)

02

12th October
2014

03

19th October
2014

04

05

26th October
2014

02nd
November
2014

Understanding the
Business Environment,
Various approaches to
strategic management and
Success & Failure stories
of Strategic Management
Rukmal Weerasinghe
Mind of the Strategist; A
critical review of Strategic
Thinking
Rukmal Weerasinghe
Setting the future;
Corporate Philosophy,
Vision, Mission, Goals
and Objectives
Rukmal Weerasinghe

Analyzing and
Understanding the
Internal Business
Environment;; Assessing
the value chain, core
competencies and
strategic capabilities of an
organizations
Marlon Gunasekera

Case studies on Sears, Kodak,

Caterpillar,
General Motors, Apple, WallMart, Nestle and Southwest
Airlines

Submission of
group lists

Crafting Strategy,
Mintzberg, H, (1987), HBR

Presenting
Guidelines for
Group
Assignment 01

The Fall and Rise of Strategic

Planning, Mintzberg, H,
(1994), HBR
Seeing the Future First
(1994), Hamel G. and
Prahalad CK, Building
Your Companys Vision(1996)
Collins JC and Porras JI,
Strategic Intent (1989), Hamel
G. and Prahalad CK,
Strategic Management for
competitive Advantages
(1980), Gluck FW, Kaufman
SP and Walleck AS, HBR
Sustainable Advantage
(1986), Ghemawat P, HBR
The Core Competencies of the
Organization (1990), Hamel
G. and Prahalad CK, HBR
Johnson & Scholes ,
Chapter 04 and 05
Case of McDonalds, Dell
computers, Unilevers, Union
Carbide and British Petroleum

06

09th
November
2014

Analyzing and
Understanding the
Stakeholder Expectations;
Assessing strategic power
of organizations
Marlon Gunasekera

07

16th
November
2014

Analyzing and
Understanding the
Competitive Business
Environment; Positioning
your organization in the
relevant industries
Marlon Gunasekera

How Competitive Forces

Shape the Strategy? (1997)
Porter M.E., HBR
From Competitive Advantage
to Corporate Strategy (1987),
Porter ME, HBR
Johnson & Scholes ,
Chapter 03 and 04

08

23th
November
2014

Formulating Strategic
Options; Corporate Level
Strategies
Marlon Gunasekera

Johnson & Scholes,

Chapter 06

09

30th
November

Formulating Strategic
Options; Business Level

Johnson & Scholes ,

Chapter 07

Presenting
Guidelines for
Group
Assignment 02

2014

Strategies
Marlon Gunasekera

10

07th
December
2014

Johnson & Scholes ,

Evaluating and Selecting
Strategies; TOWS Matrix, Chapter 08
GSS Matrix, SPACE
Matrix
Marlon Gunasekera

Class room
presentations
Groups 1& 2

11

14th
December
2014

Strategy Implementation;
Strategy and Culture
Strategy and Structure
Strategy and Leadership
Marlon Gunasekera

Johnson & Scholes ,

Chapter 10 and 11

Class room
presentations
Groups 3 & 4

12

21st
December
2014

Strategic Review and

Control,
Strategic Audit
Rukmal Weerasinghe

13

28th
December
2014

Challenges and Future

trends in Strategic
Management Concluding Session; What
are the final expectations?
Rukmal Weerasinghe

11th/18th/25th of
January

Final Examination

The nature of Structuring of

Organizations , Mintzberg H,
New Forms of Organizing
Quinn JB, et al.
Building Structure in
Managers Minds, Bartlett
CA, Ghoshal S
Johnson & Scholes ,
Chapter 12

Class room
presentations
groups 5 & 6

Class room
presentations
groups 7, 8, 9
& 10

Course Evaluation:
Final Examination

50%

Continuous Assessment

50%

Group Assignment 01: Class room presentations

on formulation and implementation of a corporate level
strategy (From 10th to 13th sessions)
20%
Group Assignment 02: Report on Strategic Audit of a
selected Sri Lankan Company
15%
(Should be submitted on or before 08th of February)
Individual Assessment: Participation to the class room and
LMS activities
(From 1st session to 13th session)
15%

Continuous Assessment:

The group size should be 5 members. Same group can carry out both group assignments.
Students can forms groups with the given format and it should be submitted on 2nd session.
Group Assignment 01: Class room Presentations: participants should make an oral
presentation on formulation and implementation of a corporate level strategy in a Sri Lankan
company. Further a summary write-up on the developed case on this story and the
PowerPoint presentation should be submitted in hard as well as soft copies on the day of the
presentation. 20 minutes will be allocated for one group for their presentation and 10 minutes
will be given for a constructive discussion. Marks allocated for this assignment is 20 (10
marks for the oral presentation and 10 marks for the write-up). This will be considered as a
part of an examination. Hence, by laws of examinations will be applied for the assessment.
Scheduled dates for each group for oral presentations are given in the above class schedule
starting from 10th session. The PowerPoint presentation and the written case should be
submitted on the same date.
Group Assignment 02: Strategic Audit: The Group should select an organization for the
purpose of conducting a strategic audit and writing a formal report. Students are responsible
to critically review the strategic elements of the selected organization and write an audit
report not exceeding 25 (A4) pages with times new roman, 12 font size. A written report
should be submitted on or before 08th of February. Marks allocated for this assignment is 15.
This will be considered as a part of an examination. Hence, by laws of examinations will be
applied for the assessment. Plagiarism is considered as a serious offence. The report should
follow the Harvard Referencing guidelines.
Individual Assessment: Active participation and contribution for the class room activities
and LMS activities would be assessed. Students should submit online assignments through
LMS and contribute to LMS discussion forums when they are given from time to time. Marks
allocated for this assessment is 15.
References
- Jonson, Scholes & Wittington, (latest), Exploring Corporate Strategy
- Charles and Gareth, (2009), An Integrated Approach to Strategic Management
- David, F.R. ( 2011), Strategic management: Concepts and Cases, 13th Ed, Prentice hall
- Clair Capon,(2008) Understanding Strategic Management, Prentice hall
Course Coordinators:
Marlon Gunasekera
Senior Lecturer
Department of Business administration
Contact Details: Tele: 011 2 803 472 (Office)
0722 165930 (Mobile)
E- mail: mariguna.1966@gmail.com
Rukmal Weerasignhe
Senior Lecturer
Department of Entrepreneurship
Contact Details: Tele: (Office) 0113 182691
(Mobile) 0718 130843
E- mail: rukmal@sjp.ac.lk