The course provides students with introductory analytical skills to understand the process of strategic management. The course is composed by two parts.

Part I (Industry analysis and analysis of competition): Industry analysis (structure-conduct-performance) • Strategic groups • Resource-Based view of the firm • Analysis of competitive advantage (cost and differentiation advantages).
Part II (Firm behaviour and internal activities): Organization of production • Innovation strategy • Marketing • Market segmentation • Marketing mix (product, promotion, place, and price).

OBJECTIVES:
• Learn the main theories that explain the competitiveness and profitability of firms .
• Acquire basic knowledge about how industrial production is organized and how it has evolved over the past century.
• Acquire a basic understanding of marketing concepts and tools.
• Develop or strengthen critical and independent thinking on the course’s issues.

TEACHING METHOD:
Lectures and class discussion (also with the support of video-documentary material).
The course also includes a series of lectures held by professionals (managers, entrepreneurs), which are intended to bridge the conceptual issues discussed in class with the real-world, management practice.