Module 1:

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Differentiate between vision, mission and purpose with suitable Examples.

In the current scenario, which model is more relevant for generating Above average
returns, The I/O model or the resource-based model or both? Why?
Differentiate between resources, capabilities and core competencies with examples.
Also discuss the four criteria of sustainable competitive advantage.
Discuss the prominent applications of the internet in the value chain.
What is the challenge of analyzing the internal environment? Which conditions affect
managerial decisions about resources, capabilities and core competencies?
Describe the industrial organization (I/O) model of above-average returns. What are its
main assumptions? What is the key to success according to the I/O model?
Describe the six segments of the general environment.
Explain the concept of value and value activities in brief.
Define the term Strategic Group and describe the Strategic Group Mapping process with
examples.
Describe the eight components of the strategy execution process?
i) Explain the concept of I/O Model and assumptions of I/O Model.
ii) Competitive scope can have a powerful effect on competitive advantage, because it
shapes the configuration and economies of the value chain Critically examine
What are the differences between tangible and intangible resources? Which category of
resources is more valuable to the firm?
Describe a value chain analysis. How does a value chain analysis help a firm gain
competitive advantage?
Describe and discuss the resource-based model of above-average returns.
Who are various stakeholders in a company? How stakeholders relationship could
be source of competitive advantage for a company?
Distinguish between core competencies and competitive advantage. Does the success of
an organization is merely dependent on its competitive advantage? justify your answer
with supportive arguments.
Does the higher proportion of resources to the competitors ensure the competitive
advantage for a firm? Why is it essential to develop capabilities for a success of the firm?
Explain brief various components of external environment of business.
ii) What do you understand by Core Competence ? Explain the criteria for Core
Competence . Illustrate it with reference to consumer goods sector
How companies like Tata Motors, Hyundai etc were able to pose big threat to certain
models of MUL. Explain
Make a thorough SWOT analysis of MUL considering future challenges ahead.
What are vision and mission? What is their value for the strategic management process?
Illustrate your answer with reference to Mc Donald and Ford Motor company
What are the criteria of sustainable competitive advantage? How companies like HUL or
Tata Steel or Hero Honda could achieve sustainable advantage? Explain
Explain in detail of five forces of Michael Porter with suitable examples
As an aspiring entrepreneur you plan to open a restaurant .Do an external environment
analysis of a location of your choice.

25 Define Vision, Mission and Purpose, and discuss their importance in Strategic
Management Process.
26 Company A targets to achieve Above Average Returns, and their top management is in
dilemma to select either Input-Output Model or Resource based Model. As a Manager,
which Model would you recommend Company A and Why?
27 What are the tangible and intangible resources? Why as a decision maker, it is important
to understand the differences between both?
28 Consider an organization of your choice (for eg.Red hat and Microsoft) and exemplify
how innovative Business Model helps it to compete with its competitor.
29 What are capabilities of a firm? What must firms do to create capabilities? What are the
four criteria used to determine which of a firms capabilities are core competencies?
Explain with the help of a Table.
30 Explain the Value Chain Analysis and its application in a large Retail business like Big
Bazaar, Wall Mart, D-Mart etc.
31 SWOT Analysis is equally vital for Owners, Directors and Managers. Explain in detail
giving an example of a company or your choice.
32 Describe the contemporary competitive landscape. Explain the role of Technology and
Globalization on the nature of current competitive landscape.
Module 2:
33 Discuss different types of business-level strategies with suitable examples.
34 Discuss how a cost leadership strategy can allow a firm to earn above average
returns in spite of strong competitive forces. Address each of the five competitive
forces.
35 Why do organizations diversify? Which is better, low-levels, moderate or high-levels of
diversification? Give examples to substantiate your arguments.
36 Differentiate between mergers, acquisitions and takeovers. Also discuss reasons and
problems for acquisitions.
37 What are various levels of diversification? What are various reasons for diversification?
38 Differentiate between corporate-level and business-level strategies what are the five
categories of businesses based on level of diversification?
39 Identify and describe the modes of entering international markets. What are their
advantages and disadvantages?
40 Identify and explain the seven reasons firms engage in an acquisition strategy.
41 With the help of Porter`s Diamond model explain the growth of industrialization in a
country of your choice.
42 How can the business-level strategies be used to position the firm relative to the five
forces of competition in a way that helps the firm to earn above-average returns?
43 Explain Business Level Strategies in brief.
44 Define in brief various strategies namely Diversification, Strategic Alliance, Joint
Ventures, Mergers and Acquisitions.
45 Discuss the potential motives for the firms decision to employ acquisition strategy for
achieving strategic competitiveness.

46 Discuss various restructuring strategies for the corporate along with their short-term and
long-term outcomes.
47 Evaluate each business level strategies in terms of their associated competitive risks.
48 Discuss the international corporate-level strategies. How do they differ from each
other?
49 Extrapolate the reasons for adoption of related and unrelated diversification. Discuss
whether related or unrelated diversification is better for Indian companies in recent times.
50 Why are acquisition strategies popular amongst CEOs of many large Indian companies as
well as SMEs?
51 Explain International Business / Corporate Level Strategies.
52 What is the effect of Strategic Leadership on determining firms strategic direction?
53 What are the different modes of global market entry? Give suitable examples.
54 What do you understand by Cost Effectiveness ? What are critical success factors that
change over time? Explain in brief
55 Critically examine the role of strategic alliances for the growth of any organization.
Explain the reasons that leads to the failure or fallout between the partners of the alliance
(for eg. Hero and Honda or anyone of your choice.)
56 What do you understand by cost leadership strategy ? How it is implemented through
each of five forces? What are competitive risks of cost leadership strategy? Explain in
brief citing examples
57 What are various components of action agenda for implementing a strategy by a
corporate? Explain detail.
58 Write short notes on:
1. Transnational strategy
2. Strategic network
3. Leveraged buyouts
4. Balanced scorecard
Module 3:
59 Discuss key strategic leadership actions with suitable examples.
60 Define the three major dimensions of organizational structure: specialization,
centralization, and formalization. How do these dimensions vary in organizations
implementing the cost-leadership, differentiation, and the cost leadership/ differentiation
strategies? Also discusses structures used to implement the three international strategies.
61 What is the relationship between strategy and structure? In what scenario is a
multidivisional structure appropriate?
62 What is organizational culture? How can strategic leaders manage an effective
organization culture? Give examples.
63 Describe what strategic leaders can do to establish and emphasize ethical practices.
64 Discuss in detail of guidelines to be followed in designing proper incentive compensation
system.
65 How the pattern of organizational structural growth and its strategies are interrelated?
Explain the reciprocal relationships between them.

66 Discuss the effects of CEO succession and top management team composition on the
strategy of the organization.
67 Describe the key strategic leadership actions required for the success of a strategic
management process.
68 Define strategic leadership and explain the role of top level managers.
69 Write a short note on functional level strategy.
Module 4:
70 You have been asked by your organization to prepare a report on how aBalance
Scorecard approach will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your organization.
Prepare a report showing it to be better than the traditional approach. (You can make the
required assumptions).
71 Corporate Social Responsibility activities helps in building an organization`s
reputation and goodwill capital. Discuss it giving examples of companies like
TATA, GAIL,ESSAR or any other listed Indian company.
72 What is corporate governance? Briefly describe the internal and external
governance mechanisms used in modern corporations.
73 Compare and contrast the operational controls and strategic controls.
74 Ethics and social responsibilities are very crucial factors to consider while formulating
the corporate level strategies. explain in detail with your views.
75 Write short notes on:
1. Corporate governance
2. Ethics in organizations
3. Corporate social responsibility
4. Incremental innovation
76 Discuss the nature of corporate governance in emerging economies like India with
suitable example/s.
77 How can corporate governance foster ethical strategic decisions and behaviours on part of
managers as agents?
78 As the business organizations today are becoming a source of money generation, ethics
and values are left in favor of profit. Deliberate on the statement in favor or against it.
What are the four approaches in managing ethical conduct that a company must adopt?
79 What are organizational controls? Why are strategic controls and financial controls
important aspects of the strategic management process?
80 Describe Blue Ocean Strategy and give an example from the recent times.
81 Differentiate between strategic and operational control. Consider a corporate
hospital or any service
82 Institution of your choice and suggest how a system of operational control will work in
such institution.
83 How does corporate governance foster ethical strategic decisions and how important is this to
top-level executives?
84 You wish to implement Balance Score Card in your new organization to have better
financial controls and achieve 50% higher performance in the year 2011-12. Explain this
concept.

85 Corporate Governance is essential to manage the relationship among stakeholders and to

control the performance of an organization. Discuss giving an example of a company of
your choice.
86 No successful company can grow without fulfilling its Corporate Social Responsibility.
Discuss giving an example of Dell, Boeing, TATA, Reliance, ESSAR or any listed Indian
company
87 What do you understand by business ethics ? Explain brief the concepts related to ethics
under schools of ethical universalism and ethical relativism . Cite examples.
88 Tata Steel is one of the most socially responsible corporate in India. Justify with facts
and figures.
89 Ethics are the foundation stone of building an organization. Explain citing an example
of a successful national or multi-national organization like TATAs, Siemens, L & T etc.
90 What is a companys social responsibility strategy? Why the exercise of social
responsibility is good business? Give at least 3 Indian corporate examples as exemplary
corporate citizens of India.

Case related questions:

91 Varina Nissen joined Manpower Australia and New Zealand as Managing Director in
2003. When Nissan joined Manpower, the company was facing a number of significant
challenges. Nissan undertook several initiatives in strategy formulation and its execution.
Based on the case study of Manpower Australia , answer the following questions : What
are strategic themes identified and strategic initiatives proposed
Why Balance Score Card tool was chosen by Nissan as the strategy implementation tool.
92 AXIS Bank started its operations with corporate assets being the main focus area. But,
AXIS Bank brought shift in strategy in FY 99. From the case study of AXIS Bank,
answer the following questions in detail.
i. Why the bank did bring shift in strategy?
ii. What was the strategic shift AXIS Bank brought about?
iii. What were various constituent sub-strategies of broad differentiation that the Bank
followed?
93 Varina Nissen joined Manpower Australia and New Zealand as Managing Director in
2003. When Nissan joined Manpower, the company was facing a number of significant
challenges. Nissan undertook several initiatives in strategy formulation and its execution.
Based on the case study of Manpower Australia , answer the following questions :
( i) What are strategic themes identified and strategic initiatives proposed ?
(ii) Why Balance Score Card tool was chosen by Nissan as the strategy implementation
tool?
(iii) State the measures under the theme of Customer Perspective of Manpower
Australias Recruiting & Staffing Solution (R & SS ) Score Card 2004