Course Title: Corporate Warfare: Principles and Practices

L T S SW/ P TOTAL
FW CREDIT
Course Code: CI604 Credit Units: UNITS
3 0 - - - 3

Course Objectives:

1. To list essentials of Corporate Warfare

2. To interpret the movements of the competitors.
3. To prepare the moves to give the reply
4. Analyzing the scenarios.

Pre-requisites: Students should have an understanding of business environment, strategy and industry.

Course Contents/Syllabus:

Weightage (%)

Module I : The Art of Corporate Warfare 25

Important principles and lessons in strategy and leadership for business and industry from a study of great military
strategists and leaders.
Understanding the current global business scenario and nature of market space/ market place
The basic elements of military force and military principles of war and co-relation to corporate battles.
Similarities of maritime strategy and warfare with business warfare
 Maneuver warfare and applicability to corporate environment
Essential quotes from Sun Tzu and applicability to corporate warfare principles
Understanding the basic principles of corporate warfare and their application
Module II: Case Studies 20
Study, presentation and discussion of corporate cases, highlighting the link between military warfare and tactics and
the business and industrial environment. Eg: Apple, Detergent wars, Mobile Handset wars, Low cost airlines etc
Module III : Requirements for success in Business and Industry 20
Detailed study of the following requirements for success in business and industry:
• superiority in resources and tactics;
• a high force space ratio;
• a strong defensive position;
• People, Processes and technology as force multipliers

Module IV : Basic Strategic Options and Combat Appreciation 15

Combat and logistics strategies, Combat appreciation – how to choose the strategy that is right for you.
The combat appreciation: Use of so what and what if queries.
Identifying attackers likely plans and own responses
Preparing defences
Allocation of forces
Module V: Blue Ocean Strategy 20
Part I: Creating Blue Oceans; Analytical tools and frameworks.
Part II: Formulating BOS- Reconstruct Market Boundaries; Focus on the big picture; Reach beyond existing demand; Get the strategic
sequence right;
Part III: Executing BOS- Overcoming key organizational hurdles; Building execution into strategy

Student Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this course the student will be able to:

• Distinguish the various elements of corporate resources and their integration for attack or defense
• Demonstrate knowledge of what actually happens in the corporate battlefield and how companies fight for competitive advantage.
• Analyze defensive, offensive, flanking and guerilla warfare and select options in given situations.
• Comprehend the principles of Blue Ocean Strategy.
• Discover Blue Ocean Strategy to succeed not by battling competitors, but by creating blue oceans of uncontested market space ripple for growth.
Pedagogy for Course Delivery:

Lecture method and case studies will be used as pedagogy of the course.
Class discussions and debates

(a) Lecture Plan/Session Plan : Sessions Plans are to include the following:-

(i) Topic units book/URL/Cross reference

(ii) Brief Description of coverage
(iii)

(b) Lab/ Practicals:

List of Experiments

Assessment/ Examination Scheme:

Theory L/T (%) Lab/Practical/Studio

(%)
100 -

Theory Assessment (L&T):

Continuous Assessment/Internal Assessment End Term

Examination

Components (Drop
down)
Mid-Term Exam Case Discussions Project Attendance

Weightage (%)
10 10 5 5 70
Lab/ Practical/ Studio Assessment:N.A.

Continuous Assessment/Internal Assessment End Term Examination

Components (Drop down

Weightage (%)

Text & References:

Text:
Marketing Warfare, AI Ries and Jack Trout, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited.
Corporate Combat, Nick Skellon, Nicholas Brearley Publishing London.
Blue Ocean Strategy, Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne, Harvard Press

References:
Sun Tzu quotes and analysis by various authors
Business as War, Battling for Competitive Advantage, Kenneth Allard, John Wiley & Sons Inc New Jersy.
Corporate Warfare (electronic edition), Kris Davis, iUniverse.com
Principles of War as studied from the net

Recommended Specialized Magazines