Corporate Strategy

University of the West Indies

Mona School of Business & Management

Master of Science in Accounting Programme

Course Facilitator: Mrs. Collette McDonald-Watson

Office Address:

Cell: 876-470-7384

Office Hours: By Appointment

Email Address: collette.mcdonald@hotmail.com

Course Name: Corporate Environment and Strategy

Course Code: MGMT 6115

No. Of Credits: Four

Semester Duration: 30 August 2026 – 22 November 2026

Course Description and Rationale:

The Corporate Environment and Strategy Course is designed to provide graduate students in Accounting with an appreciation of the strategic challenges confronting Caribbean based organizations. It focuses on the competitive strategy of the firm, examining issues central to its long and short-term competitive position. The course encourages students to analyze the problems of managing the total enterprise in the domestic and international setting. Students will learn concepts and tools for analyzing the competitive environment, strategic position and firm-specific capabilities in order to understand the sources of a firm’s competitive advantage.

However, it is important that as Accounting Specialist we learn to embrace the challenges faced by organizations in order to play an effective role in the development and execution of organizational strategy.

In an effort to assess these strategic challenges, the course will operate at three levels of analysis; the firm, the industry and National and Internationally. We will focus on the strategic challenges confronting industries, the strategy development process of the firm as well as the management of national economics and the challenges facing developing country nation-states, with a particular focus on the nation of the Caribbean region.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the semester students should be able to:

Explain the concept of strategic management.

Critically examine corporate strategy and compare and contrast the generic competitive strategies.

Evaluate cost advantage and differentiation completive strategies.

Critically assess case scenarios relating to corporate environment and strategy.

Compare and contrast offensive and defensive competitive strategies.

Explain the concepts of national, global and international competitiveness.

Evaluate the importance of innovation and technology to competitiveness.

Teaching Methods

PowerPoint Presentations

Discussions

Lectures

Demonstrations

Text Book

Question-Answer

Case studies

Mode of Delivery:

The course will rely upon selected readings, lectures and discussions.

Learning Strategies will include active learning, corporative learning, peer learning and case discussions

Readings and Resources

Prescribed Texts: Strategic Management: A Competitive Advantage Approach, Concepts and Cases, Global Edition- Fred R. David; Forest R. David

Recommended Readings:

Strategic Management and Business Policy – Thomas L. Wheelen and J. David Hunger

Competitive Strategy – Michael E. Porter

Competitive Advantage – Michael E. Porter

The Strategic Process – Henry Mintzberg and James Brian Quinn

Assessment Plan:

Grades in this course will be based on:

a) A Mid-Semester Exam

b) Forum Post/Essay (Group)

c) An Oral Presentation (Group)

d) A Written Final Exam

Grading Assessment

The Mid-Semester Exam represents 15%

The Forum Post represents 5%

The Presentation represents 20%

The Final Exam represents 60%

Total 100%

Course Policies and Guidelines

The purposes of these Guidelines are:

To provide students with an input into the structure and content of the course;

To focus on the rights and obligations of both student and instructor;

To foster collaborative learning and to encourage individuals to take responsibility for their learning both during and after the completion of the course.

Student’s Responsibility:

Students are expected to:

1) Take responsibility of obtaining and becoming familiar with a copy of the Course Outline.

2) Independently study the textbook and the assigned reading of the text, readings and assigned cases prior to class.

3) Use the MSB-E-learning site course container and other suggested web sites as necessary to obtain materials relevant to the course.

4) Attend all classes in the absence of extenuating circumstances and where not able to attend classes to indicate to the instructor the reasons for failure to do so.

5) Participate as fully as possible in class discussions.

6) Recognize that the presentation of other people’s work as their own represents the worst form of academic misconduct. Be familiar with the University rules which prescribe very stiff penalties for this form of behaviour.

7) Log in to class on time and minimize distractions by choosing a quiet, appropriate learning environment before joining the online classroom.

8) Hand in all assignments by the deadline set. Assignments handed in after the deadline will have points deducted.

Instructor’s Responsibility:

The instructor is expected to:

1) Treat each student fairly and impartially.

2) Make himself/herself available for consultation with individual students or groups of students as necessary.

3) Ensure that the course is delivered at the highest possible academic standard.

4) Ensure that sufficient and relevant material is made available for students.

5) To be punctual at all times (except in extenuating circumstances).

6) Maintain ongoing consultation with the students to ensure that the course is at all times meeting the needs of the students.

Marking Scheme

Percentage	Grade	Quality Point
90 - 100	A+	4.30
80 - 89	A	4.00
75 - 79	A-	3.70
70 - 74	B+	3.30
65 - 69	B	3.00
60 - 64	B-	2.70
55 - 59	C+	2.30
50 - 54	C	2.00
40 - 49	FCW/FWE	1.70
40 – 49	F1 (FCW) (FEW)	1.70
30-39	F2 (FCW) (FEW)	1.30
0-29	F3 (FCW) (FEW)	0

Corporate Environment and Strategy-Course Content

WEEK 1

INTRODUCTION

SUNDAY 30 August 2026

1. THE CONCEPT OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

· Strategic Management

· Initiation of Strategy

· Phases of Strategic Management

· Globalization and Strategic Management

· Strategic Decision making

· The Basic Model of Strategic Management

WEEK 2

SUNDAY 6 September 2026

2. THE PROCESS OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

· Dimension of Strategy

· Environmental Scanning

· Strategy Formulation

· Strategy Implementation

· Evaluation and Control

3. THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND CORPORATE STRATEGY

· Macro environment and its impact on industry competitive structure

· The industry evolution (PLC)

· The industry environment and how it shapes competition

WEEK 3

SUNDAY 13 September 2026

4. COMPETITIVE STRATEGY

· The Structural Analysis of Industries

· Structural Determinants of the Intensity of Competition

· Structural Analysis and Competitive Strategy

Generic Competitive Strategies

· Generic strategies

· Stuck in the Middle

· Risks of the Generic Strategies

WEEK 4

SUNDAY 20 September2026

5. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

· Building Competitive Advantage

· Cost Advantage

· Sustaining and Implementing Cost advantage

· Increasing Competitive Advantage

6. DIFFERENTIATION

· Buyer value and differentiation

· Sources of differentiation

· Differentiation and the value chain

· Differentiation Strategy

WEEK 5

SUNDAY 27 September 2026

7. OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE COMPETITIVE STRATEGY

· The Process of entry or repositioning

· Defensive Tactics

· Defensive strategy

· Attacking Strategy

· Conditions for attacking a Leader

· Avenues for attacking Leaders

· Impediments to Leader Retaliation

WEEK 6

SUNDAY 4 October 2026

8. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

· Overview of International Business Management

· Environmental Context of International Business

· Determinants of International Competitiveness

· International Trade

· Business Across Borders (MNC’s)

· Impediments to international trade

WEEK 7

SUNDAY 11 October 2026

9. GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

· Building global competitiveness

· The Determinants of global competitive challenges

· Penetrating global trading blocks

· Achieving Competitive Advantage in Global Markets

· Challenges of Global Competitiveness

WEEK 8

SUNDAY 18 October 2026

10. NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

· What is National Competitiveness

· The Diamond of national Competitiveness

· Approaches to national Financial management and Foreign Exchange Policy

· Case Study the Barbados Experience

· Economic Growth for a Country

· The Role of Government - (Case study – Cut Flower)

· Attracting foreign direct investment – (Case study – Costa Rica Experience)

WEEK 9

SUNDAY 25 October 2026

11. RADICAL INNOVATION

· Radical Innovation Imperative

· Managing Radical Innovation

· Radical Innovation and Acquiring Resources and Capabilities

12. MANAGING TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

· Strategic issues in managing Technology and Innovation

· Technology and Competitive scenarios

· Technological change and late mover strategy

WEEK 10

SUNDAY 8 November 2026

· Oral Presentation