Discover master classes with MBA lecturers – Rafał Stepnowski

Read about the International MBA module that covers theoretical background and experiential cases of business and corporate strategy aspects.

Mr Stepnowski teaches Strategic Management. How strategy making and implementing addresses emerging challenges of today’s reality? What are expectations and imperatives for the leaders of future when it comes to strategic thinking? The module covers theoretical background and experiential cases of business and corporate strategy aspects.

The module is intended to promote resilient, innovative, fast-developing, adapting and case- based mindset.

The starting point is macro environment analysis – current trends and highly disruptive environment in the corporations of today operate. Followed by the explanation of the strategy overall concept and its historical evolution in management education. Concepts and frameworks to facilitate environment analysis to make optimal strategic decisions (including PESTEL and expanded 5F models) are then discussed.

The two key messages of the module are characteristics of the business and corporate strategy. As far as a business strategy is concerned, the focus is around its essential task – identifying the source of superior business performance, formulating and implementing strategy that exploits these distinctive capabilities. The importance of the role of a mission statement, goals settings, values and vision are underlined. Further on the roots of competitive advantage and its retention are discussed. Followed by the introduction of corporate strategy pillars (motives, risk analysis, threats and opportunities) through discussing the scope of business, integration, diversification, globalization and non- organic growth strategies. Finally, contemporary trends in strategic management, including more complex sources of competitive advantage and the changing role of leaders is presented.