LEARNING OUTCOMES
(1) structure complex problems analytically and evaluate the appropriateness of the structure chosen
(2) generate strategic options as potential solutions for strategic situations; quantify the aspects of strategic challenge and the generated options; choose the appropriate options by evaluating the feasibility, quality and potential of the options using several criteria; and evaluate the quality of the options, plausibility of the quantitative analysis, and reflect on the relevance of used evaluation criteria;
(3) explicate the assumptions; identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with strategic plans; identifying critical indicators to be monitored during the implementation of a chosen strategic option;
(4) present a strategic analysis and recommendation in a coherent narrative form and evaluate the persuasiveness of the narrative
Credits: 5
Schedule: 15.09.2021 - 20.10.2021
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Suvi-Tuuli Helin
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
Suvi-Tuuli Helin
suvi-tuuli.helin@aalto.fi
0409388753
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
Students solve Harvard-type of business cases during the course and present their recommendation to a jury. In addition, the students analyse their own case solving process and present their lessons learned to a jury. All Analyses are conducted both individually and in groups of 3 to 5 students. The course focus on strategy formulation in established organizations. Students act in a role that most resembles the role of a consultant.
applies in this implementation
The course will be held live online via Zoom.
Group case solving and presentations
Case presentations are delivered as pre-recorded videos. Use of PowerPoint slides is recommended. Upload your team’s presentation to Dropbox by midnight the day before the seminar. Groups will answer questions and receive feedback from host companies as well as course staff “live” during the video call sessions.
Please note, that idea is that you first do individual work for 4-6 hours (read the case and make the preliminary analysis) and then continue with group work for 6-8 hours. In total, you should work 10-14 hours per case + the case session.
Key things to remember: What’s the situation now? What are alternative actions? What are the quantitative implications of each alternative (financial and otherwise)? What are the key assumptions and risks in your choice?
Also make sure that your presentation is extremely clear and easy to follow. Often it helps to summarize your recommendation in the start and then provide the supporting arguments. Practice your presentation beforehand on video and redo the presentation at least one or two times.
Team dynamics are also important. Be kind toward your team-mates, even when you disagree with them. Even though you will get stressed during the course, please remember that this should be a fun experience.
Groups
Formed randomly at the beginning of the course (on 15.9.)
Changed once during the course (in the middle, for the third case).
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
Mandatory attendance in seminar sessions and presentations of case solutions prepared in student teams. Individual work related to case solving
applies in this implementation
Group solutions and presentations: 100% of the grading
Presentation evaluationPresentations will be assessed on a scale of 0 to 3 on the following dimensions:
- Insight and depth of solution (30%)
o 0: Overly simplistic solution
o 1: Solution mentions options straight from the case material without developing them further/generic discussion on a high level
o 2: Some insightful options/analysis, but lacks specificity, logic, or coherence
o 3: Insightful, specific solution and analysis that develops the options and thinking deeper than what’s mentioned in the material
- Recognition of key issues in the case company situation (15%)
o 0: Key issue not discussed
o 1: “Wrong” key issue discussed or overly generic key issue
o 2: Close to the “right” key issue but some problems
o 3: Key issue clearly identified
- Generation and comparison of alternatives (15%)
o 0: No alternatives recognized
o 1: “Fake” alternatives or very narrow set of alternatives recognized
o 2: Some good alternatives recognized and compared, but with some problems in logic or comparison not systematic
o 3: Three to five high-quality alternatives recognized and compared systematically
- Quantification (15%)
o 0: No quantification
o 1: Likert-scale quantification only (e.g., Harvey balls)
o 2: partly conducted quantification (e.g., financials or operational), but some gaps (e.g., assumptions not explicit, some parts missing)
o 3: Clearly reasoned quantification of most elements and assumptions named
- Quality of recommendations (10%)
o 0: No recommendation given
o 1: Illogical or inconsistent recommendation
o 2: Good recommendation with limited support or small inconsistencies
o 3: Clear and well-justified recommendation given
- Presentation clarity (5%)
o 0: Complete disaster
o 1: Rumbling presentation; problems with time management; key points not made clearly
o 2: Some problems, but you get the general idea and most key points
o 3: Clear summary in the beginning of the presentation; key point of each slide presented clearly; visualizations explained; analyses explained; recommendations communicated clearly; all slides presented
- Slide design (5%)
o 0: No slides
o 1: Basic black and white text; or way too busy slides
o 2: Nice looking slides but some problems
o 3: Well visualized slides that communicate key points effectively
- Response to questions (5%)
o 0: Questions not answered
o 1: Rumbling answers by multiple team members without clear point; hostile or aggressive answers
o 2: Understandable answer but some problems or limitations as well
o 3: Clear, concise and logical answers to the questions, supported by 30 second elaboration with the help of a relevant presentation or backup slide
Workload
valid for whole curriculum period:
Lectures 4 hours, Seminar sessions 15 hours, Individual work (related to case solving 58 hours), Group-work (case solving) 58 hours.
applies in this implementation
Optional reflection essay can be done to increase the final grade.
DETAILS
Study Material
applies in this implementation
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals
1 No Poverty
2 Zero Hunger
8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
12 Responsible Production and Consumption
13 Climate Action
17 Partnerships for the Goals
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
This course should be taken during the second year of the Master's studies. In particular, you should NOT take this course simultaneously with the course Advanced Strategic Management, which is a mandatory prerequisite for this course.
Teaching Period:
2020-2021 Autumn I
2021-2022 Autumn I
Course Homepage: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/search.php?search=TU-E1030
Registration for Courses: In the academic year 2021-2022, registration for courses will take place on Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi) instead of WebOodi.
Due to limited size of the course, the priority is given to 1) students of the Master's Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management or in Strategy, 2) students of the Master s Programme in Information Networks (track Business and Organisational Design, 3) students of the Strategy and Corporate Renewal minor. Please confirm that you qualify before enrolling to the course.
applies in this implementation
Compensation for absences
As the solving work is to be done prior to the case presentation session, it is possible for students to be absent from a session (Case 4 is an exception). In case of an absence, the student must return a compensating assignment as follows:
- If the introductory session is missed, a two-page summarizing essay on the King of Cases (http://www.ollisalo.net/koc/), to be returned latest one hour before the first case session
- If a case presentation session is missed, a two-page essay on your group’s case solving process (e.g. timeline of events, sharing of tasks, what exactly was done, what was difficult, what choices did you make, how things could have gone differently, what did you learn etc.); to be returned latest one hour before the presentation session that will be missed. The submission link for compensating assignments will be added to MyCourses under “assignments”
Details on the schedule
applies in this implementation
Date
Host company
Schedule
Materials provided
15.9.
Introduction
Quest speaker
Reetta Repo
13:15-16:30
Online
22.9
Case 1
Solita
15:00-17:00
15.9
Online
29.9
Case 2
August
15:00-17:00
22.9
Online
6.10
Case 3
Accenture
15:00-17:00
29.9
Online
13.10
Case 4
BCG
Case solving 10-13 (To be confirmed)
Seminar 16:00-18:00
13.10
Online
20.10
Case 5
McKinsey
15:00-17:00
13.10
Online
- Teacher: Helin Suvi-Tuuli