Topic outline

  • The Course Project

    Background

    Aalto University has a thorough strategy making process with our current overarching strategic priority "Shaping a Sustainable Future". You can review our strategy here. 

    Aalto University's strategy is then applied to all its schools, including the School of Business with its current motto "Better Business, Better Society". You can review out BIZ strategy here (also note the KPI dashboard and other tools).

    Our school's strategy is then further cascaded down to its individual programs at the BSc and MSc levels through the formulation of program-level learning goals. One of those programs is the English-speaking program in International Business in Mikkeli (BScBA). Your program-level learning goals can be accessed here.

    From the program-level, the final step is to translate those goals into courses by defining course-level learning goals and delivering upon them. Ideally those course-level learning goals in combination with all other program courses execute on our strategy of "Shaping a Sustainable Future".

    One problem has been the integration of sustainability into course level goals. While sustainability is well translated down to program level goals, the link is partially broken in the final step. In this assignment, your role is to create a strategy map to get this strategic priority done!

    Problem specification: how does your degree deliver on its sustainability promise?

    • Deliverable

      Specifically, you are to address the challenges by writing a report with the following set of deliverables (order and structure of the report is non-negotiable):

      • Title page 
      • Visual Strategy Map (1 Page / A4 visual)
        • 4 classic BSC dimensions (or deviation to those, see below)
        • Aim at a balance between lagging and leading indicators per BSC dimension (one for each line of business). If you deviate from the suggested number of indicators please justify why. 1-2 indicators per objective!
      • Report containing the following sections (section order and numbering are mandatory):
        • I. Introduction
          • Description of the problem in own words and in relation to the literature (1 Slide)
        • II. Aalto Strategy
          • Content: Description of the case Organization (1 Slides)
            • Vision and Strategy
            • History
            • Setup
        • III. BSC dimensions
          • Content main section: Discussion of how the BSC links strategy to action and discussion of the individual KPIs chosen per section. 
          • You may deviate from the classic 4 dimensions, but please describe what dimension you are replacing and why. 
          • IV.i. Financial (1 Slide)
          • IV.ii. Customer (1 Slide)
          • IV.iii. Internal Processes (1 Slide)
          • IV.iv. Learning and Growth (1 Slide)
        • V. Development Suggestions
          • Discussion of potential mismatches in current strategy and goals (1 Slide)
        • VI. Conclusion (1 Slide)
        • References
          • Academic articles
          • Materials provided by the organization
          • Other references

      Note that this is an assignment that requires creativity and entrepreneurial thinking. This in turn implies that the diversity of your group is a plus (in contrast to assignments where there is only one true solution). Please try to take this into account when forming your groups and be open to new ideas and points of view. Diversity can take forms of gender, practical or educational background, identity, nationality, among others. 


    • Outcome

      The goal of this assignment is, besides the development of a a thorough foundation of BSC related knowledge, the development skills and attitudes necessary to be an effective management accountant / controller. The exposure to real-life complexity (albeit in a contained setting) and the creative nature of the assignment aim at creating strategic thinking and complexity reduction competencies. Moreover, through team work you will work on your interpersonal competencies. All of those are preconditions to a successful career in management accounting and business (e.g., consulting) at large.


    • Assignment icon
      Submission of Final Assignment
    • File icon
      Kaplan, Robert S., and David P. Norton. "Having trouble with your strategy? Then map it." Focusing Your Organization on Strategy—with the Balanced Scorecard 49.5 (2000): 167-176. File PDF
    • File icon
      Sustainability in education - some examples File PDF

    • This is the strategy map that is expected!



    • File icon
      Balanced scorecard slides inspirations File PPTX
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Session 1 (CH 1 + 2)