T O P I C S F O R YO U R PA P E R I Welcome to this list of possible topics for your strategy paper. Please remember that you should write a ´short paper´ - appr. 3.500 words for the main part - instead of an exam to finish your lecture on ´Strategic Management´ and to get three credits. If you are interested in additional credits you have to write a more comprehensive paper with appr. 15 pages for the main part ( + one credit) and to hold a presentation ( + 1 credit). On the whole you may get five credits. If you prefer other topics, please tell it to me. Please never start writing your paper without my approval to your preferred topic. Not later than Dec. 15, 2013 you should have submitted your smaller paper to me by E-mail. Please don't forget. Otherwise your paper wouldn't be accepted. You´ll have time until Jan. 15, 2014 to submit your 15-pages-term paper . Presentations may be hold via Skype or another capable tool. My Email: info@maly-seminare.de The principles in writing a scientific paper are always the same. It doesn't matter whether it's length is three or thirty pages. Try to get a first impression reading the following: http://www.trade.economics.uni-mainz.de/Dateien/Guidelines_For_Writing_Term_Paper.pdf Try to read the following excellent papers to get an impression how your paper could look like: 1. Barranco, Ainhoa, ´Blue Ocean Strategy´, https://issuu.com/malyhart/docs/blue_oceans/1?e=0 , 2012 2. Soyanov, Ilyan, Porter´s Generic Strategies, https://issuu.com/malyhart/docs/blue_oceans/1?e=0 , 2012
© Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
LECTURE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
-1-
Big picture:
Technology-S-Curve-Concept: It´s difficult to forcast and to manage disruptive innovations. The ´Technology-S-curve´´ concept seems to be an interesting tool.
Short explanation:
The s-curve derives from an assumption that new products are likely to have “product life”. i.e. a startup phase, a rapid increase in revenue and eventual decline. In fact the great majority of innovations never get off the bottom of the curve, and never produce normal returns. Innovative companies will typically be working on new innovations that will eventually replace older ones. Successive s-curves will come along to replace older ones and continue to drive growth upwards. In the figure above the first curve shows a current technology. The second shows an emerging technology that currently yields lower growth but will eventually overtake current technology and lead to even greater levels of growth. The length of life will depend on many factors.
© Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
I n n o v a t i o n S t r a t e g i e : Te c h n o l o g y - S - C u r v e
-2-
Point of interest/ topic:
Please explain the constraints, under which the S-curve works and whether there are scaled x-axis, representative for industrial segments like automobile, pharmacy, electronic components to predict the growth of innovation. Is there a preferred point on the curve for current technologies with the best cost/ benefit ratio to move to the emerging technology? Does it make any sense to use the Scurve for strategic planning?
Literature:
1. Sandstrom, Chris, Technology- S- Curve, 2013, http://de.slideshare.net/Christiansandstrom/technology-s-curves 2. http://www.12manage.com , The executive fast track
Š Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
I n n o v a t i o n S t r a t e g i e s : Te c h n o l o g y - S - C u r v e
-3-
Big picture:
Hamel and Prahalad’s Intellectual-Leadership-Concept and its meaning for diversification strategies: 30 years of strategic management with questionable success. Ansoff focussing on markets and products, BCG on market growth and market share in the 60 th, Porter´s ´Competition Strategy´ in the 80th focussing on competition. It was time to think about another approach, e.g. employee´s brains as unique proposition. Hamel and Prahalad´s concept of ´Core Competencies´ came into being.
Short explanation:
Core competencies and success: In September 1983, Motorola made history when they approved the world’s first and only commercial cellular device. They had core competencies in the area of videocompression, battery- and flat screen technology. Unfortunately they did not succeed to apply their intellectual leadership (= core competencies) e. g. to develop new products for new markets. Igor Ansoff would have called this strategic new-product/ new-market-approach, diversification. 1998, Motorola was overtaken by Nokia as the world’s biggest seller of mobile phone handsets.
Point of interest/ topic:
Try to do a better job. Please explain the intellectual leadership approach for a nanotech company trying to diversify in cooperation with a company like Roche Diagnostics. Are there any opportunities for our nanotech company to persuade Roche. Which revolutionary technologies could our nanotech company develop? Nano-Robots for diagnostic purposes? Estimating blood sugar level or hundreds of other parameters? Always moving through our bodies?
Literature:
Ansoff, I., Strategies for Diversification, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 35 Issue 5, Sep-Oct 1957, pp.113-124 Gary Hamel, C.K. Prahalad, Competing for the Future, Harvard Business School; Sept .1994
© Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
Innovation Strategies: Core Competencies
-4-
Big picture:
Privatisation of public infrastructural services: British Rail, Understanding the Development of Share Prices
Short explanation:
„ … the one positive development since the old British Rail was abandoned was that the total number of passengers increased steadily. But the rail companies, some of whom are not far from bankruptcy, will shortly face an awful vicious circle. They will need to invest in order to attract customers back to the rails, yet will not have the resources to do this if their income is shrinking.” The Times, 24 November, 2000
Development of share prices British Rail, 1997- 20011
© Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
Strategies in complex systems: Cybernetic Regulatory Circuits
-5-
Point of interest/ topic:
Develop the appropriate cybernetic regulatory circuit to explain the development of the British Rail shares between 1997 and 2001
Literature:
Sherwood, Dennis, Seeing the Forest For the Trees”, 2003 http://books.google.de/books?id=vQcvzuKfB0oC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22seeing+the+forest+for +the+trees%22+dennis+sherwood&hl=de&sa=X&ei=0Nt_UvadOIan4ATZ94DwBA&ved=0CEMQ6AEwA A#v=onepage&q=%22seeing%20the%20forest%20for%20the%20trees%22%20dennis%20sherwood& f=false
© Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
Strategies in complex systems: Cybernetic Regulatory Circuits
-6-
Big picture:
Impact of psychopathic top managers on strategy business
Short explanation:
Psychopaths are people, polite and charming as George Clooney. Without any emotions. Like Hannibal Lecter, a serial killer in an american psychological thriller film directed by Ridley Scott. Psychopaths are capable to read other person´s mind to manipulate them to achieve their personal extraordinary selfish targets to speed up their career. A psychopathic profile seems to be an advantage for a career in some specific branches of business. High risk, high profit in a volatile business like investment banking seems to be an ideal environment for psychopaths. Shareholder Value, a method to increase profit in the short term significantly, trying to become number one could be method of choice for psychopaths.
Point of interest:
Is there any correlation between extraordinary success in volatile business branches obeying ´Shareholder Value´ and psychopathy?
Literature:
Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work by Paul Babiak and Robert D. Hare (May 8, 2007 The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success by Kevin Dutton(Sep 3, 2013) Hannibal (film), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_(film)#Anthony_Hopkins_as_Hannibal_Lecter
© Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
S h a r e h o l d e r Va l u e a n d P s y c h o p a t h y
-7-
. . . all the best for your future career.
Š Dr. Hartwig Maly | info@maly-seminare.de
DHBW: Lecture ´Strategic Manageent
Strategic Management
Thank you very much for your committed participation in our lecture.
-8-