SESSION 3 OUTLINE

THE CONCEPT OF STRATEGY:

IDENTIFYING, DESCRIBING, DEVELOPING, AND IMPLEMENTING A FIRM’S
STRATEGY

In this asynchronous session, you will learn about the conceptual foundations of describing,
identifying, formulating, and implementing strategies.

What should I do in this asynchronous session?

1. Complete Reading Assignment 3 under SESSION 3 on Perusall.com. The marks for

reading assignments are NOT counted toward your final grade and their main purpose is to help
you assess your own knowledge on the subject matter as well as better prepare for graded
assignments such as online quizzes and case analysis. The due date of the reading assignment
(Tuesday, January 19th) is a recommended due date, which means that you could continue
working on the assignment after the recommended due date. I put the recommended due dates
as a guide for learning the course material at a steady pace during the semester.
2. Watch video lecture under SESSION 3 on Perusall.com (you could engage in discussion of
what you are learning in the video lecture with other students on Perusall.com).

Putting it all together and reflecting on what you have learned in this asynchronous
session:

Once you complete the reading assignment and the video lecture, try to answer the following
questions:

1. What is strategy?
2. Why were Lady Gaga and Amazon so successful (based on the information provided in the
reading)?
3. What is the role of strategy in organizational success?
4. How do we describe and identify a firm’s strategy?
5. How is strategy made?
6. What roles does strategy perform in a firm?
7. Whose interests should be prioritized in developing and implementing strategy?
8. Can you explain the basic framework for strategy analysis?
9. Can you define strategic fit and its importance?
10. What is the central issue of the Tough Mudder’s case? How can we identify and describe
the company’s strategy?

If you are still not sure how to answer any of the questions after you complete reading
assignment and watch the video lecture, you have a few options:
(1) post questions on Perusall.com on the assigned reading as I will also participate in the
collaborative reading and discussions to provide my answers to all asked questions;
(2) attend my virtual office hours (Mondays, 10am-12pm) to ask all questions you may have about
the course; and
(3) ask questions during, before or after the synchronous class meeting, as I will reserve extra time
after each virtual session to answer student questions.
SGMA 591 Prof. Tatiana Vashchilko