Course Outline

Program : MMS
Semester: IV
Faculty : Harshvardhan Pandere
Sub : Information Technology Competition & Strategy
Introduction of the Subject

To give students in-depth look at how today’s business firms use information technologies and systems
to achieve corporate objectives by devising various high level corporate strategies which will help the
companies gain competitive advantage in the market as compared to their competitors.

Students are expected to understand how Information systems are one of the major tools available to
business managers for achieving operational excellence, developing new products and services,
improving decision making, and achieving competitive advantage.

This is the first subject to provide an integrated, strategic view of management of technology. Focusing
on both theory and practice, it addresses the contemporary challenges general managers face today--e.g.,
globalization, time compression, technology integration--and explores several strategic approaches for
dealing with them, from both a managerial and economic viewpoint.

Several integrative themes--T-M matrix, environmental drivers, process of decision making, competitive
vs. collaborative approaches, and value creation--are followed throughout. Technology Environment;
Processes Of Technology Change: Innovation And Diffusion; Technology And Competition; Process
Innovation, Value Chains And Organization; Technology Intelligence; Technology Strategy:
Collaborative Mode; Appropriation Of Technology; Deployment In New Products; Deployment Of
Technology In The Value Chain; Organizing For Innovation; Intellectual Property Strategy; Project
Valuation And Financing. For Chief Technology Officers; Directors of Technology, R&D, Product
Development, Operations; Chief Information Officers

Technology Strategy affects all the areas of business like Manufacturing, Accounting and Finance,
Human Resource, Marketing and Top management.

The impact of technology on business usually is not one- dimensional, but rather, new technology causes
a cascading effect within firms. In economic theory, we learn that price is a function of supply and
demand. But the technology has resulted in both more demand and lower prices. New technology has
made more information available to consumers. As more information becomes available, potential
buyers become more aware of opportunities to obtain and use products. This leads to greater demand.
But more precise information also leads to pricing being more systematic. Thus, technology leads to
better prices. A similar cycle has taken place in other markets. Today, many people now use the Internet
to buy automobiles, books, and other products. This has led to greater numbers of buyers in many cases
but also pressures to lower prices. For a firm to make a profit in this environment, it must be more
efficient. One of the key means that a firm obtains such efficiency is through technology. Thus, the use
of technology in one domain typically leads to greater need for changes in technology in other eas

It is very much important to build a business-centric mindset. This rapid pace of change and the
increasing pull to innovate and support business growth are the key challenges that an IT organization
needs to overcome. The solution lies in moving the IT organization from an operations-centric mindset
to a business-centric mindset. This mindset change is easier said than done considering that the need to
innovate will always be in addition to managing the existing IT architecture and priorities on a day-to-
day basis in a cost-effective manner.
Evaluation Component Weightage Description
Duration : 15 minutes per
Presentation 7 Marks student
Pattern : Industry Overview
System details
which they studied
Information flow of the
system
Problems discovered in the
system
Recommendations in terms of
new technology strategy to be
implemented

Attendance 3 Marks

Midterm Exam 10 Marks

End Semester exam 30 Marks

Total 50 Marks

Reference Text:

1. Managing Technology and Innovation for Competitive Advantage, V K Narayanan, Pearson

Education, 2009 Edition
2. Technology Management – Text and International Cases, Norma Harrison and Danny Samson, MGH
3. Strategic Management of Technology & Innovation, Robert A Burgelman, Modesto A Maidique,
Steven C Wheelwright, MGH International Edition.
4. Management of Technology – The Key to Competitiveness and Wealth
5. Technology & Business Strategy – An Introduction, Edited by Prashanta Kumar
Session Topic for Sub topics / relevant portion of textbook reading Assignments/
Discussion Presentations/
Case study /
Activity

Technology & Competitive Domains, Competitive Consequences of Presentation based

Competition Technological Change Discussion
1
Technological Characteristics of Competitive Business Scenarios
Domains

Technological Opportunity, Appropriability,

Resource Requirements, Collateral Assets,
Institutional Milieu, Speed.

Technology & Dynamics of Change in the Competitive Domain – Presentation based

Competition Technology Emergence Phase, Incremental Change Discussion
2 Phase.
Business Scenarios
Framework for Analysis of Technology Emergence,
Influence of Environmental trends on competition.

Technology as critical to Business Outcomes –

Technology Strategy and Technology Leadership
3 Technology Signals of New Technology, What is Technology Presentation based
Intelligence Intelligence, Discussion

Importance of Technology, Intelligence, Levels of Business

Technology Intelligence, External versus Internal Scenarios
Technology Intelligence

4 Technology Mapping the Technology Presentation based

Intelligence Environment – Steps in Mapping, Mapping the Discussion
Macro-level and Industry Level Environment
Business
Mechanisms for Data Scenarios
Collection – Challenges,
Organizational Arrangements and Key Principles for
Data
Collection
5 Business Strategy Business Strategy, Strategic Analysis and Decision Presentation based
and Technology Making using Product Evaluation Matrix, Market- Discussion
Strategy Growth-Market-Share Analysis Matrix, X-Y
Coordinating Method, M-by-N Matrix, SWOT Business
Matrix, Scenarios

Formulation of Technology Strategy, Core

Competencies, Exploitation of Core Competencies,
Integration, Linking Technology & Business
Strategies, Creating the Product-Technology-
Business Connection.
6 Business Strategy Technology’s Interface with – Market, Customers Presentation based
and Technology and Suppliers. Customer-Supplier and Product-User Discussion
Strategy relationships
Business
Presentation by students Scenarios

7 Technology Technology – Business Connection, Domains of Presentation based

Strategy Choice Technology Choice, Linkages between Technology Discussion
Choice and Competitive Advantage, Technology
Strategy Business
Scenarios
Definition, Role of Chief Technology Officer, Key
principles underlying Technology Strategy –
Objectives, Drivers, Decision criteria.

8 Technology Technology Strategy Types – Appropriateness of Presentation based

Strategy Choice the Technology Strategy Types, Diversified Firms, Discussion
A Framework for formulating Technology Strategy
– Strategic Diagnosis, Formulation of Technology Business
Strategy, Crafting and Implementation Approach, Scenarios
Execution.

Technology Strategy – Superior Performance

Characteristics. Accountability to Shareholders,
Government and Other Stakeholders/ Performance
Measurement

9 Technology Collaborative Arrangements – Definitions, Trends, Presentation based

Strategy – R&D Alliances, Marketing Alliances, Outsourcing Discussion
Collaborative Alliances, Collaboration between small and large
Mode firms, Strategic and Operational. Reasons for Business
Collaborative Arrangements Scenarios

10 Technology Collaborative Arrangements in the domain of Presentation based

Strategy – Technology Strategy – Appropriation of Discussion
Collaborative technology, Deployment of technology in New
Mode Products, Deployment of technology in the Value Business
Chain, Marketing of technology. Scenarios

Risks of Collaborative Activity – Intellectual

Property. Right Risk, Competitive Risk,
Organizational Risk.

Final Presentation by students