MGT 4850 - Strategic Management
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 02, CRN 40522,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Omer Genc
Professional Qualifications:
PhD: Strategic Management/International Business, Temple University
Master of Science: Finance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
Bachelor of Science: Business Administration, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
Associate Professor
Email: ofgenc@ysu.edu
Office: 3356
Office Phone: 330-941-3271
Preferred Contact Method: E-mail
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Course Description
4850. Strategic Management . Analysis of problems and issues faced by organizations operating in today's dynamic environment interspersed with multiple stakeholders. Students integrate concepts and techniques learned from a range of disciplines and apply them to all levels of firms functioning in a wide variety of industries. Prereq.: MKTG 3703, MGT 3725, FIN 3720, senior standing, 2.5 GPA, and graduation evaluation. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional | Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases: Competitiveness and Globalization | Hitt, M.A., Ireland, D., HHoskisson, R.E. & Harrison, J. | 9780357716762 |
| Required | Case 1: CF MotorFreight | David B. Yoffie, Sheila Cavanaugh | |
| Required | Case 2: Walmart Stores | Stephen P. Bradley, Pankaj Ghemawat, Sharon Foley | |
| Required | Case 3: McDonald’s Corporation | Frank T. Rothaermel, John Kim |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Course Schedule
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Chapter 1: Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness Textbook) The Art of Hypercompetition (Rifkin, 1996). What is Strategy? (Porter, 1996) |
Course Introduction (Syllabus, etc.) Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness |
Send your Team members (Aug 26) Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 8/31 | Chapter 2: External Environment (Textbook) The ‘Value Stick’ Framework for Strategic Management. (MITSDE, 2023) The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy (Harvard Business Review, 2008) |
External Environment | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 9/7 | Chapter 2: External Environment (Textbook) The Graying of America (NPR, 2022) The State of American Culture (Frameworks, 2024) |
External Environment - cont. | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 9/14 | Chapter 4: Business- Level Strategy (Textbook) Porter’s (Three) Generic Strategies Explained (Strategic Insights, 2025) Finding Your Strategy in the New Landscape (Ghemawat, 2010). |
Business- Level Strategy | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 9/21 | Case 1: CF MotorFreight Influence of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 on Teamsters' Employment (US Government Accountability Office, 1983) |
Industry Structure - Case Analysis | Case 1: CF MotorFreight, Due on Sep 21 |
| 9/28 | Chapter 4: Business- Level Strategy (Textbook) Blue Ocean Strategy (Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R., 2004) |
Business-Level Strategy– cont. | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 10/5 | Chapter 3: The Internal Organization (Textbook) What Are Core Competencies for Business? (Freedman, M., 2023) |
Exam 1 The Internal Organization |
Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter Exam 1 (Oct 5) |
| 10/12 | Chapter 3: The Internal Organization (Textbook) Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. (Barney, J., 1991) |
The Internal Organization – cont | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter SWOT Assignment 1st Draft, Friday, Oct 16th |
| 10/19 | Chapter 6: Corporate Level Strategy (Textbook) From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy. (Porter, M. E., 1987). To Diversify or Not to Diversify. (Markides, C. C., 1997) |
Corporate-Level Strategy | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 10/26 | Case 2: Walmart (Stephen P. Bradley, Pankaj Ghemawat, Sharon Foley) Competing on Resources: Strategy in the 1990s (Collis, David and Montgomery, Cynthia, 1995) |
Business level Strategy - Case Analysis (Walmart) | Case 2 Presentation/Report (Walmart Stores), Due on Oct 26th |
| 11/2 | Chapter 6: Corporate Level Strategy (Textbook) Making the Deal Real. (Ashkenas, R. N., DeMonaco, L. J., & Francis, S. C., 1998). |
Corporate-Level Strategy – cont. | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 11/9 | Case 3: McDonald's Corporation (Frank T. Rothaermel, John Kim) McDonald’s’ Local Strategy, from El McPollo to Le McWrap Chèvre. (Nataly Kelly, Nataly, 2012) McDonald’s and the Challenges of a Modern Supply Chain. (New, Steve, 2015) |
Strategic Leadership and Strategy Implementation - Case Analysis | Case 3 Presentation/Report (McDonald's Corporation), Due on Nov 9th |
| 11/16 | Chapter 11: Strategy Implementation: Structure & Controls (Textbook) The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution. (Neilson, G., Martin, K., and Powers, E., 2008). The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture. (Groysberg, B., Lee, J., Price, J., & Cheng, J. Y., 2018). |
Strategy Implementation: Structure & Controls | Review the Assigned Textbook Chapter |
| 11/23 | What Is a SWOT Analysis? (Schooley, S., 2025) Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? (Collis, D. J., & Rukstad, M. G., 2008 |
Prepare for Final SWOT Presentations | Exam 2 (Nov 23) |
| 11/30 | Are You Doing the SWOT Analysis Backwards? (Minsky, Laurence and Aron, David, 2021). | SWOT Analysis - Presentations | SWOT Presentations (Nov 30 and Dec 2) |
| 12/7 | Course Evaluations and SWOT Feedback |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.