Masters Programs Course Syllabus

1st semester.1st HALF 2015-2016

2422 Strategy 1

INSTRUCTOR: Guido Maretto

CONTACT: Moodle
SHORT BIO: Guido Maretto is Assistant Professor at Nova School of Business and Economics.
He holds a PhD in Social Science from California Institute of Technology. He previously worked as a
Researcher on the Evolution of Markets at the European Center for Advanced Research in Economics
and Statistics. His research interests mainly concern the interaction of financial markets with the real
economy and the economics of criminal organizations.

OFFICE HOURS: Thursday 3pm or by appointment

GRADERS: Pedro Relvas (TA), Diogo Rebelo (TB), Sara Alves (TC), Virginia Ulfig
(TD)

CONTACT: pedro.relvas@novasbe.pt, diogo.v.rebelo@novasbe.pt,

sara.alves@novasbe.pt, virginia.ulfig@novasbe.pt

1. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND CONTENT

The general purpose of this course is to improve students understanding
of how to approach the problem of formulating an effective strategy for a
firm in a given industry, when the objective is to maximize the firms value
creating potential. To do that, the course focuses on the identification of a
firms competitors in the market, the identification of the main strategic
interactions between the firm and its competitors, and on the strategic
implications of the firms decisions. Finally we consider how the firms
organization affects that.

Masters Programs Course Syllabus

2. LEARNING GOALS
On completion of this course a student should be able to:
1) Knowledge and Understanding:
a) Identify situations in which the interaction between firms is strategic.
b) Identify the type of strategic interaction between firms and formulate the
best response actions from the perspective of an individual firm.
c) Understand and apply the notion of equilibrium when firms interact in a
strategic way.
d) Understand how a firm can affect the market outcome by taking actions
before its competitors.
2) Subject-Specific Skills:
a) Identify firms competitors and the nature of competition in the markets in
which firms operate.
b) Understand the strategic importance commitments.
c) Understand firms competition in a dynamic setting and
d) Identify the main entry and exit barriers and how they affect competition
in the market.
e) Understanding the drivers and consequences of firm structure and
organization
3) General Skills:
a) Develop strategic thinking.
b) Develop written communication skills.

3. COURSE STRUCTURE
1) Introduction and overview.
2) Competitors and Competition.
3) Strategic Commitments.
4) Entry and Exit. Industry Analysis.
5) Vertical and Horizontal Integration.
6) Incentives.
8) The Dynamics of Pricing Rivalry.
9) Products.

4. TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS

Masters Programs Course Syllabus

There are two class per week (~1h20m). The
classes consist of instructors presentation and discussions about the
theory and several short cases. Students are expected to participate
extensively.

5. ASSESSMENT
Participation/Group Work 30%
In Class Quizzes
Final Exam
40%

40%

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OTHER RESOURCES

Recommended: Besanko, D. Dranove, M. Shanley and S. Schaefer, The
Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition, Wiley, 2012.
Optional: McAfee, R.P. Competitive Solutions, Princeton University Press,
2002
FT.com
See Moodle for cases and other material.