Strategic Management in Agribusiness
Master of Science in Economics & Agribusiness
Agricultural University of Tirana
Welcome to Strategic Management!
It is both a great honor and a great responsibility to teach here at AUT in Albania. When I was asked exactly one year ago, it did not take me very long to make a decision. I see my visit here as an opportunity to provide some assistance to a country with really terrific potential. But, in today’s world, any sustainable success can only be built on world-class management practices. You and I will work together to learn how to think strategically in order to give proper context to those practices. We'll share plenty of ideas as we explore this exciting and vital topic.
You most likely have had some business training in areas such as resource management, personnel management, financial management, and marketing and sales, and these all are very important. The other course I had intended to teach here is Financial Decision-Making and, as you might imagine, the topic has come under fire due to the implementation of poor financial practices throughout the world. But, here, in our course, we will be studying strategic management, an umbrella topic that incorporates a long-term approach to thinking, planning, and fiscal responsibility.
Now, before we actually begin to define strategy in some detail, let me say that it is my intention to deliver a course that is both worthwhile and interesting. I promise to do my very best to provide a practical and memorable experience that should prove helpful in taking on those challenges that you elect to face. In a world of big business, I firmly believe in the awesome power of the individual. It is a person that creates an enterprise. It is a person that assembles and manages resources. It is a person that recognizes opportunities and inspires others to seek them out.
In case you haven't noticed, I am very excited about visiting Albania and working with AUT students and faculty. Thank you for the trust that you have shown in me, and I sincerely hope to get to know each and every one of you. Now, please take a look at our course syllabus which includes a table of links to lectures and exercises. In Session One, I will speak a little bit about my background and my home state of Vermont. You can take a look at this introductory presentation now at Tirana-Intro. In the meantime, I hope you will complete this Student Questionnaire, here in pdf format, and send your responses to me. If that is not possible, please bring them to our first class session on October 20.
Course Syllabus
| Class: | October 20 to 29, Tuesday to Friday (week one), Monday to Thursday (week two), 8 to 11 AM | |||||||||
| Office Hrs: | Following Each Class, 11 to 12:00 Noon | |||||||||
| Textbook: | Strategic Management {Logic and Action} by Huff, Floyd, Sherman, and Terjesen, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009 (Optional for this course.) | |||||||||
| Attendance: | This will be a fast-paced course to be completed over a two-week period. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that students attend every class, arrive well-prepared, and participate in classroom discussions and exercises. You will not receive credit for the exercises if you are not present for our discussions. The instructor will make every effort to deliver an organized and interesting learning experience. | |||||||||
| Grading: |
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| Methods: | Classes will run 3 hours per day and will cover as much material as possible with due consideration for your participation. Of particular importance will be this course's regular analyses of cases involving some of the most important enterprises worldwide. We will also devote time to current events and special topics. Your instructor is interested in using examples from Albanian industry. |
| Lecture | Exercise | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| Session One: Strategy |
Case Study: JetBlue Airways |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Two: Resources |
Case Study: W. L. Gore Associates |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Three: Customers |
Case Study: Newspaper Industry |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Four: Opportunities |
Case Study: Apple Computer Company |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Five: Competition |
Case Study: Panera Bread Company |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Six: The Business Model |
Case Study: McDonald's Corporation |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Seven: Corporate Strategy |
Case Study: Green Mountain Coffee |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Eight: Thinking Globally |
Case Study: The Global Candy Industry |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |
| Session Nine: Execution |
Case Study: Trader Joe's |
Powerpoint: Significant Download |