This course is intended to constitute a broad overview and critical review of seminal literature in the field of strategic management, particularly in the context of the global knowledge-based economy.  The scope of the course is comprehensive, intending to provide an overall introduction to the field and a basis for future theoretical and empirical work.

The course is intended primarily for graduate students (primarily Ph.D. students) who expect to conduct academic research in strategic management or related areas. This course explores the foundation questions of the strategy field -- the questions that keep reappearing in ever-changing guises when specifically strategic issues are confronted in a variety of contexts. In most cases, there are substantial social science literatures on these questions. Not infrequently, there are multiple literatures with different disciplinary or “paradigmatic” roots. The major purpose of the seminar is to expose students to samples of these literatures and to point out some access points to the broader universe of thought on these topics. In discussing these readings, we will also be concerned with identifying strategic issues that involve, in some way, the questions addressed in the readings. The hope is that, by the end of the term, students will be prepared to approach the strategy field in a sophisticated, analytical and theoretically grounded way. Also, while the focus of the course is strategy, the levels and unit of analyses shift from session to session. Finally, students should learn a good deal about where to turn for help on a given question-- both in terms of awareness of other relevant readings and in terms of identifying faculty members whose work relates to that question.

REQUIREMENTS

Each student will write one/two pages description for every session and also present a research idea (proposal) in the final session.  In the write-up that should be submitted before class, the student should (1) synthesize main ideas from 2-3 assigned articles of your choice (Do not simply summarize them) OR (2) evaluate one article with double asterisks (**) critically and propose discussion questions and/or alternative research ideas. Each student should read articles with double asterisks and is recommended to read  optional article(s). Each presenter of an article should send a file (ppt) that contains presentation slides by 10 p.m. by Sunday.

For class presentation of an article, I will assign presenters before hand.  Each presenter should summarize the article and suggest critical evaluations and discussion issues in 15 minutes. (이론/가설 쪽이 Main, discussion questions 2개 정도)

(summary, my thoughts)

Finally, each student will write a fully developed research proposal dealing with a topic in the strategy field.  The proposal should include: 1) research question, which outlines a critical gap or omission in the received literature and 2) theoretical overview of the topic of the paper, including the development of hypotheses (2, 3개, 10페이지 이내 워드). 

GRADING CRITERIA

Weekly write-ups (발제하는 주에는 제출x)                                                                  30%

Class participation and in-class presentation of assigned articles                            20%

Exam    (1 essay question, 2 conceptual questions) (** 에서만 나옴)                       20%

Research Proposal                                                                                                       30%

COURSE MATERIALS

Course reading materials consist of academic journal articles.