About this course: In this six-module course, you will learn how businesses and organizations behave in situations in which strategic decisions are interdependent, i.e. where my actions affect my competitors' profits and vice versa. Using the basic tools of game theory, we will analyse how businesses choose strategies to attain competitive advantage. This course is also available in Chinese. Please go to our course catalog to access the Chinese version of Competitive Strategy.
Created by: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
Taught by: Tobias Kretschmer, Professor
Institute for Strategy, Technology and Organization
| Basic Info |
Course 1 of 4 in the
Competitive Strategy and Organization Design Specialization.
|
| Commitment | 10 hours of videos and quizzes |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Chinese (Simplified) |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Take Care of Your Competitors
In this module, we introduce the basic concepts of game theory and use strategic games to learn competitor analysis. We answer “what is a strategy?” and look at the different ways to determine a best or dominant strategy. We also discuss the concepts of Nash E...
9 videos, 3 readings, 2 practice quizzes
Graded: Take Care of Your Competitors
WEEK 2
Why Firms Work Together
According to economic theory, companies compete with each other in the marketplace. In reality, they are often friendly and cooperate with each other. In this module, we attempt to understand this strategy, and why it is good for the organizations involved. Wi...
9 videos, 1 reading, 4 practice quizzes
Graded: Why Firms Work Together
WEEK 3
Complementary Products and Strategic Partnerships
In this module, we introduce complements and discuss what they mean to us in economic terms. We study why companies like to sell their products in a bundle - and how complementarity creates switching costs. We also discuss the importance of that coordination a...
7 videos, 1 reading, 3 practice quizzes
Graded: Complementary Products and Strategic Partnerships
WEEK 4
Entering a New Market
This module is about market entry. We first look at different tools to assess the attractiveness of a market – and then discuss strategies that have proven to be helpful for entering a new market, such as positioning and marketing strategies. We also look from...
10 videos, 1 reading, 3 practice quizzes
Graded: Entering a New Market
WEEK 5
Why Worry About Research and Development
In the context of R&D, a number of important strategic questions arise consistently; in this module, we take a closer look at these questions. Though many innovations are created by a stroke of luck, it seems that the majority of innovations are created becaus...
9 videos, 1 reading, 3 practice quizzes
Graded: Why Worry About Research and Development
WEEK 6
Designing Products Wisely
In this module, we focus on strategic aspects of product design and pricing strategy. We analyse how companies can adjust their products in a way that lowers the competitive pressure in the market. Later on, we look at some generic strategies for product desig...
9 videos, 1 reading, 3 practice quizzes
Graded: Designing Products Wisely
Graded: Final-exam
FAQs
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Creators
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
As one of Europe's leading research universities, LMU Munich is committed to the highest international standards of excellence in research and teaching. Building on its 500-year-tradition of scholarship, LMU covers a broad spectrum of disciplines, ranging from the humanities and cultural studies through law, economics and social studies to medicine and the sciences.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Really great learning from the course. Can be readily applied in real life situations. Thank you Professor and the team for preparing such a nice course.
Seriously this is the best business-related course on coursera! The material and the professor is outstanding. I'd very much recommend it. You won't get bored while watching all the videos. You can see the effort put into producing such a high quality course. It's by far the best course I've took on coursera and believe me I tried a lot of courses.
Great course and quizzes. Learned a lot about competitive strategy and economics. Look forward to the next course.
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FH
A great overview to business strategy