Business Growth Strategy
Description
When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
- Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
- Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.
About this course: Get the tools you need to analyze, evaluate and recommend specific actions organizations can take to grow their value and avoid common growth pitfalls. Learn to determine how best to build value, whether by scaling existing markets, entering established markets or creating new markets through innovation and acquisitions. Apply these concepts in case studies of industry leaders JetBlue, Starbucks, Intel Corporate Venturing and Tata Motors.
Created by: University of Virginia-
Taught by: Michael Lenox, Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Officer
Darden School of Business -
Taught by: Jared Harris, Samuel L. Slover Research Chair in Business …

Frequently asked questions
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When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
- Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
- Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.
About this course: Get the tools you need to analyze, evaluate and recommend specific actions organizations can take to grow their value and avoid common growth pitfalls. Learn to determine how best to build value, whether by scaling existing markets, entering established markets or creating new markets through innovation and acquisitions. Apply these concepts in case studies of industry leaders JetBlue, Starbucks, Intel Corporate Venturing and Tata Motors.
Created by: University of Virginia-
Taught by: Michael Lenox, Senior Associate Dean and Chief Strategy Officer
Darden School of Business -
Taught by: Jared Harris, Samuel L. Slover Research Chair in Business Administration
Darden School of Business
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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University of Virginia A premier institution of higher education, The University of Virginia offers outstanding academics, world-class faculty, and an inspiring, supportive environment. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University is guided by his vision of discovery, innovation, and development of the full potential of students from all walks of life. Through these courses, global learners have an opportunity to study with renowned scholars and thought leaders.Syllabus
WEEK 1
Growth through Scaling
Strategic growth is intentional, proactive, and consistent with a company's purpose. Taking advantage of economies of scale--growing a business by doing more of what it's already doing--is a conceptually easy but operationally complex approach to business growth. In this module, you will learn the Scenario Planning tool to identify and evaluate opportunities to scale an organization. With this tool, you'll have an effective means to understand when and where to grow and how to get there. The Starbucks case provides an opportunity for you to practice this tool and apply key concepts.
13 videos, 9 readings expand
- Reading: Course Overview
- Reading: Course Requirements
- Reading: Get to Know Your Classmates
- Reading: Using the Discussion Forums
- Video: Growth Strategy
- Video: Why Grow?
- Video: Strategy and Growth
- Video: Growth Alternatives
- Video: Growth Risks
- Video: Growth through Scaling
- Video: Scenario Planning
- Video: Scenario Planning Step 1
- Video: Scenario Planning Steps 2 and 3
- Video: Scenario Planning Steps 4 and 5
- Video: Module Lessons
- Video: Strategist's Toolkit: Scenario Planning
- Reading: Starbucks Corporation
- Discussion Prompt: How do you recommend Starbucks move forward?
- Video: Starbucks Case Debrief
- Reading: Week 1 Slides
- Reading: Introduction to Strategic Analysis
- Reading: Common Terms, Strategy Analytics, and Gathering Strategic Intelligence
- Reading: The Strategist's Toolkit: Table of Contents
Graded: Growth through Scaling
WEEK 2
Growth through Entry
Growth through entry--whether by offering new products in existing markets or offering the same products in new markets--doesn't happen in isolation. Multiple firms compete for these markets and so any discussion of growth through entry has to look at the impact of rivalry. In this module, you'll learn how to apply game theory to analyze, assess, and respond to competitors. With the payoff matrices tool, you'll be able to evaluate options and determine an effective position. The JetBlue vs. American Airlines case gives you an opportunity to apply this tool and deepen your understanding of how to identify potential rivals and determine an appropriate response.
9 videos, 2 readings expand
- Video: Entry and Rivalry
- Video: Using Game Theory to Understand Rivalry
- Video: Using Game Theory to Understand Cooperation
- Video: Identifying Potential Rivals
- Video: Pre-entry Strategies
- Video: Post-entry Strategies
- Video: Module Lessons
- Video: Strategist's Toolkit: Payoff Matrices
- Reading: The Battle for Logan Airport: JetBlue versus American Airlines
- Discussion Prompt: Did JetBlue make the right choice?
- Video: JetBlue vs. American Airlines Case Debrief
- Reading: Week 2 Slides
Graded: Growth through Entry
WEEK 3
Growth through Acquisition
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are common--but rarely successful--ways firms attempt to grow their business. In this module, we'll show you the pros and cons of M&A, suggest valid alternatives, and outline effective M&A strategies. Using the Acquisitions Analysis tool, you'll be able to assess the impact of a potential M&A and avoid common pitfalls of this type of growth. Through an analysis of the Tata Motors case, you'll have a chance to apply this tool to determine an effective growth strategy.
13 videos, 2 readings expand
- Video: Growing through Acquisition
- Video: Pros and Cons of Acquisitions
- Video: Pitfalls of Growth Through Acquisition
- Video: Why Firms Overpay for Acquisitions
- Video: Alternatives to Acquisition
- Video: Identifying Successful Acquisition Opportunities
- Video: Acquisition Analysis
- Video: Strategic Benefit: Value of the Target
- Video: Avoiding Overpaying
- Video: Acquisition Analysis: Opportunity Costs
- Video: Module Lessons
- Video: Strategist's Toolkit: Acquisition Analysis
- Reading: Tata Motors Limited: Ratan's Next Step
- Discussion Prompt: Does Tata's decision make strategic sense?
- Video: Tata Motors Case Debrief
- Reading: Week 3 Slides
Graded: Growth through Acquisition
WEEK 4
Growth through Innovation
Introducing new ideas, processes, and products that disrupt the market is another common growth strategy. In this module, we'll unlock the keys to innovation, from building an innovative capability to appropriating value from innovation to determining an innovation strategy. Using the Real Options Analysis tool, we'll show you how to grow through innovation and good practices for doing so. The Intel Corporate Venturing case provides an opportunity for you to practice this tool and apply course concepts to a real-world scenario.
12 videos, 3 readings expand
- Video: Growing through Innovation
- Video: Innovation Strategies
- Video: Developing an Innovative Capability
- Video: Keys to Innovation
- Video: Organizing for Innovation
- Video: Appropriating Value from Innovations
- Video: Intellectual Property Protection
- Video: Complementary Assets
- Video: Determining an Innovation Strategy
- Video: Module Lessons
- Video: Strategist's Toolkit: Real Options Analysis
- Reading: Intel Corporate Venturing
- Discussion Prompt: How should Peter Hake proceed?
- Video: Intel Case Debrief
- Reading: Week 4 Slides
- Reading: Assignment Overview
Graded: Growth through Innovation
Graded: Growth Strategy Analysis
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