Course description

Title of the Teaching Unit

Strategic Management in a complex Environment

Code of the Teaching Unit

21GE030

Academic year

2025 - 2026

Cycle

Number of credits

Number of hours

Quarter

Weighting

Site

Anjou

Teaching language

English

Teacher in charge

SCHARFF Pierre-Alain

Objectives and contribution to the program

This course aims to provide disciplinary knowledge in the field of corporate strategic management and digital strategy.

It covers the three key stages of strategic thinking: diagnosing the organization’s external and internal environment, making strategic choices to achieve set objectives, and deploying the strategy to set the organization in motion.

The course will emphasize the manager’s responsibility both in seizing opportunities provided by digital strategy tools (big data, AI, platforms, social networks, e-commerce, blockchain, cybersecurity, etc.) and in ensuring their relevant, ethical, and responsible use.

In a complex and digitalized environment, responsible strategic thinking requires taking into account technological, social, environmental, and economic interdependencies, including their temporal dimension.

Beyond competencies in critical thinking and analyzing a complex and systemic reality, the course will enable students to *“design desirable futures”* and leverage the potential of digital technologies to create sustainable value.

The aim is therefore to envision new models by understanding the social, environmental, economic, and digital challenges on the basis of scientific resources, and to be able to assess their current and future impact on all stakeholders. Finally, students should be able to mobilize these insights by developing new prospective, regenerative, inclusive, and digital narratives for the future.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Strategic management is by definition at the convergence of all disciplines it brings together.

The prerequisites therefore involve having a synthetic understanding of:
- The roles and operations of the various components of an organization (production, finance, human resources, operations, legal, social responsibility…)
- The concept of sustainable and responsible development
- Digital-related issues (social networks, data, platforms, cybersecurity, collaborative economy, artificial intelligence)
- General knowledge, particularly regarding contemporary challenges of digital and sustainable transitions

Content

INTRODUCTION:
- Origins of strategy
- Mission, vision, and values as fundamentals of strategic thinking
- Specificities of digital strategy and links with corporate strategy
PART 1: STRATEGIC DIAGNOSIS
- Analysis of the macroenvironment, industry, market, and firm
- Stakeholder analysis in a sustainable and digital perspective
- Economic, technological, digital, and social history to understand the present and imagine the future
- Data and digital tools as strategic resources
PART 2: MAKING STRATEGIC CHOICES
- Past, present, and future business models
- International and digital strategies
- Technological and digital innovation (platforms, AI, blockchain, open innovation)
- Omnichannel strategy and digital customer experience
PART 3: STRATEGY DEPLOYMENT
- Evaluation of strategies and their digital impact
- Deploying organizational and technological solutions
- Change management in its human, organizational, and technological dimensions
- Governance and data ethics, cybersecurity, and digital resilience

Teaching methods

The course is organized into modules promoting engaging and interactive pedagogy by:
- Combining concept learning and analytical frameworks with real-life case studies of both traditional and digital companies, as well as contributions from professionals and digital experts
- Offering exercises that allow students to test acquired skills and sharpen critical thinking in the use of digital tools and the resulting strategic decision-making
- Mobilizing teamwork to develop soft skills and the ability to integrate digital issues into collective reflections
- Using simulations or digital tools (e.g., digital business games, data analytics on Excel or specialized software)

Course materials and other resources are organized, shared, and commented on via the Moodle platform.

Assessment method

Knowledge and skills will be assessed through:
- A multiple-choice exam and/or open-ended questions
- Group projects applied to real-world cases (including digital cases)
- Potential oral presentations integrating a digital dimension (e.g., prototyping a digital business model, critical analysis of a company’s digital strategy)

References

Références générales sur la stratégie
*Strategy* (13th edition), Pearson, Wittington, Regner, Angwin, Johnson, Scholes, Fréry
Références complémentaires sur la stratégie digitale
• Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2022). Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice, Pearson
• Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O., Pavlou, P., & Venkatraman, N. (2013). Digital Business Strategy: Toward a Next Generation of Insights. MIS Quarterly
• Porter, M. & Heppelmann, J. (2014). How Smart, Connected Products Are Transforming Competition. Harvard Business Review
• Westerman, G., Bonnet, D., & McAfee, A. (2014). Leading Digital: Turning Technology into Business Transformation. Harvard Business Review Press