“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few people engage in it”
Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company

Strategic thinking might be the most important management skill that, in a globalizing business
world where just about everything is changing and the “status quo” is change itself, is a key
requirement that provides the boundaries for other business actions. Understanding strategic
thinking and doing it well will be a competitive advantage in your careers and in business itself, but
ignoring it may be a sure recipe for professional and business failure.

Strategic thinking – Commonly defined as a thinking process applied in the context of achieving
success in a game or other goal-oriented endeavor. When applied in a business
organizational strategic management process, strategic thinking involves generation and application
of unique business insights and opportunities intended to positively alter an organization’s future
and create a competitive advantage for a firm. Strategic thinking includes finding/developing a
strategic foresight for a business organization by exploring all possible organizational futures, and
challenging conventional thinking to foster decision-making today. The critical strategic question is
not so much “What?” but more “Why?” or “How?”

Strategic Thinking – Here, we will provide a case-based learning environment that will systematically
expand the layers of strategic thinking for a holistic and synergistic learning experience. The first
step is grounded on learning about logical and critical thinking, which form the base of all decision-
making and communication – Logical thinking being process oriented, critical thinking being
decision-oriented “inside the box”, and then move “outside the box” to understand creative thinking
– “Creativity is a great legal way of gaining an unfair advantage over the competition”

We will then bring logical, critical, creative thinking into play through frameworks like the SWOT
analysis and then build on that with strategic ideas. Why start with SWOT – SWOT is one of the most
useful/versatile frameworks in business and life. It helps you understand “where you and now” and
gives hint of “where to go in the future”

Strategy and Strategic Thinking – There are various definitions/ideas of strategy, but the overall
course focus here will be on understanding of how to develop strategic ideas through analyzing core
strategy development/implementation pillars:

1. Defining opportunities/problems: Situation Analysis
2. Defining what to achieve: Goals and Objectives
3. Defining how to proceed: Strategy Setting

*本学の教育ミッションを具現化する形で設定されています。

The course will provide a special integrated toolbox of great foundation skills that are essential for
today’s globalizing managers. The key element will be an understanding of how to view and assess
business situations and contemplate the actions necessary to deal with change.

By the end of the course, you will be able to understand - basics of strategic theory, and you will learn logical/critical thinking, strategic thinking and ideas, and how to use frameworks. In addition, you will be specifically able to implement elements of strategy such as environmental analysis, internal analysis, typical strategy, strategic planning, and implementing some strategic frameworks.

Strategic thinking frameworks –

To gain a competitive advantage and beat the competitors, you
need to know the market, know the competitor and know “yourself”, and then create appropriate
strategies and implement them – Internal/External Analyses. This will require understanding various
strategic logic frameworks – SWOT matrix, 3Cs/5Cs, PEST analysis, Porter’s 5-Forces industry
analysis, value chain analysis, business model and strategic positioning, TOWS analysis.

教育手法 Teaching Method		% of Course Time
インプット型 Traditional		0 %
参加者中心型 Participant-Centered Learning	ケースメソッド Case Method	100 %
	フィールドメソッド Field Method	0 %
合計 Total		100 %

Learning flow –
STEP 1: Looking back – Developing capabilities for strategic thinking
STEP 2: Looking back – Inside the minds of the business strategists
STEP 3: Looking forward – Strategic thinking for designing better future

What you will learn –
From this course, you will learn logical/critical thinking, strategic thinking and ideas, and how to use
frameworks that put these ideas into play.
You will also learn some basics of strategic theory, especially basic elements of strategy such as
environmental analysis, internal analysis, typical strategy, strategic planning, and implementing
some strategic frameworks.

Session focus and cases –

STEP 1: Developing capabilities for strategic thinking
Looking Back – View from the “outside”
Session 1: Case1: Wal-Mart in Japan: Survival and future of its Japanese business
Session 2: Case2: Grupo Bimbo
Session 3: Case3: Bharti Airtel in Africa

STEP 2: Inside the minds of the business strategists
Looking back – View from the “inside”
Session 4: Case4: Language and globalization: Englishnization at Rakuten (A)

STEP 3: Strategic thinking, change, governance and strategy
Looking forward–Strategic Thinking for designing a better future
Session 5: Case5: BoP Strategy of Essilor in India *BoP: Base of the Pyramid
Session 6: Case6: Michelin 2018 - On the road to Transformation
Session 7: Case7: Is Sony Turning around?
Session 8: Case8: Apple Inc. in 2018

How to proceed –

This course will be comprised of three parts
Interactive lecture: The lecturer will give you some basic examples
Class case discussions: This will be the main part of this course.
Group discussions: the class will be divided into groups to discuss topics designated by the lecturer,
including “what to do next” in the case. The group may discuss the results in front of the class and
take questions.

Eight sessions focus on case discussions –
1. Focuses on practical strategic ideas, not so much technical perspective
2. Minimum lecture and spend most time on class discussion of the cases
3. Each session spend lot of time on one case study to analyze and discuss
4. Each case will consider the whole but focuses on specific learning topics
Important thing in case discussions is there are no right/wrong answers, but only the processes to
find answers. So there is no perfect answer, but a perfect process, which outputs a “perfect answer
for that process”. Think about case assignments carefully, and be prepared to present ideas in class
to get feedback from others.

Cases –
Read each case thoroughly. You may have to read at least three times, otherwise, you will not be
able to write a report or prepare for class discussions. Probably you will need to spend at least three
hours per case. The more you spend your time for preparation, the more your learning efficiencies
will increase in class. You only have limited time in evenings and must prepare before the course
begins.　

Case written summary reports –
There will be two written reports required for this course,
1. Pre-course written report on the "Wal-Mart in Japan" case in Session 1
2. Post course written report on the "Apple Inc. in 2018" case in Session 8
You will find the specifics report questions in the "Case and written report assignments for sessions 1-8".

Written output submission deadlines –
Case reports: submitted (email) to instructor: denscombe@nucba.ac.jp
1. Pre-course written case report - Before Session 1 *15% of the final grade
2. Post-course written case report - due about a week after Session 8 *35% of the final grade

*成績は下記該当項目を基に決定されます。
*クラス貢献度合計はコールドコールと授業内での挙手発言の合算値です。

講師用内規準拠 Method of Assessment	Weights
コールドコール Cold Call	0 %
授業内での挙手発言 Class Contribution	50 %
クラス貢献度合計 Class Contribution Total	50 %
予習レポート Preparation Report	15 %
小テスト Quizzes / Tests	0 %
シミュレーション成績 Simulation	0 %
ケース試験 Case Exam	0 %
最終レポート Final Report	35 %
期末試験 Final Exam	0 %
参加者による相互評価 Peer Assessment	0 %
合計 Total	100 %

評価の留意事項　Notes on Evaluation Criteria

• Michael Porter et al「"On Strategy" *Optional Reference」Harvard Business School Publishing（2011）978-1633694491
• Joan Margretta「"Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy" *Optional Reference」Harvard Business Review Press（2011）978-1422160596
• Dr. Kenichi Ohmae「"The Mind of the Strategist - The Art of Japanese Business" *optional Reference」McGraw-Hill（1982）McGraw-Hill

Optional reference -

Harvard Business Review article, "What is strategy" by Michael Porter *
*Included already in "On Strategy", if you looked at that textbook

*To be added later

（実務経験 Work experience）