Business Administration: Strategy and Organization

Program Description

The Strategy and Organization specialization takes you on a journey that explores the complexities of dynamic and globally integrated market environments in which business firms compete. We will challenge you to look further for new ways how organizations can rethink the way they strategically manage their boundaries, and how they can act responsibly to make a sustainable contribution to society. After learning about core aspects of strategic management and organizational challenges related to growth, renewal and entrepreneurship, you can chose to specialize in two modules. Each takes a closer perspective on highly topical issues which represent current mega-trends that businesses need to tackle in order to remain competitive: On the one hand, the need for companies to rethink the way they interact with competitors, for instance via forming alliances, mergers, participating in business ecosystems and fostering open innovation. On the other hand, rising stakeholder expectations that urge companies to compete successfully and sustainably by enhancing their corporate social responsibility (CSR) profile.

In all courses in the Strategy & Organization specialization you will explore not only the “content-dimension” of strategy (what is my strategy and how to design it?), but also the “process-dimension” (how to organize it and bring strategy to action?), thus giving you a holistic perspective on strategy making and strategy execution.

Highlights

The Strategy & Organization specialization offers multiple possibilities for excellent and ambitious students to distinguish themselves by taking additional courses and participating in tailored activities. We offer the renowned VU honours programme that includes advanced courses in a small-class environment, and provide special opportunities to meet with businesses throughout the programme.
The Strategy & Organization specialization allows you to participate actively in a thriving student community. This is not only a fun activity to join and where to make new friends, but also to advance your academic and professional skills.

What`s Included

Throughout the programme, students learn to review and analyse critically the state of the art research related to strategy and organization to get acquainted to the contemporary debate in the field. Together with research methodology courses (focusing on both quantitative and qualitative approaches) students will be well equipped to make their own original contribution and create knowledge in their master thesis that is not only rigorously conducted but also original, interesting and important from a societal point of view.

Courses have a strong focus on fostering your communicative skills, your ability to speak up and defend your arguments and position in front of a critical audience.