Strategic Management, Alliances and International Trade

CS: Professional Programme
Paper 5 : Strategic Management, Alliances and International Trade
[One paper: Three Hours – 100 marks]

Level of Knowledge:

Working knowledge

Objectives:

To develop the basic understanding of the students about the concepts, techniques and processes relating to strategic management, alliances as well as International Trade and treatiesincluding World Trade Organisation.

Detailed contents :

Part A : Strategic Management (40 Marks)

1.	Nature and Scope of Strategic Management
	Concept; role, functions and processes of strategic management in globally, competitive and knowledge-based environment.
2.	Environmental Scanning and Internal Appraisal Analysis
	(a) Identification of external variables - economic, technological, legal, political, socio-cultural and, global; industry appraisal analysis and forecasting; synthesis of external factors; (b) Internal scanning of the firm; (c) Tools and techniques of strategic management –SWOT analysis, situational analysis; Gap analysis, impact analysis, value chain analysis; business process re-engineering.
3.	Planning and Formulation
	Formulation of Corporate vision, mission, goals and objectives; developing strategic alternatives, evaluations of alternatives, selection of best alternative; strategic planning vis-� -vis tactical planning; Strategic models for optimal decision–making.
4.	Implementation and Control
	Strategy implementation; developing programs, budgets and procedures; strategic control; managing strategic changes.
5.	Review
Performance Evaluation - criteria and challenges
6.	Risk Management
	Meaning, objectives and significance; types of risks; measuring the trade off between risk and return; control and management of business risks.
7.	Management Information Systems
	Concept, elements and structure; approaches of MIS development; pre-requisites of an effective MIS, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
8.	Internal Control Systems
	Meaning, definition, objectives, classification, scope and limitation of internal control; steps and techniques of internal control systems.

Part B : Strategic Alliances (20 Marks)

9.	Nature and Scope
	Meaning, types and stages; integrating alliances into corporate strategy; cross cultural alliances; implementation and management of strategicalliances.
10.	Foreign Collaborations and Joint Ventures
	Industrial Policy; Foreign Investment Policy; kinds and negotiation of collaboration and joint ventures, drafting of agreement, restrictive clauses; Indian joint ventures abroad – Indian experiences.

Part C : International Trade (40 marks)

11.	International Trade and Treaties
	Concept and Theories of International Trade, Institutionalisation of international trade, establishment of World Trade Organisation; Economic Blocks and Trade Agreements such as ASEAN, EU, SAPTA, NAFTA etc.; India’s Free Trade, Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreements.
12.	Anti-dumping, Subsidies and Countervailing Duties
	WTO agreements on anti-dumping; safeguard measures; subsidies & countervailing duties; Regulatory Framework and procedure in India.
13.	Settlement of Disputes under WTO
	Rules, regulations and procedures relating to settlement of disputes under WTO.