Course Purpose

The main focus is on the approach, methods and practices of consultants in structuring projects, identifying key issues to work on and developing a workplan, and preparing structured communications. We will cover how to apply these key methods both at the individual level and in the context of working in a team. We will also place in the broader context of client service and professional development. Further, the course is an opportunity to reflect on key trends shaping the consulting industry and address aspects of interest to you.

Course Purpose

The course is for students who would like to support the school’s development through pursuing an innovative project for one of the Deans under the supervision of the Professor, and thereby deepen their engagement with INSEAD.

The course is an opportunity for you to integrate your learnings from across the MBA to drive innovation and change in organisations, in this case INSEAD. The course is also an opportunity to deepen your project leadership and management skills, including interaction and communication with key stakeholders.

Course Objectives

Why are some companies consistently more successful than others? Our focus is on identifying the key drivers of persistent superior performance in different settings and using that understanding to improve strategy formulation. Specific objectives are to introduce participants to tools and concepts that are useful for analyzing industry attractiveness, for assessing the extent to which a company has a sustainable competitive advantage, and for developing innovative strategies.

Course Description

This course explores the various modes of corporate development available to managers to achieve firm growth, including mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances, joint ventures, divestiture and spinoffs. The objectives of the course are (1) to give you a set of tools to facilitate the selection of an appropriate strategy for corporate development, (2) to provide insight into the key success factors in creating and managing interfirm acquisitions and alliances, and (3) to provide a comprehensive framework for executing an M&A or alliance from initiation to implementation.

There are three modules in this course. The first module introduces the course and lays out the basic ideas pertaining to corporate development and management of multi-business firm: A key issue addressed is to understand corporate scope. The second module contrasts modes of achieving desired scope, for instance, organic initiatives, M&A and alliances. The third module explores the key challenges in managing corporate acquisitions and mergers. Throughout, there is a focus on understanding the key success factors in the management process for different types of acquisitions, from initial evaluation of target through to integration.