Taught In English

There is no language prerequisite for courses at this language level.

Course: The Making of Blue Ocean Strategy

Lecturer: Christian Portela
Length : 20 hours, 2 weeks

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The course will lay out a framework to successfully formulate and execute a strategy aimed at creating new demand or new market space. We will mainly draw on the concept of value innovation, cornerstone of the BOS theory, to propose strategic moves that break the value-cost trade-off of a product. We will also examine the challenges around organizational change and change management.

At the end of the course, the students will be in a position to formulate and evaluate non competing strategies in order to create new demand to boost profitable growth.

This course is of interest to those students seeking careers in corporate strategy, consulting, product management, organizational behaviour, innovation, as well as those willing to become, at some point in life, either entrepreneurs or investors. The course will also help students to explore, fine tune, test and validate business ideas that will be further developed in the course "Proyecto Empresarial".

TEACHING APPROACH

 Five-member groups will be formed during the session 1. These groups will work together during the 2 weeks.
 The course will be delivered through 5 sessions of 4 academic hours within a 2 week period. (please note each academic hour is equivalent to 50 minutes)
 Apart from traditional lectures, an important part of the course content will be delivered under an action-learning approach (learn by doing). We will also rely on real cases, videos and class exercises.

PREREQUISITES

Lectures will be in English; therefore a good written and spoken command is essential.
Prerequisite course: Marketing Estratégico (Strategic Marketing)

GRADING

20% class participation
25% Group assignment. Analysis of a strategic movement. Presentations in session 5.
25% Group Project. Formulation of a blue ocean strategic move applied to an existing industry.
30% 360 degree evaluation.

RECOMMENDED MATERIAL

 "Blue Ocean Strategy: How to create uncontested market space and make competition irrelevant", Kim & Mauborgne
 "The Innovation Value Chain", Morten T. Hansen
 "Strategy as Revolution", Gary Hamel
 "What is Strategy?", Michael Porter

COURSE CONTENT

Session 1: Introduction to Blue Ocean Strategy (4 hours, Monday 13/04/09)
Course objectives
Environmental determinism vs recontructionism. Blue vs red ocean.
Value innovation vs innovation
Cases: Nintendo and Andre Rieu
Video Case: Yellow Tail
Strategy canvas. 4 action framework
PMS Map
Barriers to consumption
Innovation value chain: Global view of the innovation process in an organisation
Group exercise

Session 2: Creation of new markets I (4 hours, Wednesday 15/04/09)
The Six Path Framework: Time trends, complementary offerings, emotional vs functional appeal
Group exercise

Session 3: Creation of new markets II (4 hours, Friday 17/04/09)
The Six Path Framework: chain of buyers, strategic groups, alternative industries
Tiers of noncustomers
Group exercise

Session 4: Evaluating a Blue Ocean Strategy (4 hours, Monday 20/04/09)
The Buyer Utility Map
Barriers to implementation
The Buyer Experience Cycle
Group Exercise

Session 5: Implementing a Blue Ocean Strategy within an organisation. Presentations of group assignments. (4 hours, Monday 20/04/09)
Tipping Point Leadership and Fair Process: Project Backpack
Idea generation processes. Alternatives to brainstorming.
Samsung case. AIG case.
Presentations of group assignments.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Christian Portela is currently Regional Strategic Development Manager for AIG Europe, where he leads the implementation of the Blue Ocean Strategy. His experience encompasses working across 12 countries and leading multicultural groups of more than 30 people.

He has been a researcher for Professors Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, co-authors of the book Blue Ocean Strategy, at INSEAD. He was also awarded the Blue Ocean Strategy qualification.

For several years, Christian was responsible for managing the investments of Rimac Internacional. He also worked for IBM and the investment fund Peruval Corp.

Christian holds a Bachelor degree in Economics from Universidad del Pacifico, as well as an MBA (with distinction) from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.

Christian is currently based in Paris.