INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AMRITSAR

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

COURSE OUTLINE

Course Code and Course Title Strategy Consulting

Course type Elective
Pre-requisites (if any) Core courses in Strategy, Economics, Marketing,
OB
Course credit/Units 0.75
Total no. of sessions 15
Session Duration 75 minutes
Term 6
Year and Batch PGP 2022-2024
Sections (if any) 2

Instructor(s) Sanjay Yashroy

Contact Details 8104700736; sanjayyashroy@hotmail.com
Office
Consultation Hours WhatsApp me for appointment

INTRODUCTION / COURSE DESCRIPTION

Strategy consulting is an interesting occupation. Value to the clients is a function of a
consultant’s intellectual rigor, ability to observe the environment, structured thinking,
ability to solve problems, and persuasive skills. It is one function that bestows immense
intellectual growth, in addition to material growth and satisfaction. Grounded in the field
of strategy, this course seeks to build an in-depth understanding of strategicconsulting
with key concepts and real-life exercises. This in turn, can empower students to help
future clients to win in these times of extreme uncertainty.

1.The objective of this course is to allow students to think critically about challenging business
circumstances by focusing on problem-oriented examples rather than narratives.
2.To acquaint the students with the intricacies of strategic analysis in relation to various market
conditions and sectors.
3. To allow the student to build upon the ideas, concepts, tools, and processes learned in the
strategic management courses of the first year and to apply them in practice.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course a participant is expected to accomplish the following course learning
outcomes (CLO). Alignment of CLO with the Program Goal/Objectives and Assessment of the
learning outcomes of the course is presented below.
 Course Learning Outcome Program Objective (PO) Assessment Tool(s)
(CLOs)
CLO1: The objective of this course Class Participation,
is to allow students to think Quiz, Group Case
critically about challenging business Activity
circumstances by focusing on
problem-oriented examples rather
than narratives.
CLO2: To acquaint the students Quiz, Role-Playing
with the intricacies of strategic Group Case Activity,
analysis in relation to various End-term Exam
market conditions and sectors.
CLO3: To allow the student to build Role-Playing Group
upon the ideas, concepts, tools, and Case Activity, End-term
processes learned in the strategic Exam
management courses of the first year
and to apply them in practice.

REFERENCE BOOK
• “STRATEGIC CONSULTING – TOOLS and METHODS for SUCCESSFUL
STRATEGY MISSIONS”, by Philippe Chereau & Pierre-Xavier Meschi, Palgrave
Macmillan 2018 Edition (e-Book)

ADDITIONAL BOOKS / READINGS

• “Business and Management Consulting: Delivering an Effective Project”, by Louise

Wickham and Jeremy Wilcock, 6th Edition, Pearson UK (e-book available with me)
• “Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works”, by AG Lafley and Roger L Martin,
Harvard Business School Press
• “Blue Ocean Strategy”
• “Blue Ocean Shift”
• “Boston Consulting Group on Strategy”
• “The McKinsey Way”
• “The McKinsey Edge”
• “The Pyramid Principle”, by Barbara Minto
• “Lords of Strategy”
 • “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy”, by Richard Rumelt
• “On Grand Strategy”
• “Your Strategy Needs a Strategy”
• “Mind of the Strategist”

PEDAGOGY / TEACHING METHODOLOGY

In congruence with the teaching and learning strategy of the institution, the course uses online
lectures, case discussions, videos, group-based case assignments, and presentations to stimulate
learning and achieve the course objectives.

EVALUATION COMPONENTS & BREAK-UP

COMPONENT WEIGHT %

Class Participation 10

Quizzes (2x10) 20

Group Case Exercises 30

End Term Exam 40

TOTAL 100

SESSION PLAN

Sessions Topics Pre-Readings/ Post Readings/ Cases

Key Concepts / Content
1 Introduction to Strategy Consulting Reading: What is Strategy
Discussion: What is Strategy Consulting

Research on Marvin Bower’s and BCG’s

contribution to Strategy Consulting

2 Assessing the Environment Reading: From Risk to Resilience: Learning to

Deal with Disruption

Case: Bon Star Hotel

3-4 Defining Strategic Positioning Reading: Using Hypothesis-driven Thinking in

Strategy Consulting
 Reading: Value Creation & Capture

Case: Mia by Tanishq: Jewellery to Entice the

Working Woman in India

5 Choosing a Growth Strategy Reading: The Strategy Palette: Five Approaches

to Strategy for a Complex World
➢ Judo Strategy
➢ Game Theory Reading: Business Needs More Judo, Less
Karate

Case: Judo in Action

6-7 Expanding Internationally Reading: Lessons Learned from International
Expansion Failures and Successes

Reading: 3 Obstacles to Globalizing a Digital

Platform

Case: Chick-fil-A: International Expansion

Challenges

8-9 Combining Strategy & Innovation Reading: Design-led strategy: How to bring
Design Thinking into the Art of Strategic
Management

Reading: Design Thinking Comes of Age

Reading: Apple versus the Strategy Professors

Case: The Marvel Way: Restoring a Blue

Ocean

10 Redesigning the Business Model Discussion on Need for Business Model

Innovation
➢ Disruptive Innovation Research on Business Model Canvas

Research and discussion on Disruptive

Innovation

Reading: Strategic Value Curve Analysis:

Diagnosing and Improving Customer Value
Propositions

Case: TATA Nano’s Execution Failure

11 Consulting & Ethics Reading: What Top Consulting Firms Get

Wrong About Hiring

Case: McKinsey & Company: Facilitating

Bribery in South Africa
 12 Key Skills Recap Research on ‘The Pyramid Principle’, by
Barbara Minto
➢ Business Acumen and Intellect
➢ Problem Definition and Scoping
Reading: “How Consultants Project Expertise
➢ Structured Thinking
and Learn at the Same Time”
➢ Problem Solving
➢ Selling Skills
➢ IQ and EQ
➢ Communication

13 Current Crisis and Future Challenges Class Discussion on Emerging Strategy

Consulting Models

Case: Eden McCallum: Consulting Redefined

14-15 Group Case Exercises (involving real

case exercises)
End term Examination

GROUP CASE EXERCISES

Each section must form groups of 5 or 6 students for Group Case Presentations during Sessions
17-20. The Class Representatives must communicate the groups and their members to me
before Session 4.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
● Class attendance and participation are not merely evaluation components. They are
intended to encourage you to think and analyze, and remove your diffidence about
speaking / expressing in public.
● No assignment or any other time bound activity / evaluation component will be
accepted / evaluated if submitted after due date / time.
● All submissions, without fail, should have student’s name, enrolment number and
section on all attachments and on all mails. If any of above is missing on any of
attachment / mail, the submission will not be considered.
● A very high level of academic integrity is expected and will be followed. No assignment
should be a cut, copy, and paste assembling of information from internet /each other /
any other source. Every source must be acknowledged in any one of the acceptable
methods of referencing.
● No academic dishonesty, including plagiarism even in one assignment / activity, is
expected from IIM students. If done, it may lead to awarding ‘Fail’ grade in the course,
and possibly to other disciplinary actions.