Corporate strategy is the strategy a firm uses to compete across multiple businesses. Many small firms want to grow by entering new businesses. Many large firms already are in multiple businesses, e.g. a photo camera producer selling also sunglasses.
We developed this course to help you make good corporate strategy decisions. Of the many decisions a firm has to make, corporate strategy decisions are among the most consequential. We will look at these key corporate strategy decisions:
- Diversification: How and which businesses should your firm enter?
- Divestiture: How and from which businesses should your firm exit?
- Corporate HQ: How should we organize corporate headquarters to create value across the different businesses?
Welcome to week 1! This week, we introduce corporate strategy and its main goal: corporate advantage. To deepen our understanding of corporate strategy, we compare it with business strategy. We also cover sum-of-the-parts analysis, an often used technique to value multi-business firms, and we discuss how it relates to corporate advantage.
What's included
8 videos6 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 48 minutes
Welcome to corporate strategy•3 minutes
What does corporate strategy look like?•5 minutes
The core definition - what is corporate strategy?•3 minutes
Understanding difference 1 - number of businesses•4 minutes
Why we cannot infer corporate advantage from a sum-of-the-parts analysis•5 minutes
6 readings•Total 50 minutes
Course structure and navigation•5 minutes
Learn effectively this course•5 minutes
Apple sum-of-the-parts valuation•15 minutes
Week 1 Lecture slides•10 minutes
Glossary•10 minutes
Week 1 Progress review•5 minutes
2 assignments•Total 25 minutes
Business strategy vs corporate strategy•5 minutes
Corporate advantage•20 minutes
Week 2 Diversification
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
Welcome to week 2! A key decision in corporate strategy is determining which businesses a firm should be active in. This week we look at the diversification decision: entering a new business.
What's included
11 videos7 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 59 minutes
Diversification - why, what, and how to enter new businesses•5 minutes
Understanding the basic modes of diversification•7 minutes
Understanding the diversification test•6 minutes
Understanding synergies•9 minutes
A five-step approach to the diversification decision•2 minutes
Step 1 - Finding synergies•7 minutes
Step 2 - Identifying resource gaps•4 minutes
Step 3 - Identifying candidates•4 minutes
Step 4 - Evaluating ally or acquire•7 minutes
Step 5 - Evaluating organic or inorganic growth•6 minutes
Concluding the five-step approach to the diversification decision•2 minutes
7 readings•Total 60 minutes
4Cs Synergies framework•10 minutes
Introduction to the Microsoft-LinkedIn exercise•5 minutes
The diversification test & 4Cs synergies•5 minutes
The Microsoft-Linkedin acquisition •15 minutes
Diversification•20 minutes
Week 3 Divestiture
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
Welcome to week 3! A key decision in corporate strategy is determining which businesses a firm should be active in. This week we look at the divestiture decision: exiting from a business.
Understanding the basic modes of divestiture•4 minutes
Understanding the divestiture test•7 minutes
Understanding the regional perspective•3 minutes
A three-step approach to the divestiture decision•1 minute
Step 1 - Finding synergies•6 minutes
Step 2 - Identifying better parents•6 minutes
Step 3 - Choosing divestiture mode•2 minutes
Concluding the three-step approach to the divestiture decision•2 minutes
3 readings•Total 20 minutes
Introduction to the Third Point-Nestlé exercise•5 minutes
Week 3 Lecture slides•10 minutes
Week 3 Progress review•5 minutes
3 assignments•Total 30 minutes
Is this a divestiture or not?•5 minutes
Divestiture decisions, modes, and challenges•5 minutes
Divestiture•20 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 20 minutes
Defending Nestlé’s portfolio strategy•20 minutes
Week 4 Corporate headquarters
Module 4•2 hours to complete
Module details
Welcome to week 4! A key decision in corporate strategy is determining how to organize to create value across businesses. This week we look at corporate headquarters and how they can influence the different businesses.
What's included
9 videos5 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 49 minutes
Understanding corporate headquarters•3 minutes
Who controls corporate headquarters?•6 minutes
How to control more than you own•6 minutes
Understanding HQ influence models•6 minutes
Understanding the financial perspective•3 minutes
Understanding the uncertainty perspective•4 minutes
Understanding the synergy perspective•10 minutes
Understanding the social perspective•4 minutes
Using the synergistic portfolio framework•7 minutes
5 readings•Total 35 minutes
Introduction to the Fruit4Every1 exercise•5 minutes
Week 4 Lecture slides•10 minutes
Week 4 Progress review•5 minutes
Further readings and resources•10 minutes
Next steps and closing remarks•5 minutes
4 assignments•Total 45 minutes
Corporate headquarters basics•5 minutes
Resource allocation perspectives•5 minutes
Resource allocation at Fruit4Every1•15 minutes
Corporate headquarters•20 minutes
Instructor
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A
AS
5·
Reviewed on Nov 10, 2023
I would really like to thank Mr. Vanneste for explaining everything in easy way. This course has really helped me with the better understanding of the Strategies which are used by the Corporate HQs
M
MM
5·
Reviewed on Nov 29, 2022
The journey to complete the course was amazing. The course materials are Super informative & easy to understand. I would suggest everyone to enroll this course. Thank you coursera!
M
MO
5·
Reviewed on Oct 2, 2025
I really enjoyed this course , it’s clear, well-structured, and engaging throughout. Complex strategy concepts are explained concisely, with valuable learning outcomes I can apply in practice.
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