What Is Programming? And How To Get Started
January 28, 2025
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This course is part of Business Strategy Specialization
Instructors: Michael Lenox
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41,381 already enrolled
(680 reviews)
(680 reviews)
How to identify and evaluate opportunities to scale an organization
How to enter new markets and apply game theory to analyze, assess, and respond to competitors
How to assess the impact of a potential merger and acquisition and avoid common pitfalls of this type of growth
How to unlock the keys to innovation, from building an innovative capability to adding value from innovation to determining an innovation strategy
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Get the tools you need to analyze, evaluate and recommend specific actions organizations can take to grow their value and avoid common growth pitfalls. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and taught by top-ranked faculty, you will learn to determine how best to build value, whether by scaling existing markets, entering established markets or creating new markets through innovation and acquisitions.
Strategic growth is intentional, proactive, and consistent with a company's purpose. Taking advantage of economies of scale--growing a business by doing more of what it's already doing--is a conceptually easy but operationally complex approach to business growth. In this module, you will learn the Scenario Planning tool to identify and evaluate opportunities to scale an organization. With this tool, you'll have an effective means to understand when and where to grow and how to get there.
12 videos4 readings1 assignment
Growth through entry--whether by offering new products in existing markets or offering the same products in new markets--doesn't happen in isolation. Multiple firms compete for these markets and so any discussion of growth through entry has to look at the impact of rivalry. In this module, you'll learn how to apply game theory to analyze, assess, and respond to competitors. With the payoff matrices tool, you'll be able to evaluate options and determine an effective position.
8 videos1 assignment
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are common--but rarely successful--ways firms attempt to grow their business. In this module, we'll show you the pros and cons of M&A, suggest valid alternatives, and outline effective M&A strategies. Using the Acquisitions Analysis tool, you'll be able to assess the impact of a potential M&A and avoid common pitfalls of this type of growth.
12 videos1 assignment
Introducing new ideas, processes, and products that disrupt the market is another common growth strategy. In this module, we'll unlock the keys to innovation, from building an innovative capability to appropriating value from innovation to determining an innovation strategy. Using the Real Options Analysis tool, we'll show you how to grow through innovation and good practices for doing so. The Intel Corporate Venturing case provides an opportunity for you to practice this tool and apply course concepts to a real-world scenario.
11 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
Instructor ratings
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
A premier institution of higher education, The University of Virginia offers outstanding academics, world-class faculty, and an inspiring, supportive environment. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University is guided by his vision of discovery, innovation, and development of the full potential of students from all walks of life. Through these courses, global learners have an opportunity to study with renowned scholars and thought leaders.
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Reviewed on Apr 21, 2020
Essential Business Concepts and Growth Strategies provides an enhanced vision for the learners to look for a strategic growth opportunity of any firm in the competitive and non-competitive market.
Reviewed on Jun 11, 2020
Gave a brief understanding about the ways to grow for a business and the frameworks associated with them. Also, the peer reviewed assignments are very nice.
Reviewed on Sep 28, 2018
This is a solid strategy course where you'll learn about grown through scaling, new market entry, acquisition, innovation and performance excellence.
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