The study of strategy is fundamentally about understanding why some businesses succeed while others do not. With this as a basis, NHH’s Strategy and Management programme focuses on two sets of fundamental questions that illuminate this overarching theme in different ways:

• What creates differences in performance between businesses and industries and why do such differences persist over time, and how can firms use this knowledge to create effective strategies?
• How can firms—through leading and developing individuals, groups, and organisations—implement strategies or carry out complex change processes?

The Strategy and Management programme comprises two different areas of expertise/themes, "Strategic Analysis" and "Organisation and Leadership".

The Strategic Analysis theme examines theories, mechanisms, and practical frameworks that can be used to understand why differences in performance both between and within markets can arise, how and why such differences can persist over time, and how this affects strategic decisions in companies.

The Organisation and Leadership theme examines the business itself, with a focus on the challenges business leaders meet when they plan to implement or deploy strategies, how one should lead and develop the business’s human resources, and how one can carry out complex organisational changes

KNOWLEDGE

• Have updated knowledge about and an overview of theory and research on strategy, organisation and management
• Have in-depth knowledge of theory and research in the field of either strategy, organisation or management
• Have sound knowledge of empirical methods and ethics

SKILLS

• Be capable of keeping up to date with and making use of new knowledge in the field throughout their professional career
• Have acquired good analytical and methodological skills
• Have learned how to work independently on advanced problems in the field of either strategy, organisation or management

GENERAL COMPETENCE

• Be capable of communicating and cooperating with both specialists and others on questions relating to strategy, organisation and management
• Have acquired knowledge about and the ability to reflect on and take account of ethical issues and social responsibility in connection with strategy, organisation and management
• Be capable of using knowledge about strategy, organisation and management to contribute to original thinking and innovation

Strategic Analysis will give you a solid general business understanding that will enable you to understand what drives the “numbers” we find in, for example, profitability analyses or valuations. This theme will therefore suit students with analytical skills who wish to work with decision makers (or become one) or as a consultant, analyst, advisor or leader at various levels in an organisation.

Organisation and Leadership will enable you to understand, analyse and lead implementation, change and reorganisation processes. This theme suits students who wish to work with implementing strategy and/or change and reorganisation processes, whether as a consultant, advisor or leader. It also suits students who wish to work in HR or management.