Mba Global Network

Strategic Management


Strategic Management question bank

Q1.  Why should a company have Mission Statement ?  Discuss its role and functions.  Give examples of mission statements in relation to any three of the following organisations:

  1. A corporate hospital in the private sector
  2. A specialised professional educational and training institution in the Government sector
  3. A technical and management consulting firm in the private sector.
  4. A electric supply undertaking in the Government sector


Briefly explain 7-S Framework.  In what way can the framework be helpful in strategic formulation and implementation?

Q.2.  Enumerate the consistent of mega and micro environments of a business firm.  How are the two types of environments interrelated ?  Illustrate your answer with suitable examples.


What are the different criteria for classifying organisational elements into strengths and weaknesses?  Illustrate with suitable example.   Are different criteria exclusive?

Q.3.   In what ways do the BOG Matrix GE Planning Grid, and Shells Directional policy Matrix differ from each other / Explain how such portfolio matrices are helpful in strategy formulation.


Briefly explain and then discuss in which situations the following strategies would be useful:

  1. Turnaround strategy
  2. Takeover strategy
  3. Vertical Integration strategy.

Q.4.  Briefly discuss the elements of successful implementation of strategies.  What checkpointscould you use in pre- implementation phase of a strategy.


What factors could corporate decline ?  What measures have been taken in India to deal with corporate/ industrial sickness?  Examine critically.

Q.5. What role does the Board Directors (BOD) play in strategic management of a company ?  What kind of relationship may the BOD have with the top management of the company ?  Examine and discuss.


Explain the concept of corporate strategy.  What kinds of people in a company are responsible for strategic decisions and their implementation?  Is strategic planning the same as strategic management ?

Q.6. Why is competitive analysis needed for as business enterprise ? Explain how porters framework to analyze industry structure can be helpful in competitive analysis.  Explain the relevance of the model.


What criteria can be used for determining strengths and weaknesses of a corporate entity ?  what measures can be used for determining strengths and weaknesses ?  Discuss briefly.

Q.7.   What is BCGs Growth Share matrix?  Construct a BCG matrix based on hypothetical data.OR

What role do costs play in different market conditions?  How does this role change? Does Porters generic business strategy of cost leadership have nay relevance in this context ?

Q.8.  Distinguish between related and Unrelated diversifications.  Examine the merits and demerits of each.  What kind of trend, in this context, has been dissemble over the recent past?


It is often said that strategy; implementation is much more difficult land challenging than the strategy formulation.  Why is it so? What would you suggest to a company for effective implementation of strategies?

Q.9.  There are some managerially  derived expectations from the Board of Directors (BOD) of a company.  What are these expectations
?  Discuss and make a critical assessment of the role of the Board of Directors in the context of Indian corporate sector.

Q.10.  What constitutes socio- cultural and political environment for a business enterprise ?  how do the trends in such environment impact upon a company?  Illustrate with examples.


What is meant by competitive advantage?  How can a company build competitive advantage? Explain giving suitable examples.

Q.11.  What is portfolio analysis in the context of strategic management? What considerations would guide you in balancing the portfolio?


Describe the techniques of strategic financial analysis and explain one of them in detail, pointing out its merits and demerits.

Q.12.  What strategic options may a company have ? Explain and also discuss the risks attached with each option.


Distinguish between backward and forward integrations.  Pointing out the situations in which each would be advisable.  Examine the merits and demerits of both types of integration.

Q.13  (a) Is there any difference between corporate objectives and corporate values? What factors affect corporate values? Discuss briefly.

(b) What role could the Board of Directors play in the area of strategic management? Discuss.

Q.14 (a) What is "competitive advantage"? Citing some real life examples, discuss how competitive advantage could be gained

(b) "The purpose of internal analysis is to match strengths and weaknesses with opportunities and threats." Explain.

Q.15.(a) What factors cause Experience Curve Effect? Discuss briefly. (b) Explain briefly the PIMS model portfolio analysis.

Q.16.(a) How would you predict company failures? Discuss briefly any measurement model in this context.

(b) Differentiate between Concentric and Conglomerate diversifications, citing examples for each.

Q.17. (a) What are the characteristics of Strategic Management Decisions? Differentiate between ! Strategic Decisions and Operating Decisions.

(b) What is meant by "distinctive competence"? In what ways can a company attain distinctive competence?

Q.18(a) Discuss some tools (or frameworks) for analysing the impact of environmental opportunities pointing out their relative merits and shortcomings.

(b) Differentiate between the Economists and the Marketing viewpoints regarding the study of competition.

Q.19(a) Explain briefly Patel and Younger's approach for assessing the strategic position of a company. In what way you think, is this approach an improvement over product portfolio matrices?

(b) What is `Synergy'? What could be the different types of synergies and how can they be brought about? Explain briefly.

Q.20.(a) "Implementation of strategy requires right organisational structure" Explain.

(b) A friend of yours bring to you a proposal for the acquisition of a medium scale company. How would you judge the suitability of the proposal?

Q.21.(a) What are the various routes to building competitive advantage? Discuss them.

(b) Differentiate between the Grid Approach and the 7-S Framework for analysing strengths and weaknesses of a given corporate entity.

Q.22.(a) Explain how at different stages in the life cycle of a product, business organisations need toadopt different strategies.

(b) What do you understand by the term Diversification? When is it resorted to? Explain relevance of the concept of core competencies while evolving diversification strategy and plans.

Q.23.(a) "The success of a takeover, to a large extent, depends upon the post-acquisition management." Explain it with corporate experiences.

(b) What are the structural requirements for proper evaluation, control and updation of strategies?

Q.24.(a) Do you agree with the suggestion that it is now imperative for all enterprises to evaluate global environments for their survival? If yes, why? If no, why not?

(b) Explain what do you understand by turnaround and list various types of turnaround strategies. Discuss them briefly.

Q.25. (a)  Differentiate between strategic decisions and operating decisions, giving examples.

(b)  Evaluate the different approaches to corporate planning, pointing out their relative merits and demerits.

Q.26.  (a)  What are the uses f experience curve in competitive strategy;? Explain. (b)  One purpose of internal analysis is to match strengths and weaknesses with opportunities and threats. Explain.

Q.27. (a)  What are different types of synergies an how can they be brought about? Explain and illustrate.

(b)  Under what conditions are internal and external routes to growth advisable?  Support your answer with some real  life examples.

Q.28.  A company intends to take over another company and approaches you for advice.  What guidelines in general would you like to suggest to the company to follow before and after takeover?

Q.29.  (a)   Implementation of strategy requires right organisation structure. Discuss.

(b)  Indian firms have not been driven by competence  led growth.  Comment on the basis of the system of Industrial licencing prevalent in the past.[20]

Q.30. (a)   Enumerate and briefly explain the various strategies that an organization may ha.  What characteristic should these strategies have in order to be successful?

(b)  Are strategy, strategic plan and corporate plan the same? Discuss.  What could be some of the reasons for failure of plans?

Q.31.  Discuss the importance of mission statement in strategy formulation.  What does a mission statement convey?  Give examples of mission statements for the following organisation:

(a)  An organisation providing internet and related telecommunication services.

(b)  A corporate hospital in private sector.

(c )  A company manufacturing heavy machinery in public sector.

Q.32.  Discus the role and functions of Chief Executive officer (CEO) of a company.  How can he contribute in fostering appropriate values and culture for the organisation?

Q.33.  What is competitive analysis?  In what ways can a company build up competitivg3e advantage?  Explain with examples.

Q34.  Explain and indicate the uses of

  1. GE Planning Grid
  2. Arthur D. Little Companys Matrix

Q.35.  Explain with examples importance of key success factors in strategy formulation and implementation.  How wo7uld you determine them for a particular organisation?

Q.36.  Discuss the motivations for mergers and acquisition of businesses.  Why is post- acquisition management important?

Q.38. Briefly explain McKinsey 7s Framework. How can it be helpful in strategic management?

Q.39.  "The role of BOD is to govern and not to manage" Discuss the statement, bringing out the elements of corporate governance.

Q.40. Briefly explain the constituents of the micro environment of a business organisation, individually or collectively, improve industrial relations climate within and outside?

Q.41. (a)  Explain the concept of strategic choice in relation to inventory items.  What are its uses and limitations?

(b)  What ratios, do you think, can be useful to strategic analysis?  Illustrate your answer.

Q.42.  Why is pre  implementation evaluation of strategy important ?  What check-points would you like to use in the process of evaluation?

Q.43.  Distinguish between  integration and diversification.  What are the pre-requisites for success of conglomerate diversification? Explain.

Q.44.  What role does the Board of Directors play in the strategic management of an organisation? In what way is the Board of Directors (BoD) involved in corporate governance? Discuss.

Q.45.  Explain how portfolio matrices are helpful in strategic analysis. 1-low does the GE Planning Grid differ from BGG matrix?

Q.46. Differentiate between concentric and conglomerate diversification, citing examples of each. In what way is the concept of diversification related with `core competence'?

Q.47. "Strategic management without effective implementation has no meaning." Discuss. How would you ensure successful implementation of strategies?

Q.48.(a) How can a firm build 'competitive advantage'?

(b) "Business firms need to adopt different strategies during the different stages of the product cycle of a product." Explain with examples.

Industrial relations


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Thursday, 22 October 2020
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