Theoretical Foundations of Strategy: Markets, Firms, and Institutions

Catalog description

This doctoral seminar explores foundational theoretical perspectives that have shaped the field of strategic management. Through critical examination of approaches such as Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) – including its classical, revisionist, and dynamic forms and economic theories like Transaction Cost Economics and Evolutionary Economics, students will gain a multidimensional understanding of firm behavior and market dynamics. The course also delves into the Resource-Based View (RBV), Signaling Theory, and Organizational Learning perspectives to examine how internal capabilities, strategic signals, and experiential processes drive competitive advantage. Finally, the course incorporates insights from Economic Sociology to illuminate the institutional and social structures that influence strategic action. Emphasis is placed on the assumptions, mechanisms, and boundary conditions of each perspective, equipping students to critically assess, integrate, and extend theory in their own research.