Code
MGYF STR 5938
Level
M2
Field
Stratégie
Language
Français/French
ECTS Credits
2
Class hours
28
Total student load
40
Program Manager(s)
Department
- Management, Marketing et Stratégie
Educational team
Introduction to the module
This business game is a hands-on experience based on a real-life case study presented by a company (medium or large-sized). The primary objective is to provide participants with the opportunity to implement the strategic management tools introduced in other courses, thereby enhancing their proficiency and skills in using them.
The case is presented during the very first session by a company manager. Participants then form teams of 3 to 5 people. Each morning, students work with the instructor/coach to determine which tools are best suited to solve the proposed problems. This is followed by theoretical reviews of the tools to be deployed. Each afternoon, the data required to use the selected tools is collected and analyzed. A daily synthesis of the results is presented by each team and discussed with the entire class.
During the final session, the groups present their analysis results and recommendations to the company manager. The evaluation of the quality of these recommendations is conducted jointly by the manager representing the company and the instructor/coach.
The relevance of the chosen analytical tools, the quality of the data collected, and the effectiveness of the analyses performed determine the value of the proposed recommendations. Completing this exercise within only 8 half-day sessions constitutes a major challenge in itself.
Learning objectives/Intended learning outcomes
- 4.1 - Understand and apply complex project management methods in order to propose innovative strategic approaches that integrate the societal, digital, energy and/or environmental challenges that organisations may face.
Rubrics
Compétences Centrales / Core Competencies
- Analyser un problème de management stratégique / Analyze a strategic management problem
- Modelage d'Affaires à l'Ere des Transitions Digital / Business Modeling Innovation in the Digital Transitions Era
Compétences Douces / Soft Skills
- Sens Critique / Critical Thinking
- Etablissement de Sens / Sensemaking
- Créativité / Creativity
- Travail en Equipe / Collaborative Teamwork
Content : structure and schedule
Session 1: Presentation of the real-life case study by the company.
Sessions 2–7: Group coaching (3 to 5 participants).
- Defining the dimensions of the proposed problem.
- Relevance of the selected analytical tools.
- Determining the quality level of the data to be collected (AI usage and understanding its limitations).
- Selection of data collection methods to be implemented (Big Data Analytics).
- Relevance of the results analysis.
- Formulating recommendations.
-> ODD 9.5
Session 8: Presentation of results and recommendations to the company manager.
Sustainable Development Goals
ODD 9
Justification for SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable Development Goal 9 aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation. This business game course aligns directly with SDG 9 by immersing participants in real-world strategic analysis using advanced tools (AI, Big Data Analytics), enhancing industrial decision-making capabilities and innovation capacity in enterprise settings.
Session 1 – Case Presentation by the Company (SDG 9)
The initial presentation introduces a real corporate case from a mid-to-large enterprise, framing the strategic challenges.
This sets the stage for Target 9.5 ("Enhance scientific research, upgrade technological capabilities of industrial sectors"), as participants begin applying management tools to complex industrial problems.
It establishes a practical context for innovation through data-driven strategic consulting.
Sessions 2–7 – Group Coaching and Analysis (SDG 9.5)
These core sessions involve iterative coaching where teams (3–5 participants) diagnose problems, select tools, collect/analyze data, and formulate recommendations under time constraints.
Problem dimensioning, tool selection (strategic frameworks), and data quality assessment (including AI usage and limitations) build research and analytical capacities central to Target 9.5.
Data collection methods (Big Data Analytics) and result interpretation demonstrate how enterprises upgrade technological infrastructure for sustainable innovation.
Daily syntheses ensure rigorous, evidence-based analysis, mirroring industrial R&D processes that drive competitiveness.
Target 9.5 perfectly fits these sessions, as they train participants to leverage cutting-edge analytics and AI, directly enhancing industrial sectors' innovation capabilities in resource-limited scenarios.
Session 8 – Final Presentation to Company Manager (SDG 9)
Teams present analyses and recommendations, evaluated by the company manager and coach.
This capstone reinforces Target 9.5 by translating research into actionable industrial strategies, validated by real stakeholders.
The emphasis on tool relevance, data quality, and analysis efficiency underscores sustainable innovation transfer to enterprises.
SDG 9 thus comprehensively justifies the course alignment: the intensive 8-half-day challenge simulates industrial transformation, equipping future managers with skills to foster technological advancement and resilient business infrastructures.
Number of SDG's addressed among the 17
1
Learning delivery
synchrone
Pedagogical methods
Etude de Cas réelle / Real Case Study
Seminaires Courts / Short Lectures
Apprentissage Expérientiel / Experiential Learning
Eléments d'étude en ligne / Online Learning Component
Evaluation and grading system and catch up exams
Continuous Assessment (Participation and Individual Contribution to Group Work): 60%
"Final" Assessment (Group Case Study + Group Presentation): 40%
The final grade may be adjusted based on lateness, unexcused absences, etc. Make-up Exam (CF2): Course-related questions / Mini Case Study. The grade is capped at 10/20. In the event of failure to pass the make-up exam (CF2), a schooling extension may be granted by the Academic Board.
Module Policies
Professor-Student Communication
● The professor will contact the students through their school email address (IMT-BS/TSP) and the Moodle portal. No communication via personal email addresses will take place. It is the student responsibility to regularly check their IMT-BS/TSP mailbox.
● Students can communicate with the professor by emailing him/her to his institutional address. If necessary, it is possible to meet the professor in his office during office-hours or by appointment.
Students with accommodation needs
If a student has a disability that will prevent from completing the described work or require any kind of accommodation, he may inform the program director (with supporting documents) as soon as possible. Also, students are encouraged to discuss it with the professor.
Class behavior
● Out of courtesy for the professor and classmates, all mobile phones, electronic games or other devices that generate sound should be turned off during class.
● Students should avoid disruptive and disrespectful behavior such as: arriving late, leaving early, careless behavior (e.g. sleeping, reading a non-course material, using vulgar language, over-speaking, eating, drinking, etc.). A warning may be given on the first infraction of these rules. Repeated violators will be penalized and may face expulsion from the class and/or other disciplinary proceedings.
● The tolerated delay is 5 minutes. Attendance will be declared on Moodle during these 5 minutes via a QR code provided by the teacher at each course start.
● Student should arrive on time for exams and other assessments. No one will be allowed to enter the classroom once the first person has finished the exam and left the room. There is absolutely no exception to this rule. No student can continue to take an exam once the time is up. No student may leave the room during an examination unless he / she has finished and handed over all the documents.
● In the case of remote learning, the student must keep his camera on unless instructed otherwise by the professor.
Honor code
IMT-BS is committed to a policy of honesty in the academic community. Conduct that compromises this policy may result in academic and / or disciplinary sanctions. Students must refrain from cheating, lying, plagiarizing and stealing. This includes completing your own original work and giving credit to any other person whose ideas and printed materials (including those from the Internet) are paraphrased or quoted directly. Any student who violates or helps another student violate academic behavior standards will be penalized according to IMT-BS rules.
Textbook Required and Suggested Readings
Wheelen et al., (2017). Strategic management and business policy: Globalization, innovation, and sustainability (15th ed.). Pearson.
Keywords
Experiential Learning; Strategic Management Tools; Evidence-Based Recommendations