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STR 401 · Unit 2 of 6

Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems

Advanced Competitive Strategy

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Learning objectives

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

  • Apply frameworks to case studies and projects
  • Apply the frameworks in "Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems" to a real management decision
  • Make progress on your Applied project applied project

Why this matters

Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems is essential to Advanced Competitive Strategy. Lessons build fluency with anchor-company examples, worked problems, and assessments on the unit page.

Lesson

Unit overview

Complete all 4 lessons in order. Each lesson follows the program authoring standard: conceptual prose, worked examples, practice problems, and managerial judgment prompts. Finish unit exercises and the knowledge check before marking the unit complete.

Connection to applied work

This unit feeds directly into Applied project. As you read, capture notes, examples, and data you can reuse in that deliverable. Strong students finish each unit with a draft section of their project, not just highlights.

Practice

  1. Write a one-page summary of this unit in your own words without looking at the lesson.
  2. Find a real company example (public filing, news article, or personal experience) that illustrates the main concept.
  3. Draft one paragraph recommending an action a manager should take based on this unit.
  4. Add at least three terms from this unit to your course glossary.

Knowledge check

Answer these without notes before marking the unit complete:

  1. What is the central idea of "Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems"?
  2. What mistake do beginners most often make when applying this material?
  3. How does this unit help you complete Applied project?
  4. What is one decision you face this month where this unit applies?

Key takeaways

  • Apply frameworks to case studies and projects
  • Business concepts only matter when they change a decision.
  • Your STR 401 assessment (Advanced Competitive Strategy. Six units covering applied topics in this concentration.) rewards applied understanding, not memorization.

Unit assessment

Complete each section below. Score 80%+ on the quiz to finish this unit's assessment.

50% applied project30% case work20% knowledge checks

Exercises

Apply what you learned in this unit with structured practice.

ExerciseApplied practice: Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems45 min
Complete a focused practice exercise on **Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems**. 1. Choose a real company, product, or situation you know. 2. Apply one core framework from this unit to analyze it. 3. Write your analysis in 300–500 words with a clear recommendation. 4. Cite at least one credible source.

Deliverable

300–500 word analysis document saved to your portfolio under STR 401.

Rubric

  • • Framework applied correctly (not just named)
  • • Specific evidence from a real example
  • • Clear recommendation with tradeoffs acknowledged
  • • Professional writing with source citation
ExerciseDrill: Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems30 min
Work through the practice problems in the unit lesson without looking at notes. Then check your work against the lesson and write a short reflection: - What you got right - One mistake you caught - One concept to review before the next unit

Deliverable

Problem solutions + 150-word reflection in your STR 401 workbook.

Rubric

  • • Attempted all practice items before checking answers
  • • Honest reflection on errors
  • • Identifies a specific review action

Case analysis

Analyze a case using frameworks from this unit.

CaseCase analysis: Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems60 min
Analyze a real business case through the lens of **Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems**. Choose a public company event, HBR-style case, or documented decision. **Deliverable structure:** 1. Situation summary (150 words) 2. Analysis using this unit's frameworks (400 words) 3. Recommendation (150 words) 4. Risks and what would change your mind

Deliverable

2-page case write-up in your portfolio.

Rubric

  • • Case facts are accurate and sourced
  • • Analysis uses unit frameworks explicitly
  • • Recommendation is justified with tradeoffs
  • • Risks are specific, not generic

Knowledge quiz

Check your understanding before marking the unit complete.

1. For Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems at Meridian Industrial, what is the primary decision-quality test before board funding?

2. Meridian Industrial reports $4.80B revenue and $1.84B net debt. Why must Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems analysis include leverage guardrails?

3. In Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems, which practice best reflects HarborFlow Water context?

4. Nina Park's consulting team reviews Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems. What distinguishes insight from observation?

5. Which leading-indicator discipline fits Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems governance?

6. A manager proposes a Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems initiative with positive base-case NPV but thin covenant headroom. Best response?

7. What is the strongest dissent practice in Strategic Positioning and Activity Systems recommendations?

Next unit: Dynamic Capabilities and Competitive Response →