MAGT 593: Competition, Innovation and Strategy: (3-0-3) The course will begin with a definition of the strategic task and a review of key strategic concepts (competitive advantage, industry structure, competitive intelligence, critical success factors, and positional advantages). The course draws on findings from a number of academic disciplines, especially economics, organization theory, and sociology, to build a fundamental understanding of how and why some firms achieve and sustain superior performance. There is a direct link between superior performance and successful new product and service innovation in a wide variety of domains. Successful strategy design and implementation require a holistic understanding of the firm's external environment and of its internal resources and capabilities. They also require a synthetic view of how the firm integrates functional activities in operations, marketing, finance and other areas. The course is designed to develop this integrative view of the firm and its environment, along with appropriate analytical skills.