This course provides students with insights into theories in the field of strategy and entrepreneurship. Students will be able to critically analyze and evaluate theories and empirical evidence from these fields and be able to synthesize literature and integrate knowledge in strategy and entrepreneurship.
Prof. dr. Wouter Stam
Wouter Stam is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the School of Business and Economics of VU Amsterdam. He is also Scientific Director of the Amsterdam Business Research Institute (ABRI). Professor Stam holds a Master in International Business Studies, specializing in finance, from Maastricht University and received his PhD (with cum laude distinction) from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with a thesis examining the impact of social capital on the performance of entrepreneurial firms. During 2009-2015, he was a faculty member at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he taught courses in the undergraduate, MBA, and PhD programs and received a prestigious GRF research grant from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. He has also been a visiting scholar at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2006-2007), and RSM Erasmus University (2014).
Course Description
This specialization seminar provides students with a solid understanding of the main theories in the fields of strategy and entrepreneurship, as well as insights into the latest developments in these growing research fields. Entrepreneurship research seeks to understand the actions and processes that lead to the creation and transformation of firms and markets, whereas strategy research focuses on how firms develop market strategies, resources and capabilities that enable them to outperform others. The seminar will, first, offer in-depth discussions of the dominant schools of thought in strategy and entrepreneurship (“the classics”), and second, engage students in detailed explorations of several emergent streams of research (“hot topics”).
The schools of thought in strategy that will be discussed include:
• Industrial organization views of strategy (including the work of Porter and cooperative game theory)
• Resource-based views of strategy (including knowledge-based and (dynamic) capabilities views)
• Behavioral and evolutionary views of strategy
The schools of thought in entrepreneurship that will be discussed include:
• Economic theories of entrepreneurship (including work on opportunity recognition and the role of risk and uncertainty)
• Psychological theories of entrepreneurship (including work on cognition and emotions)
• Sociological theories of entrepreneurship (including work on social movements and network perspectives)
The current research streams that will be discussed include:
• Stakeholder strategy
• Cooperative strategy
• Social and sustainable entrepreneurship
• Scale-ups and models of entrepreneurial firm growth
Download the course manual here.
Study Characteristics
- Study period: March 2024 – May 2024 (Period 5)
- Credits: 5 ECTS
- Tuition fee: €1250 (20% discount for early bird registration)
- Registration deadline: 18-03-2024 (early bird registration: 26-02-2024)
- Recommendation: This is an ideal course for first year students.
- Teaching methods: Four hours of classroom interaction per week involving a combination of lectures and student presentations and discussion.
- Assessment: The final grade consists of the following elements: Individual examination (essay-type exam), Individual assignment (conceptual paper), Class participation.
- Due to the entry requirements of the programme, the courses of the Research Master Business in Society are only available for students registered for this master’s programme and, upon approval of the programme director, to other Research Master programmes, MSc Honours or PhD students.
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Course Description & Study Characteristics
Course Description
This specialization seminar provides students with a solid understanding of the main theories in the fields of strategy and entrepreneurship, as well as insights into the latest developments in these growing research fields. Entrepreneurship research seeks to understand the actions and processes that lead to the creation and transformation of firms and markets, whereas strategy research focuses on how firms develop market strategies, resources and capabilities that enable them to outperform others. The seminar will, first, offer in-depth discussions of the dominant schools of thought in strategy and entrepreneurship (“the classics”), and second, engage students in detailed explorations of several emergent streams of research (“hot topics”).
The schools of thought in strategy that will be discussed include:
• Industrial organization views of strategy (including the work of Porter and cooperative game theory)
• Resource-based views of strategy (including knowledge-based and (dynamic) capabilities views)
• Behavioral and evolutionary views of strategy
The schools of thought in entrepreneurship that will be discussed include:
• Economic theories of entrepreneurship (including work on opportunity recognition and the role of risk and uncertainty)
• Psychological theories of entrepreneurship (including work on cognition and emotions)
• Sociological theories of entrepreneurship (including work on social movements and network perspectives)
The current research streams that will be discussed include:
• Stakeholder strategy
• Cooperative strategy
• Social and sustainable entrepreneurship
• Scale-ups and models of entrepreneurial firm growth
Download the course manual here.
Study Characteristics
- Study period: March 2024 – May 2024 (Period 5)
- Credits: 5 ECTS
- Tuition fee: €1250 (20% discount for early bird registration)
- Registration deadline: 18-03-2024 (early bird registration: 26-02-2024)
- Recommendation: This is an ideal course for first year students.
- Teaching methods: Four hours of classroom interaction per week involving a combination of lectures and student presentations and discussion.
- Assessment: The final grade consists of the following elements: Individual examination (essay-type exam), Individual assignment (conceptual paper), Class participation.
- Due to the entry requirements of the programme, the courses of the Research Master Business in Society are only available for students registered for this master’s programme and, upon approval of the programme director, to other Research Master programmes, MSc Honours or PhD students.
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