Business Environment & Strategy

Business environment: concept, characteristics and components; External and internal environmental variables; Environmental analysis process (scanning, monitoring, forecasting and assessment); Environmental scanning: concept and types (concentrated and comprehensive scanning); Importance of the study of business environment.

Concept and components of political environment; Business-government relationship; Political risk: concept, impact and management; Nepalese political environment: issues and problems.

Business law: concept and basic features; Business related legislations in Nepal: Company act, foreign investment and technology transfer act, Industrial enterprise act, Labor act, Patent, design and trademark act, Copyright act and Foreign employment act.

Dimensions of an economy; Structure of Nepalese economy; Privatization: concept and methods of privatization (share sales, management contract, lease assets and business sales, others); Liberalization: meaning and requirement; Economic policies: monetary policy, industrial policy, trade policy, Tourism policy, Employment policy; Effects of liberalization on Nepalese business.

An introduction to socio-cultural environment; Socio-cultural components: attitude and belief, religion, language, education, family structure and social organizations.

Introduction to technology; Components of technology environment; Effect of technology on business; Factors affecting choice of technology; Information technology policy in Nepal, Status of technology in Nepal

Globalization: concept and forms; WTO: Introduction and principles; Nepal's membership to WTO: opportunities and threats for the Nepalese business. Regional economic integration: concept and forms; Nepal’s membership to SAFTA and BIMSTEC: opportunities and threats.

Concept and characteristics of strategy; Level of strategy; Strategic decisions: concept and characteristics; Strategic management: concept, process, benefits; Phases of strategic management; Strategic planning: concept, components and steps; Challenges to strategic management: innovation, globalization and sustainability; Role of chief executive in strategic management

Aspects of environmental analysis; Strategic importance of external environment; Environmental analysis: industry analysis (Porter’s approach), PESTEL analysis, Scenario building; External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFEM); Competitive intelligence and Strategic audit.

Concept of organizational appraisal; Concept and types of company resources (available resources, threshold resources, unique resources); Core Competencies; Distinctive Competencies; Strategic advantage; Strategic Advantage Profile (SAP); Value chain analysis: concept and importance.

Strategy formulation: concept and importance; Mission, objectives, strategies and policies; Generating strategic options: corporate strategy, business strategy and functional strategy; Using SWOT analysis for strategies ; Strategic alternatives at corporate level (stability strategy, growth strategy, retrenchment strategy, combination strategy); Strategic alternatives at business level (Porter’s competitive strategy, strategic clock-oriented market based generic strategies); Strategies at functional level ( marketing strategy, financial strategy, operation strategy, human resource management strategy and research and development strategy); Direction for strategy development (Consolidation, market penetration, product development, market development, diversification); Methods of strategy development (Internal development method, acquisition and merger method, joint development and strategic alliances method) ; Portfolio analysis for strategic choice (BCG matrix, GE Business Screen, Hofer’s matrix)

Concept and process of strategy implementation, Requirements for strategy implementation: structure, resources and management system; Strategic change: Concept, levels and management

Concept of control in strategic management, Strategic information system, Types of control, Meaning and characteristics of strategy evaluation, Measures of corporate performance, problems in measuring performance, Characteristics of an effective evaluation and control; Guidelines for proper evaluation and control.