Competitive Strategy

Creating and sustaining competitive advantage

Competitive advantage is not only difficult to achieve — it’s a challenge to maintain, especially in times of uncertainty and change. In a highly collaborative learning environment, you’ll learn how to leverage top Kellogg faculty members' latest thinking on how to remain competitive in challenging markets. You’ll gain practical insights from in-depth examination of the experiences of other leading companies and why certain strategies fail and others succeed.

As you work with fellow, likeminded participants, you’ll explore how best to apply those insights to build a solid foundation for your own profitability and growth. You’ll sharpen your analytic skills, learn how to capitalize on growth opportunities and avoid strategic mistakes. You’ll leave with a clear articulation of your organization’s competitive advantages and a powerful, long-term action plan for making the most of your competitive strengths.


Incentives available for groups and teams of four or more attending open enrollment programs. Learn more


Information Session

Learn more about Competitive Strategy with this half-hour long information session.

 

Who Should Attend

  • Mid-level to senior executives responsible for strategic planning, general management and acquisitions
  • Managers of marketing, operations and other functional areas who aspire to take on strategy-focused responsibilities
  • Cross-functional teams engaging in their strategic planning process

Download Past Participant Profile

Key Benefits

  • Develop and sharpen your analytic strategy skills
  • Examine theories and frameworks for identifying and exploiting profitable opportunities
  • Learn how to avoid strategic mistakes
  • Gain valuable insight from the successes and failures of respected firms and the issues they face looking forward

Program Content

Fundamentals of Competitive Strategy

  • Learn analytical frameworks for strategy formulation
  • Understand the economics of value creation and capture

External Environment Analysis

  • Explore the market forces underlying industry profitability and firm performance
  • Learn modern game-theory approaches for competing effectively with a small number of rivals
  • Understand industry evolution and optimal responses to growth opportunities and shakeouts
  • Identify winner-takes-all markets – a different battle

Internal Profitability Analysis

  • Articulate and evaluate competitive advantage
  • Assess the long-term sustainability of competitive advantage
  • Develop resources and effective capabilities for strategic investments
  • Capitalize on growth opportunities through strategic positioning and fit

Faculty

Jeroen Swinkels - Academic Director; Richard M. Paget Professor of Management Policy; Professor of Strategy

Craig Garthwaite - Associate Professor of Strategy; Herman Smith Research Professor in Hospital and Health Services Management; Director of Healthcare at Kellogg

Thomas N. Hubbard - Elinor and H. Wendell Hobbs Professor of Management; Professor of Strategy; Faculty Director, Masters in Management Program

What Participants Say

“Simply an outstanding and stimulating course [that] provide[s] an insightful (economics-driven) manner of assessing and defining competitive strategies.”
COO, Software Segment, Bloomberg BNA, Washington DC Metro Area

“The program illustrated succinct, incremental methods and frameworks that will significantly help my strategy role.”
Principal, Business Strategy, Adobe Systems Incorporated

“The highly relevant cases allowed me to develop insight that I could immediately apply to my role within my company.”
Vice President, Global Academic Relations, Elsevier

 

VIDEO: Build a solid foundation for growth

Personal Consultation

Please contact us to schedule an advising session

Featured Videos

Academic Director Jeroen Swinkels discusses the Competitive Strategy program at Kellogg Executive Education.

Professor Meghan Busse discusses who will benefit from joining the Competitive Strategy program.

2025 Sessions

May 12 -16, 2025

Start: May 12 at 1:30 PM

End: May 16 at 12:00 PM


Format: In-Person at Wieboldt Hall on Chicago Campus


Click here for Executive Education's COVID-19 health and safety protocols

$10,450

Fee includes lodging and most meals

September 8-12, 2025

Start: September 8 at 1:30 PM

End: September 12 at 12:00 PM


Format: In-Person at Wieboldt Hall on Chicago Campus


Click here for Executive Education's COVID-19 health and safety protocols

$10,450

Fee includes lodging and most meals

Kellogg School of Management

James L. Allen Center
2169 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
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847.467.6018