MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management Notes cover all 4 units of the Semester 3 core paper of MBA (Analytics) in a 65-page English book: 37 numbered diagrams, 4 case studies and 68 exam questions sorted by unit. They follow the MBA (Analytics) Scheme and Syllabus 2022-24 onwards, whose Semester 3 papers were approved on 19.07.2023.
Written by Prateek Talwar, Founder, Unnati Educations, ACS (ICSI), B.Com (University of Delhi) · Reviewed by Sheetal Kirola, Academic Head, M.Ed. · Checked against syllMBAAnalytics180225.pdf (ipu.ac.in) · Updated 26 October 2026 · Editorial policy
Scheme: MBA (Analytics) 2022-24 onwards | Applies to: Scheme and Syllabus 2022-24 onwards | Verified against: syllMBAAnalytics180225.pdf (Sem 3 and 4 approved 19.07.2023)
MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management at a glance: GGSIPU MBA (Analytics) Sem 3 credits, units and exam pattern
MBA(A) 201 is the only "Core" paper in Semester 3, taught over 42 lecture hours. It sits with the other GGSIPU MBA (Analytics) Semester 3 papers.
| Code and title | MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management (also printed "MBA (A) - 201") |
|---|---|
| Course and semester | MBA (Analytics), Semester 3 |
| Category and credits | Core · 3 credits · L 3, no T/P |
| Marks | Internal 25 (Class Test-I 15 + presentation, viva-voce or group discussion 10). End-term marks and total: not printed in the official PDF. |
| End-term pattern | Not printed in the official PDF |
| Applies to | Scheme and Syllabus 2022-24 onwards |
| Units | 4 (I 10 hours, II 10, III 10, IV 12); the official PDF numbers units only, so unit names here are the notes' titles |
| Paired lab | None |
| Verify | Official syllabus PDF on ipu.ac.in |
For MBA(A) 201 end-term minimums and re-appear rules, the scheme points to Ordinance 11.
MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management Notes unit-wise: 37 diagrams, 4 case studies and 68 exam questions across 4 units
These MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management IPU notes move from what strategy means to the structure that carries it out; each unit closes with its own question bank.
Notes for other papers of the course: GGSIPU MBA (Analytics) notes.
MBA(A) 201 Unit I: Introduction to Strategic Management
Pages 5 to 17, 15 sections. Nature, dimensions and levels of strategy lead into vision, mission (Fred David's nine components), Abell's business definition and five models: Mintzberg, Ansoff, Porter, Prahalad and Hamel, McKinsey 7S. Count: 10 diagrams, 16 exam questions.
| Basis | Vision | Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What do we want to become? | What is our business? Why do we exist? |
| Time frame | Long-term future | Present |
| Nature | Inspirational and broad | Specific and practical |
| Sequence | Comes first | Derived from the vision |
Quick look: vision vs mission (from page 11)
- Basis
- Question
- Vision
- What do we want to become?
- Mission
- What is our business? Why do we exist?
- Basis
- Time frame
- Vision
- Long-term future
- Mission
- Present
- Basis
- Nature
- Vision
- Inspirational and broad
- Mission
- Specific and practical
- Basis
- Sequence
- Vision
- Comes first
- Mission
- Derived from the vision
MBA(A) 201 Unit II: Strategic Management in Global Environment
Pages 18 to 34, 14 sections. Bartlett and Ghoshal's grid, eight entry modes and Hofstede set up global strategy; then competitive dynamics, five forces for Indian airlines, PESTLE for Indian EVs, S-curves and strategic control. Count: 10 diagrams, 2 case studies (Tata Motors and JLR, Kodak), 18 exam questions.
| Measure | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Total value created (V − C) | 6,000 − 3,000 | ₹3,000 |
| Consumer surplus (V − P) | 6,000 − 4,500 | ₹1,500 |
| Firm's profit (P − C) | 4,500 − 3,000 | ₹1,500 |
Quick look: value split on shoes (V ₹6,000, P ₹4,500, C ₹3,000) (from page 28)
- Measure
- Total value created (V − C)
- Working
- 6,000 − 3,000
- Result
- ₹3,000
- Measure
- Consumer surplus (V − P)
- Working
- 6,000 − 4,500
- Result
- ₹1,500
- Measure
- Firm's profit (P − C)
- Working
- 4,500 − 3,000
- Result
- ₹1,500
MBA(A) 201 Unit III: Formulating Corporate-Level and Business-Level Strategy
Pages 35 to 49, 17 sections. The Balanced Scorecard and Glueck's grand strategies (growth to combination) come first, each with Indian examples; then building blocks of advantage, core competence and Porter's generic strategies, picked up in the excerpt below. Count: 8 diagrams, 1 case study (Tata Motors turnaround), 17 exam questions.
| Question | What it checks | If "No" |
|---|---|---|
| Valuable? | Helps exploit opportunities or neutralise threats | Competitive disadvantage |
| Rare? | Controlled by only a few firms | Competitive parity |
| Inimitable? | Costly or difficult for others to copy | Temporary advantage |
| Organised? | Firm is set up to capture its value | Unused advantage |
Quick look: Jay Barney's VRIO test (from page 44)
- Question
- Valuable?
- What it checks
- Helps exploit opportunities or neutralise threats
- If "No"
- Competitive disadvantage
- Question
- Rare?
- What it checks
- Controlled by only a few firms
- If "No"
- Competitive parity
- Question
- Inimitable?
- What it checks
- Costly or difficult for others to copy
- If "No"
- Temporary advantage
- Question
- Organised?
- What it checks
- Firm is set up to capture its value
- If "No"
- Unused advantage
MBA(A) 201 Unit IV: Analysing Resources and Capabilities
Pages 50 to 64, 12 sections. Grant's resource-based approach comes first; implementation follows: functional strategies, SMART goals, gap analysis, Chandler's "structure follows strategy", and divisional, SBU, project and matrix structures. Count: 9 diagrams, 1 case study (ITC), 17 exam questions.
| Step | Figure |
|---|---|
| Desired sales in 5 years | ₹1,000 crore |
| Projected sales with the current strategy | ₹700 crore |
| Strategic gap | ₹300 crore |
| Gap-closing plan | Market penetration ₹80 crore + new products ₹120 crore + acquisition ₹100 crore |
Quick look: closing a strategic gap of ₹300 crore (from page 58)
- Step
- Desired sales in 5 years
- Figure
- ₹1,000 crore
- Step
- Projected sales with the current strategy
- Figure
- ₹700 crore
- Step
- Strategic gap
- Figure
- ₹300 crore
- Step
- Gap-closing plan
- Figure
- Market penetration ₹80 crore + new products ₹120 crore + acquisition ₹100 crore
Cost leadership strategy and its cost drivers in strategic management: excerpt from page 46 of the MBA(A) 201 notes
Excerpt from page 46
Under cost leadership, a firm aims to become the lowest-cost producer in its industry while still offering a product of acceptable quality to a broad market. Low cost then gives it a choice: charge lower prices than rivals, or charge the industry price and earn a higher margin.
Ways to achieve low cost (cost drivers)
- Economies of scale in production and purchasing.
- The experience or learning curve: costs fall as cumulative output rises.
- Process efficiency, automation and lean manufacturing.
- Low-cost inputs, through favourable access to raw materials or cheap locations.
- Standardised, no-frills products and a limited product range.
- Tight cost control: minimal overheads, low marketing spend and an efficient supply chain.
- Reconfiguring the value chain, for example selling online to cut distribution costs.
Conditions favouring cost leadership
The strategy suits markets where price competition is strong and buyers are price-sensitive, the product is standardised, there are few ways to differentiate that buyers value, and buyers have low switching costs and strong bargaining power.
| Advantage | Risk |
|---|---|
| Defends against price wars from rivals | Technological change may wipe out the cost advantage |
| Strong buyers can only push price down to the next most efficient rival | Competitors may imitate low-cost methods |
| Better able to absorb supplier price increases | Focus on cost may ignore changing customer needs |
| Scale and low price act as an entry barrier | Rising input costs may erode the advantage |
| Low price protects against substitutes | Cost cutting may hurt quality and brand image |
Cost leadership: advantages against the five forces, and its risks (page 46)
- Advantage
- Defends against price wars from rivals
- Risk
- Technological change may wipe out the cost advantage
- Advantage
- Strong buyers can only push price down to the next most efficient rival
- Risk
- Competitors may imitate low-cost methods
- Advantage
- Better able to absorb supplier price increases
- Risk
- Focus on cost may ignore changing customer needs
- Advantage
- Scale and low price act as an entry barrier
- Risk
- Rising input costs may erode the advantage
- Advantage
- Low price protects against substitutes
- Risk
- Cost cutting may hurt quality and brand image
Indian examples on the page
D-Mart owns its stores, keeps everyday low prices and pays suppliers quickly in return for better terms. IndiGo runs a single aircraft type, turns planes round quickly and keeps service no-frills. Reliance Jio built its position on scale and a 4G-only network.
The page then opens differentiation: a product or service customers see as unique in quality, design, brand, technology or service, so they pay a premium that more than covers its extra cost.
Do the MBA(A) 201 notes cover the full GGSIPU syllabus?
Yes. Every topic in the four official MBA(A) 201 units has its own section; the unit check found no gap.
| Official unit | Official topics | Where in the notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit I (10 hours) | Definition, nature, dimensions, need, process; vision, mission, business definition; models of Mintzberg, Ansoff, Porter, Prahalad and Gary Hammel; McKinsey's 7S | Sections 1 to 15, pages 5 to 17 | Covered |
| Unit II (10 hours) | Globalization, international companies, global corporation, international culture, global strategies; competitor and rivalry analysis; five forces, PESTLE, competition and value, technology lifecycle; strategic management process, strategic choice, control | Sections 1 to 14, pages 18 to 34 | Covered |
| Unit III (10 hours) | Balanced Score Card; grand strategies (growth, diversification, stability, retrenchment, turnaround, combination); Porter's competitive strategies, competitive advantage, core competence, low-cost, differentiation, focus | Sections 1 to 17, pages 35 to 48 | Covered |
| Unit IV (12 hours) | Resources and capabilities; functional level strategy; corporate goals and strategic gap; strategy implementation issues, strategy-structure relationship, divisionalisation, SBUs, project and matrix organisation, new design options | Sections 1 to 12, pages 50 to 63 | Covered |
MBA(A) 201 official syllabus mapped to the notes
- Official unit
- Unit I (10 hours)
- Official topics
- Definition, nature, dimensions, need, process; vision, mission, business definition; models of Mintzberg, Ansoff, Porter, Prahalad and Gary Hammel; McKinsey's 7S
- Where in the notes
- Sections 1 to 15, pages 5 to 17
- Status
- Covered
- Official unit
- Unit II (10 hours)
- Official topics
- Globalization, international companies, global corporation, international culture, global strategies; competitor and rivalry analysis; five forces, PESTLE, competition and value, technology lifecycle; strategic management process, strategic choice, control
- Where in the notes
- Sections 1 to 14, pages 18 to 34
- Status
- Covered
- Official unit
- Unit III (10 hours)
- Official topics
- Balanced Score Card; grand strategies (growth, diversification, stability, retrenchment, turnaround, combination); Porter's competitive strategies, competitive advantage, core competence, low-cost, differentiation, focus
- Where in the notes
- Sections 1 to 17, pages 35 to 48
- Status
- Covered
- Official unit
- Unit IV (12 hours)
- Official topics
- Resources and capabilities; functional level strategy; corporate goals and strategic gap; strategy implementation issues, strategy-structure relationship, divisionalisation, SBUs, project and matrix organisation, new design options
- Where in the notes
- Sections 1 to 12, pages 50 to 63
- Status
- Covered
Official source: MBA (Analytics) Scheme and Syllabus 2022-24 onwards (ipu.ac.in PDF), page 51.
The MBA(A) 201 map follows the method used for every course in GGSIPU notes.
How to write MBA(A) 201 answers: diagram-first ten-to-fifteen-mark answers with Indian company examples
MBA(A) 201 is a theory paper, yet the notes build almost every long answer the same way: definition, drawn figure, table, one Indian company. The four exam tips (pages 11, 28, 43 and 63) apply it to different topics.
- Vision and mission (page 11): define both, list characteristics and Fred David's nine components, add the difference table.
- PESTLE (page 28): six-box diagram, two or three points per factor, one Indian industry in a table, then opportunities and threats.
- Grand strategies (page 43): four-branch tree, types in a table; for turnaround, danger signals and stages.
- Structure (page 63): divisional and matrix charts, merits and demerits tables, Chandler, then the strategy-structure matching table.
Worked example: "What is a turnaround strategy? Explain the turnaround process with an Indian example." (Unit III long question 5)
- Define it: turning a loss-making business profitable while it is still worth saving (page 41).
- Table the danger signals: financial, market, operations, people.
- Draw the five stages: diagnosis, change in leadership, emergency or stabilisation, restructuring, return to growth (Fig. 3.5).
- Close with Tata Motors: a loss of about ₹500 crore in 2000-01, about 14% cost cut, VRS, new models, profit by 2002-03.
Key-point boxes make good last lines: formulation is doing the right things, implementation is doing things right (page 34). Practise this MBA(A) 201 format on GGSIPU MBA (Analytics) important questions.
MBA(A) 201 exam corner: 39 two-to-five-mark and 29 ten-to-fifteen-mark questions by unit
| Unit | Short answer (2–5 marks) | Long answer (10–15 marks) | Diagrams | Case studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I (page 17) | 9 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| II (page 34) | 10 | 8 | 10 | 2 |
| III (pages 48-49) | 10 | 7 | 8 | 1 |
| IV (pages 63-64) | 10 | 7 | 9 | 1 |
MBA(A) 201 exam questions by unit (marks as printed)
- Unit
- I (page 17)
- Short answer (2–5 marks)
- 9
- Long answer (10–15 marks)
- 7
- Diagrams
- 10
- Case studies
- 0
- Unit
- II (page 34)
- Short answer (2–5 marks)
- 10
- Long answer (10–15 marks)
- 8
- Diagrams
- 10
- Case studies
- 2
- Unit
- III (pages 48-49)
- Short answer (2–5 marks)
- 10
- Long answer (10–15 marks)
- 7
- Diagrams
- 8
- Case studies
- 1
- Unit
- IV (pages 63-64)
- Short answer (2–5 marks)
- 10
- Long answer (10–15 marks)
- 7
- Diagrams
- 9
- Case studies
- 1
The MBA(A) 201 notes list 39 short-answer and 29 long-answer questions across 4 units, backed by 37 numbered diagrams and 4 case studies. Answers sit in each unit's sections, not one by one. One per unit:
- Unit I: What is marketing myopia? Levitt's term for defining a business too narrowly, like US railroads ignoring "transportation" (page 11).
- Unit II: What is the EPRG framework? Perlmutter's ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric and geocentric orientations (page 19).
- Unit III: What is meant by "stuck in the middle"? a firm with neither lowest cost nor real differentiation earns below-average profits (page 45).
- Unit IV: What is the strategic importance and relative strength matrix? Grant's four zones, from key strengths to the zone of irrelevance (page 53).
More MBA(A) 201 practice sits in the MBA(A) 201 important questions.
Who writes and checks the MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management notes?
- Prateek Talwar, author: Founder, Unnati Educations. ACS, ICSI, membership no. 58704, since 15 May 2019. B.Com, University of Delhi (School of Open Learning), 2012. Management and commerce are his core area. Author profile
- Sheetal Kirola, reviewer: Academic Head, Unnati Educations. M.Ed., 7 years of experience. She reviewed the MBA(A) 201 notes for coverage, diagrams and examples. Reviewer profile
Prateek wrote these GGSIPU MBA (Analytics) Sem 3 Strategic Management notes against the 2022-24 onwards scheme. The 2026-27 edition: 4 units, 37 diagrams, 4 case studies, 68 exam questions. Updated 26 October 2026 under our editorial policy.
The same team prepares GGSIPU important questions for every course, MBA(A) 201 included.
MBA(A) 201 and the GGSIPU MBA (Analytics) Sem 3 papers it connects to
MBA(A) 201 has no lab; the full paper list is in the GGSIPU MBA (Analytics) syllabus.
Other Semester 3 papers plug into MBA(A) 201:
- MBA(A) 203 Entrepreneurial Development & Start-Ups: Ansoff's matrix and Abell's business definition (Unit I).
- MBA(A) 205 Predictive Analytics and Big Data: forecasting projected performance in gap analysis (Unit IV, page 58).
- MBA(A) 207 Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: technology S-curves (Unit II, page 29).
- MBA(A) 209 Database Management System and MBA(A) 255 DBMS Lab: MIS and ERP in control systems (Unit IV, page 56).
- MBA(A) 211 Design Thinking and Innovation: innovation as a building block of advantage (Unit III, page 43).
- MBA(A) 213 Summer Training Project Report: Unit II's PESTLE and five forces tables frame the industry chapter.
In Semester 4, MBA(A) 204 Project Management extends the project organisation on page 61.
MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management notes FAQs
How do I get the full MBA(A) 201 notes?
Message Unnati Educations on WhatsApp at 9899436384 using the button on this page. The full MBA(A) 201 notes come as a printed book only; they are not sold as a PDF. Delivery takes a maximum of 5 to 7 days, and the exact time depends on your location.
What is the passing mark for MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management?
The official MBA (Analytics) PDF prints the internal assessment for MBA(A) 201 as 25 marks: Class Test-I 15 and an individual presentation, viva-voce or group discussion 10. It does not print the end-term marks, the total or any pass percentage for this paper. For end-term minimums and re-appear rules, read Ordinance 11 of the University on ipu.ac.in.
Do the MBA(A) 201 notes follow the 2022-24 onwards MBA (Analytics) scheme?
Yes. The MBA(A) 201 notes were checked line by line against syllMBAAnalytics180225.pdf on ipu.ac.in, the MBA (Analytics) Scheme and Syllabus 2022-24 onwards. Its Semester 3 and 4 papers were approved by the Academic Council on 19.07.2023, Agenda Item No. 56.52. The syllabus map above copies its MBA(A) 201 topic list from page 51 of that same file.
Which unit of the MBA(A) 201 notes is the longest?
Unit II, Strategic Management in Global Environment, runs from page 18 to 34 (17 pages). It has the most exam questions (18), 10 diagrams and 2 of the 4 case studies: Tata Motors buying Jaguar Land Rover, and Kodak missing the digital shift. Units III and IV have 15 pages each, and Unit I is the shortest at 13.
Where are Porter's models covered in the MBA(A) 201 notes?
In four places. Unit I gives an overview of the five forces, generic strategies and value chain (pages 13 and 14). Unit II covers the five forces in full with an Indian airline table (pages 25 to 27). Unit III covers the generic strategies with their risks (pages 45 to 48), and Unit IV links them to the strategic gap (page 58).
Does MBA(A) 201 have a lab paper?
No. MBA(A) 201 is a 3-credit core theory paper with three lecture hours a week and no tutorial or practical hours. The only Semester 3 lab is MBA(A) 255 DBMS Lab, which goes with MBA(A) 209 Database Management System. For MBA(A) 201, practise drawing its 37 numbered diagrams, Fig. 1.1 to Fig. 4.9, for the exam instead.
Get the full MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management Notes on WhatsApp
The complete MBA(A) 201 Strategic Management Notes run to 65 pages, 60 of them unit content, and come as a printed book only, not a PDF. They are Strategic Management notes in English. Delivery takes a maximum of 5 to 7 days, depending on your location.
| Unit | Pages | Exam questions |
|---|---|---|
| I | 5-17 (13 pages) | 16 |
| II | 18-34 (17 pages) | 18 |
| III | 35-49 (15 pages) | 17 |
| IV | 50-64 (15 pages) | 17 |
MBA(A) 201 notes book: pages and content per unit
- Unit
- I
- Pages
- 5-17 (13 pages)
- Exam questions
- 16
- Unit
- II
- Pages
- 18-34 (17 pages)
- Exam questions
- 18
- Unit
- III
- Pages
- 35-49 (15 pages)
- Exam questions
- 17
- Unit
- IV
- Pages
- 50-64 (15 pages)
- Exam questions
- 17
Order the MBA(A) 201 notes book on WhatsApp (4 units, 65 pages)
Unnati Educations is an independent education provider based in Vikaspuri, Delhi. We are not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU). 'GGSIPU' and 'IPU' are used only to describe the syllabus our notes follow. For official information, visit ipu.ac.in.
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