Applied Business Strategy and Art of Case Cracking

Course Director: Lei Huang

Course Co-Director:
Maximilian Lindh,
Consultant Arthur D Little

I believe this course is highly relevant to prepare the
students for the future work in the business community, Johan Forssell, (ex)CEO, Investor AB

This course is designed for students with a strong passion for business strategy. It provides exposure to real-world cases that focus on the role of innovation and adaptation in achieving sustainable strategic advantages in the face of uncertainty. The curriculum is built around a carefully curated selection of business cases, developed in close collaboration with our affiliated 'case companies’, a mix of incumbents, mid-sized, and entrepreneurial start-ups.

Throughout the course, you will step into the role of executives facing critical decisions in areas such as digital transformation, artificial intelligence, evolving global markets, shifting value chains, and geopolitical instability. Each business case presents a unique opportunity to engage directly with executives from these companies, as you analyze their challenges and deliver recommendations.

Expect a tough workload: rigorous preparation is essential because you will present your analysis and solutions directly to executives and management consultants. However, the course provides substantial support. In partnership with Arthur D. Little (ADL), you’ll have access to individual consultants who will tutor each group.

One of the key benefits of this course is the access it provides to ADL’s network. You'll have the chance to interact with top executives, gaining valuable insights and guidance that can help shape your future career decisions.

If you're interested in management consulting, this course is a perfect fit. We place a strong emphasis on ‘consultancy skills’, i.e., translating strategic analyses into compelling presentations that meet the high standards of corporate boardrooms. You’ll work intensively in teams, analyzing cases and presenting your findings directly to the company executives.

Structure and Process

The course is structured around the business cases. These cases challenge student teams to analyze real-world business problems. We encourage you to apply frameworks and ideas from your previous academic training, making this course highly eclectic and adaptable.

Throughout the course, you'll work in "case teams". The team will be your work unit throughout the course. Each team will receive guidance from an experienced ADL consultant, who will act as a special advisor and coach. This combination of theoretical grounding and practical application sets a high bar for students, promoting both rigor and creativity.

In-Class Participation and Required Attendance

Students are expected to attend class each week, stay for the entire session, and fully engage in activities such as case presentations and debriefing sessions. Attendance is mandatory, but you may be excused for missing a maximum of (a) one in-class case presentation, and (b) three seminar debriefing sessions. All absences must be reported via email to the course directors before class. Justified absences, such as scheduling conflicts, illness, or personal emergencies, nee to be reported to and clarified with the course director.

Active participation is required for full credit (20 points). This means consistently contributing to class discussions by offering comments or questions without being prompted. Your contributions should show a deep understanding of the course material, critical thinking, and original insights. Ideal participation includes asking thoughtful questions and comments, connecting concepts to real-world examples, drawing conclusions from comparing different cases, and building on the ideas of your peers.

How to apply

Want to secure your spot? Apply through the standard SSE process and send a one-page personal letter to the SSE course director. Describe your background, your experience in business case analysis and strategy, what you hope to gain from this course, and how ready you are for teamwork with long hours of intense, real-world case-solving. Direct the personal letter via mail to lei.huang@hhs.se.

Course administrator: Tina.Bengtsson@hhs.se

• Understand companies’ strategic challenges in their specific market environment
• Conduct and apply strategic analysis to business cases
• Connect analysis to strategic recommendations
• Develop consultancy skills and learn to master ‘boardroom quality’ presentations.

General entry requirements

The distribution of grades is closely linked to your progress throughout the course. We grade three elements:

• your team’s case presentations throughout the course (maximum 50 marks)
• your individual class participation (max 20 marks),
• your individual final take-home examination case (max 30 marks)

We will apply SSE grading standards.

Final Exam Deliverables

The home exam is based on a case. Deliverables:

• A PowerPoint presentation (max. 12 slides) showing how you would present your analysis and recommendations to the case company.
• A Word document (max. 5 pages, normal line spacing, font size 12, including illustrations, footnotes, and references) in which you outline and discuss your analysis and recommendations, including the theoretical basis for your analysis.

Find the course schedule in TimeEdit

Have you been granted educational support because of a documented disability? If so, please contact the course director as soon as possible so that adequate accommodations can be made.

Contact specialneeds@hhs.se if you have questions about being granted educational support or need a copy of your educational support certificate.

For more information, visit the Specific Educational Needs page on the Student Hub (login required).