Strategic management defined; what is strategy? is strategy planned, or does it just happen? what is strategic management? Part 1 External analysis - The scope of external analysis: what is being scanned? complexity and turbulence in airlines' external environments; sociopolitical environment I - commercial regulation of air transport: the cultural setting, the principal arguments in favour of commercial regulation, deregulation of domestic air services, regulatory developments in international air transport markets, alternatives to the current aeropolitical regime; sociopolitical environment II - competition laws affecting airlines: introduction, a summary of EU competition law affecting air transport services, a summary of the position in the United States, uncertainties in respect of competition laws; sociopolitical environment III: stakeholders' expectations of social responsibility: safety, noise, emission, and other environmental issues, corporate ethics; economic environment: key macroeconomic variables relevant to airlines, global economic trends affecting the airline industry, conclusion; technological environment: marketing technologies, production technologies, integrative technologies, competing technologies; competitive environment II - distributors: distribution of passenger products through intermediaries, direct distribution of passenger products, distribution of cargo products through intermediaries, direct distribution of cargo products, conclusions; Competitive environment III - customers: accessible markets, customers as airline stakeholders; competitive environment IV - competitors: the airline industry, alternative modes of competitors identification, intensity of competition, conclusion; environmental forecasting, assessment, and influencing: environmental forecasting, environmental assessment, environmental influence. Part 2 Internal analysis - vision and mission: the vision thing, mission; corporate culture and values: corporate culture and its changing relevance to airline strategies, values, conclusion; resources, skills, and distinctive capabilities: resources and skills, the significance of life cycles and portfolios composition, distinctive capabilities, core competencies, strategic intent; internal stakeholders: employees, managers, shareholders, conclusion; competitive advantage: competitive advantage defined, why competitive advantage, competitive advantage and airline architecture, the concept of the 'core business', the creation of competitive advantage in practice; conclusion to part 1 and 2, momentum analysis, objectives, symptoms of transition.
