Strategies for change in media industries

The objectives are to train students in analysing media industry structures, the dynamics of the competitive process of moves and responses, recognizing openings and opportunities as well as traps, and making forecasts avoiding pitfalls.

Doctoral course, jointly produced by MMTC at the Jönköping International Business School and the Department of Communication at the School of Education and Communication in Jönköping.

Pre-requisites   

Bachelor's degree, registration as a doctoral student

Period   

2006 (short) and 2007 (long version)

ECTS credits

7,5-15

Course coordinators

Lars-Åke Engblom and Karl Erik Gustafsson

Objectives

Starting from resource based theories the objectives are to train students in analysing media industry structures, the dynamics of the competitive process of moves and responses, recognizing openings and opportunities as well as traps, and making forecasts avoiding pitfalls. The focus will be on conditions of demand, determinants of competition, and strategic alternatives.

Contents

The course consists of a seminar series with presentations of results from research by leading researchers on core problems of media industries. Strategies in the competition in declining industries (evening tabloids) will be covered as well as in emerging industries (digital television channels). The increasing challenge between paid for and free newspapers is another compulsory subject as well as mergers and acquisitions. For the short version of the course students will have to present a PM on the central ideas of an assigned book central to the theme of the course. For the long version the student also have to write a course essay on strategies in a media industry, e.g. ad price strategies of daily free sheets in Scandinavia, segmentation strategies of magazine publishers, and the household as a media consumption unit.

Teaching Methods

A seminar series of seven meetings, a term paper and a course essay.

Evaluation

Compulsory attendance at the seminar series. Exceptional absence may be compensated by extra assignments.

Registration: Karl.Erik.Gustafsson@ihh.hj.se, before September 15th.

References

Chan-Olmsted, Sylvia M.: Competitive Strategy for Media Firms. Strategic and Brand Management in Changing Media Markets. Laerence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, London 2006

Gustafsson, Karl Erik: Origins and Dynamics of Concentration. In Gustafssson, Karl Erik (ed): Media Structure and the State. Skrift Nr 7. Informations- och massmediegruppen, Handelshögskolan vid Göteborgs universitet 1994

Penrose, Edith T.: The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. Basil Blackwell: Oxford 1959
Porter, Michael E.: Competitive Strategy. Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. The Free Press: New York & London 1980

Picard, Robert G: The Economics and Financing of Media Companies. Fordham University Press, New York 2002

Seminar meetings

Seminar meetings at JIBS, Jönköping, 13-15 (autumn 2006)

20/9 End-game strategies in a declining media industry (the evening tabloid business
Karl Erik Gustafsson, professor MMTC

4/10 Merger & acquisition strategies in media industries
Stefan Melesko, research associate MMTC

18/10 Programming and financing new TV-channels in Europe
Olof Hultén, research associate MMTC

1/11 Product and price strategies of news organizations
Robert Picard, professor and director MMTC

15/11 Young readership programmes
Ebba Sundin, Dept of Communication, SEC

29/11 Term paper presentations
Karl Erik Gustafsson

13/12 The Nordic media laboratory of Iceland
Lars-Åke Engblom, Dept of Communication, SEC

2017-10-18