Corporate Strategy Module Takeaways

The podcast, “Corporate Strategy Module Takeaways,” features two MBA students, Sócrates and Grace, reflecting on what they learned in their Corporate Strategy course. Using the Disney and Pixar cases as examples, they explore the central ideas of corporate strategy — the better-off test (whether being part of the same company makes business units more competitive) and the ownership test (whether common ownership is necessary to achieve that advantage).

They explain how Disney illustrated the power of synergy across films, parks, and products — but only when supported by leadership, shared understanding, cross-unit capabilities, and aligned incentives. The Pixar case, in contrast, tested when two firms should actually merge, showing that even strong partnerships can fail without ownership if contracts can’t manage conflicts or align incentives.

In sum, the podcast highlights that corporate strategy is not about growing for growth’s sake, but about defining the right scope and ownership structure to make each business stronger than it would be alone.