The module provides a broad, basic understanding of strategy and strategic management, on which further strategic analysis and exploration of strategic issues can be built. It introduces students to the key vocabulary, concepts and frameworks of strategic management and establishes criteria for assessing whether or not a strategy can be successful. It introduces students to frameworks for analysing the external and internal environments and to different theories of how these relate and of their impact on strategy formulation and implementation.
Students will learn how to identify strategic issues, develop strategic options to address them and decide which option(s) to recommend. Through theoretical readings and case studies, students will develop an appreciation of strategy in different contexts and from different perspectives and of the complexity of strategic decision-making. Students will enhance their ability to read business articles from a strategic perspective and to present strategic arguments in a structured manner
Total contact hours: 21
Private study hours: 129
Total study hours: 150
Main assessment methods:
Group VLE Task 1 (10%)
Group VLE Task 2 (20%)
Examination, 3 hours (70%).
Reassessment method:
100% exam.
Core text:
Witcher, B.J. & Chau, V.S. (2014), Strategic Management: Principles and Practice, 2nd edn. Andover: Cengage Learning
or
Thompson, A.A, Strickland, A.J., Gamble, J.E., Peteraf, M.A., Janes, A. and Sutton, C. (2013), Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, London: McGraw-Hill Education
Lampel, J., Mintzberg, H., Quinn, J.B. and Ghoshal, S. (2014). The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts, Cases. 5th edn. London: Pearson Education
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
See the library reading list for this module (Medway)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
- read business press articles and interpret them from a strategic perspective
- use a range of well-established tools and frameworks to analyse and assess an organisation's strategy;
- evaluate critically the results of strategic analysis to identify and prioritise strategic issues facing an organisation;
- use the same analysis to propose and assess strategic options to address strategic issues;
- compare and critique different theoretical approaches to strategic management;
- appreciate the complexity of strategic decision making and the limitations of the analytical skills developed in this module in fully addressing that complexity
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
- select, organise and synthesise complex information
- draw on concepts, theories and frameworks to construct complex arguments
- organise and present orally and in writing an analysis as a considered viewpoint
- discuss and debate ideas from an informed perspective thereby contributing to (organisational) decision-making
- propose solutions to problems based on analysis and discussion/debate
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