Strategic Management
| Module title | Strategic Management |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEM3033 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 370 |
|---|
Module description
Summary:
Like many of the other disciplines in business, strategic management has evolved since its first modern iteration in the 1950s and 60s. This module looks at how strategy is currently practiced in a wide variety of contexts from commercial and entrepreneurial to social and not-for-profit. The curriculum encourages exploration of and a critical approach to the key concepts that underpin strategic management and the tools managers use to analyse their environment, frame choices and put the resulting strategies into action.
Additional Information:
Internationalisation
You will work with a number of case studies in this module to help you engage with the material and gain an international perspective on strategic management. These include a number of international studies, such as Uber’s growth strategy, analysing strategies in the global apparel industry, and the changes to the international hotel sector prompted by firms such as Airbnb.
Sustainability
The impact of Ethics and CSR on strategy is covered in specific sessions during the module. All of the resources are available through ELE (Exeter Learning Environment).
External Engagement
Previously, our guest speakers have included the general manager of the flagship Harvey Nichols store in London, the Head of Strategy from Royal Mail (a former McKinsey consultant), The CEO of the Cruise Line International Association, a Director of Kantar WorldPanel and the Managing Director of Amsafe, who spoke about presenting to the board. The team teaching the module have a wealth of experience outside academia – as main board directors of companies, consultants and analysts, which they bring to the classes and assignments.
Employability
You will develop a number of transferable skills including presenting ideas at board level, team-working, problem-solving, numeracy, research, writing reports and white papers and designing infographics. You will also have the opportunity to develop practical skills in the workshops which you may find useful for assessment-centre exercises, through activities such as role plays and case study analysis.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aims of this module are to:
- present the 21st century competitive/business landscape from a strategic management perspective and to assess how global and technological influences shape it
- develop your ability to analyse strategic issues from a number of broad functional perspectives
- study strategic competitiveness, competitive advantage, strategic intent and strategic mission, and evaluate their contribution to the strategic management process
- formulate strategies, provide implementation plans and evaluate cross-functional decisions that facilitate the achievement of organisational objectives
- develop an understanding of strategic management in different contexts, including commercial, not-for-profit and public sector, entrepreneurial, B2B, B2C and multi-national/global.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. diagnose an organisations situation by critically analysing its external and internal environments;
- 2. apply a range of module theories and frameworks for describing and setting an organisations direction;
- 3. evaluate different strategic options using objective criteria to support and justify recommended decisions and use these skills in case study discussions to research real world organisations;
- 4. discuss how strategy is delivered and the implementation tools and techniques which are used in different contexts.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. develop strategic analyses based on case material, desk research and research in the marketplace;
- 6. explain the difference between complex but tractable problems and truly wicked or soft problems.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. reflect on prior learning, relating this to theory and developing plans to guide ongoing personal development;
- 8. demonstrate team working skills;
- 9. manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities and to work independently within a limited time frame to complete a specified task.
Syllabus plan
The lectures and workshops will cover: the nature, process, content, context and purpose of strategy formulation; a study of the external environment and market based strategies; business, corporate and network level strategies; strategic capability and the resource-based view, organisational factors and competence based strategies; strategic methods including intrapreneurship, alliances, mergers and acquisitions; assessment of existing strategy and future strategic choices; strategic management of technology, new product development and innovation; organisational and international content; schools of strategy formation; putting strategy into action through the systems, structures and culture of the organisation; and a critical analysis of the strategy literature.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 250 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activity | 24 | Whole cohort lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 16 | Small group workshop sessions |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 2 | Small group meetings with module staff |
| Guided Independent Study | 8 | Video content and narrated resources online covering key concepts and details of assessments |
| Guided Independent Study | 140 | Assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 110 | Pre and post session reading |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal for group work case study | 1 page A4 | 1-6, 8 | Written feedback by tutor team |
| Formative triage summary | Summary slide | 1-6, 8 | Verbal feedback in workshop |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triage report (group submission 4-6 students linked to main submission below) | 5 | 900 words equivalent | 1-6, 8 | Verbal feedback from peers and tutor in class plus written tutor feedback |
| Group report (groups of 4-6) | 20 | 3,500 words | 1-6, 8 | Written tutor feedback |
| Reflective essay | 15 | 1,000 words | 1-7 | Written tutor feedback |
| Exam (restricted note case exam) | 60 | 2 hours | 1-6, 9 | Written cohort feedback via ELE |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam (restricted note case exam) | Exam (60%) | 1-6, 8 | August/September Reassessment Period |
| Triage report & group report | Individual Report (25%) | 1-6, 8 | August/September Reassessment Period |
| Reflective essay | Reflective essay (15%) | 1-7 | August/September Reassessment Period |
Re-assessment notes
Individual report will count for 25%, the reflective essay 15% and the exam 60% of the module marks for reassessment – the group work ILO will not be formally assessed through the individual report, but will be captured within the revised reflective essay
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Core text for the course:
Thompson, A. Strickland, L., Janes, A., Sutton, C. Peteraf, M., and Gamble, J. (2017) Crafting and Executing Strategy: The quest for Competitive Advantage, 2nd International edition, McGraw-Hill, London.
Supplementary reading:
Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J.B. (2008) Strategy Safari, London: Financial Times.
De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. (2014) Strategy: An international perspective, Andover: Cengage
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE based discussion forums, links to internet resources and other resources
- Various journal articles – some compulsory, some optional from a variety of relevant publications including Harvard Business Review, Long Range Planning, Strategic Management Journal etc.
- Case studies which will require in-depth analysis for workshop activities
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | You must have taken (BEM1018 or BEM1019 or BEM1016 or BEA1005) and (BEM2020 or BEM2007 or BEM2027 or BEA2005 or BEA2019)
|
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/09/2010 |
| Last revision date | 28/05/2020 |
