Managing Competitive Strategy

Module title	Managing Competitive Strategy
Module code	BEMM068
Academic year	2023/4
Credits	15
Module staff	Professor Alex Janes (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	0	11	0

Number students taking module (anticipated)	250

Module description

In this module you will explore strategy and strategic management from a range of different perspectives. In the current business climate there are many significant issues which organisations and their leaders must navigate successfully to survive and prosper. You will have the opportunity to discuss these sources of dynamism and disorder and to think about how strategy has changed over time with many competing theories and schools of practice emerging to provide solutions to the wicked problems facing strategists. If you aspire to a senior management role, to run your own enterprise, or to work in consultancy, this module will help to prepare you to think strategically and to be able to appreciate the long term view necessary to set the direction for and successfully lead an organisation in the 21st century.

The module focuses on case method for a majority of the time – so you will be working on a variety of case studies applying theory to real world organisations, diagnosing their problems and discussing the actual decisions facing senior managers in those companies as they search for the best solutions. The skills you gain from this are highly valued by employers and provide a good preparation for some styles of interviews and assessment centres used to recruit graduates.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aims of this module are to:

Enable you to critically evaluate different approaches to strategy
Give you practical experience of working in a team to diagnose strategic problems, generate potential solutions to those problems and decide on a course of action
Explore the role of strategy at different organisational levels and in a range of industries/contexts
Enable you to discuss the impact of contemporary and future developments on the long term direction of organisations – such as artificial intelligence (AI), circular economy business models, and global events like the Covid-19 pandemic

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, taking into account context in the choice of tools and frameworks used
2. Apply a range of module theories and frameworks for describing and setting an organisations direction
3. Evaluate a range of strategic options using objective criteria to support and justify recommended decisions and use these skills in case study discussions and simulations
4. Actively and critically use module concepts to manage the delivery of an organisations strategy
5. Critically assess a range of strategic theories and models in terms of their validity and usefulness for managers
6. Explain how dynamism and disorder are changing the field of strategy for managers

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. Develop strategic analyses based on case material, desk research and research in the marketplace
8. Explain the difference between complex but tractable problems and truly wicked or soft problems
9. Reflect on own knowledge of discipline combining practical and theoretical elements to develop own understanding of the field

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

10. Carry out independent study/research and case study analysis
11. Reflect on, and amend, personal learning strategies for specific learning tasks
12. Work effectively in a group

Syllabus plan

Introduction:

What is Strategy and why is it important for Managers?
Unifying module framework – the 6Ds of Strategic Management
Wicked problems and endless solutions – why strategy requires a different way of thinking.

Diagnosis:

Analysing the macro-environment
Assessing industries, arenas and competitors
Evaluating an organisation’s internal environment
Summarising the organisation’s situation – identifying critical issues and assessing their impact.

Direction:

Developing the mission, vision, values and strategic objectives for organisations
Managing stakeholders

Decisions:

Deciding where to compete
Deciding how to compete
Deciding who to work with
Evaluating and choosing between different options
Decision making processes – from deliberate to emergent strategy

Delivery:

Developing organisational plans to include realistic, measurable targets and key performance indicators
Managing change
Balancing organisational alignment with the strategy against agility to respond to change
Identifying and managing appropriate resources to deliver the plan
Accurately monitoring and measuring outcomes and evaluating results

Dynamism and Disorder:

The importance of context in strategic management
Coping with different levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity
The rise of high-velocity/hypercompetitive environments

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
25	125	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	11	Lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	14	Seminars
Guided independent study	125	Reflection, reading and preparation for tutorials, workshops and assessment

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Tutorials and case workshop requiring preparation	Notes for workshops 1-1,200 words equivalent per workshop	1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11	Verbal and peer feedback in tutorial/workshop

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Group report on case study	30	3500 words (per group of 5 students)	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,12	Comments on paper and group feedback from module team
Individual case analysis papers	70	2 x 1,200 words	1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11	Written feedback

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
Group report on case study	Individual paper on separate case study (1500 words)	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10	Referral/deferral period
Individual case analysis papers	2 x 1,200 word individual analysis case papers	1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9,10,11	Referral/deferral period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Core Text for the Module:

Thompson, A. Strickland, L., Janes, A., Sutton, C. Gamble, J., and Peteraf, M., (2017) Crafting and Executing Strategy: The quest for Competitive Advantage, 2nd International edition, McGraw-Hill, Maidenhead

Supplementary Reading:

A range of articles from Strategic Management Journal, McKinsey Quarterly, Harvard Business Review, Long Range Planning and other relevant journals will be set as reading to help deepen your knowledge of various topics – links will be posted to ELE to access these via the e-library system.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

None

Key words search

Strategy, Strategic Management, Competitive Strategy, Corporate Strategy

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	17/07/2014
Last revision date	12/05/2023