Course Brief

This course is designed to support you in developing skills and competencies in the dynamic world of business strategy. While you are expected to apply yourself diligently and work hard, you will be amply rewarded by the acquisition of important employability capabilities arising from the ability to apply the main strategic concepts and tools to the real business world.
It will develop critical analytical skills relevant to strategic management and will reflect the plurality of perspectives and approaches to strategic management wherever it is possible and appropriate. Further, the course will introduce students to the cognitive processes and core analytical tools which underpin the management of strategy in organisations. The cognitive element is complemented by a business reality component in the form of a game simulation exercise. For the undergraduate this has to be a synthetic experience but the skills and know-how acquired should enhance their employability. Alongside the teaching of tools and skills, students will be encouraged to develop a critical appreciation of the nature and limits of business strategy and an understanding of the organisational dynamics involved in strategy development.
  • This course is offered in 60 hours

On completing this course successfully, students will be able to:

  • Apply analytical tools needed for the evaluation and comprehension of the extent to which firms achieve strategic success in comparison with their strategic objectives.
  • Analyse, apply and evaluate the concepts and models of strategy appraisal and selection of strategic directions.
  • Think critically and arguing cogently about strategy implementation.
  • Put strategy into perspective relative to other areas of organisational activity and demonstrate their interconnectedness within the whole.
  • Critique strategy theories and frameworks with a view to developing deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of strategic management.
  • Develop an appreciation of strategic management and its contribution to the firm’s performance and competitive advantage.
  • Take a rational and intellectually substantiated approach to learning.

This course approaches learning through: 3-hour workshops; student class participation; interactive group experiences; and a systematic student centered process. While scheduled workshops provide a basis for the formal learning, you will also engage weekly with support materials and activities provided on-line by way of Moodle.

First Assignment: Individual Reflective Report on the Business Game Simulation. 50% weighting. Pass mark 40%. 3,500 words (+/- 10%). The assignment requires using the principle of strategic management in a virtual business environment and managing a company with a team by making weekly decisions. A reflective report has then to be written and submitted individually.

Second Assignment: Full Strategic Appraisal of a real company. 50% weighting. Pass mark 40%. 3,500 words (+/- 10%). Undertake a full strategic appraisal of the company given by: a) examining its external and internal environment; b) identifying and evaluating its main strategic options for growth, and c) recommending measures for further development.