Strategic Management

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. These live speakers are supported with a range of video case studies recorded by the module lead with senior managers from a diverse range of companies and industries, including, the Managing Director of the Jeep Brand, the VP Europe for Levi Strauss & Co, A senior director with Maersk Oil and the International Director of Nov Nordisk.

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.

Full module specification

Module aims

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.

ILO: Module-specific skills

• 1. recognise the different models of, and approaches to, strategic management, and interpret these as bases of strategic choice
• 2. demonstrate a critical knowledge of selected strategy literature
• 3. analyse an organisation’s wider and competitive environments, evaluate competitive positions, and identify core competences
• 4. assess strategic choices through the application of appropriate strategic models
• 5. establish evaluation processes of strategic decisions – including assessment of strategic financial information
• 6. evaluate issues arising from putting strategy into action
• 7. explain how dynamism and disorder are changing the field of strategy

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 8. analyse an organisation's environment and evidence an awareness of strategy.

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 9. manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities and to work independently within a limited timeframe to complete a specified task.
• 10. present and defend strategic analyses based on case material, desk research and research in the marketplace
• 11. document strategic recommendations in written reports
• 12. demonstrate team working skills in including reflecting on own and others performance
• 13. feedback on others’ strategic analyses in a constructive manner

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

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Although the group work cannot be recreated for referral or deferral candidates, the re-assessment will still cover the key ILOs and the assessors reserve the right to conduct a viva for the presentation and report element, should the need arise.

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.

Indicative learning resources - 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

Module has an active ELE page?

No

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

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Business Review, Long Range Planning, Strategic Management Journal etc.

Case studies which will require in-depth analysis for workshop activities

Origin date

17/09/2019

Last revision date

17/09/2019