Strategy for International Managers

Module description

In this module we explore different aspects of strategy and strategic management within a global context. It is critical for anyone aspiring to manage their own business, become a senior executive or consultant to have a clear understanding of the concepts and ideas needed to effectively craft and execute strategy. We cover classical and current theory but also provide a practical focus with a simulation and a number of international case studies.

Full module specification

Module aims

The aims of this module are to:

• enable you to explore the role of strategy at different organisational levels

• enable you to characterise and conceptualise different perspectives of strategy

• give you practical experience of working on strategic issues in a team using a simulated international business environment

ILO: Module-specific skills

• 1. diagnose an international organisation’s 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 organisation’s 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 organisation’s strategy;
• 5. critically assess a range of strategic theories and models in terms of their validity and usefulness for international managers;
• 6. explain how dynamism and complexity are changing the field of strategy for international managers

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 7. identify, evaluate and use appropriate theory expounded in learned academic works;
• 8. enhance the conceptual location of international management theory and practice;
• 9. synthesise and construct conceptual frameworks from multiple managerial perspectives;
• 10. reflect on practical case experiences from the international business arena.

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 11. explain the difference between complex but tractable problems and truly wicked or soft problems;
• 12. assess solutions to strategic problems in multi-layered as opposed to binary terms;
• 13. demonstrate team working skills;
• 14. reflect on their own and their teams performance in a strategy simulation;
• 15. demonstrate written communications skills.

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

Due to the group work nature of the simulation assessment it will be impossible to recreate this for an individual student so the re-assessment will be an essay reflecting their learning from the module equivalent to 50% of the marks.

Syllabus plan

Introduction:

• What is Strategy and why is it important for International 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 global macro-environment
• Assessing global and local industries and competition
• Evaluating an international 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 international organisations
• Managing stakeholders in a globalised context
• Leadership and culture and their influence on the organisation’s overall direction

Decisions:

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

Delivery:

• Configuring global and international organisations to execute strategy effectively
• Control systems and measurement of delivery

Dynamism and Disorder:

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

Indicative learning resources - 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. – you will have access to this as an e-book/Smartbook as well resources on McGraw-Hill’s Connect platform – such as end of chapter quizzes and exercises as well as short video cases and additional examples and illustrations.

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.

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

A range of materials will be posted to the ELE page for the module – links to websites/news stories and other sources of interest to international managers studying strategy. There will also be discussion forums on ELE for the module and also an optional group on LinkedIn.

The module will make use of a web-based global strategy simulation BSG in order to give students experience of making strategic decisions for a global enterprise.

Origin date

01/11/2015

Last revision date

06/10/2021