MAN-30048 - Business Strategy

Coordinator:

Lecture Time: See Timetable...

Level: Level 6

Credits: 15

Study Hours: 150

School Office: 01782 733094

Programme/Approved Electives for 2019/20

Business Economics Single Honours (Level 6)
Human Resource Management Combined Honours (Level 6)
Liberal Arts Single Honours (Level 6)
Liberal Arts Single Honours (Masters) (Level 6)
Management (Accounting) Single Honours (Level 6)
Management (Human Resource Management) Single Honours (Level 6)
Management (Marketing) Single Honours (Level 6)
Marketing Combined Honours (Level 6)
Marketing Minor (Level 6)

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

Barred Combinations

Description for 2019/20

Strategy is commonly considered to be at the very pinnacle of management topics because well-founded strategies give purpose, focus and structure to all other business activity. By contrast, a weak strategy not only fails an organisation's staff, customers and investors but also threatens the suppliers, communities and regions in which the organisation conducts its business.
Yet in today's rapidly evolving world of opportunities there is no golden rule or theory for a successful business, institutional or industry strategy. Given this challenge, the module offers students the opportunity to learn from the strategic successes and failures of well known private firms and public institutions.
As students gain detailed understandings of strategy, they are helped to develop sophisticated analytical thinking, confidence and work-relevant transferabe skills in this most important subject.

Aims

Strategy is commonly considered to be at the very pinnacle of management topics because well-founded strategies give purpose, focus and structure to all other business activity. By contrast, a weak strategy not only fails an organisation's staff, customers and investors but also threatens the suppliers, communities and regions in which the organisation conducts its business. Yet in today's rapidly evolving world of opportunities there is no golden rule or theory for a successful business, institutional or industry strategy.
Given this challenge, the module draws on the tutor's practitioner experience in blue-chip companies to offer finalists a carefully designed course in marrying theory and practice. As students gain a detailed understanding of strategy theory, they are encouraged to develop sophisticated critical analytical thinking, confidence and work-relevant transferable skills in this most important subject that integrates earlier business studies.

Intended Learning Outcomes

identify, analyse and evaluate business strategies in case study firms, institutions and industries;:
identify a suitable case study for research and analyse the business strategies using appropriate theoretical models and insights;:
critically evaluate the implications of a chosen business strategy for a given firm;:
critically explain the implications of a given theoretical model or insight for business strategy in practice.:

Study hours

Lectures 10 hours
Tutorials 10 hours
Examination 2 hours
Tutorial preparation 20 hours
Assignment preparation 60 hours
Other private study 48 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 50%
2000 word essay (excluding appendices)
Self-research with tutor guidance. Students are given the choice between an in-depth critical examination of one or more key theories introduced on the module. They are encouraged to consider 'competing' perspectives (eg Mintzberg and Ansoff) and to develop their own, properly substantiated views. or... to select and research a current organisation, to analyse its strategy through a limited number of key strategy concepts. This choice of approaches encourages students to identify and develop their own strengths, whether they be traditionally 'academic' or more practitioner-based.

2: Exam weighted 50%
2 hour Unseen Examination
Choice of two questions from five topics focused on tutor selected readings. The exam covers the entire module, as strategy is strongly influenced by the simultaneous interaction of a variety of - sometimes conflicting - forces. This is clearly explained to students in the final lecture, which is dedicated to exam preparation and revision.

MAN-30048 - Module Specification Keele Business School Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

MAN-30048 - Module Specification
Keele Business School
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences