| Unit name | Strategic Management |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MGRCM0030 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lou |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Too often strategy units have prioritized analysis over actually doing strategy. This unit is different and will allow you to fully experience the process of strategy making and doing. Theories are an integral part of this experiential learning journey. Inspired by the history and the origins of strategic thinking, but firmly grounded in the current challenges facing all organisations, we will enable students to understand how specific frames, concepts, ideas, and models can be used to navigate challenging environmental contexts. However, a major part of strategy is the actual doing or implementation of strategy. As such, we will work in small teams throughout the unit on a real live strategic issue of a company.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit will allow us to directly mirror our theoretically grounded thoughts with real life experience. Some of the core questions centre around:
How to decide in situations where multiple opinions exist?
How do you deal with multiple conflicting interests?
How do you convince multiple stakeholders like investors to trust a strategy of rightsizing?
Are politics as important as economics in strategic thinking and doing?
After completion of this unit, students will have experienced the strategy process in a real-life setting. This is important as strategy goes beyond the mere analysis but far more relates to negotiating and convincing multiple stakeholder groups. By experiencing and understanding the multiple (intended and unintended) consequences of their decisions, this unit aims to develop their judgemental abilities and ultimately their capacity for responsible decision making.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Lectorials will involve group case study work, set readings, recorded lectures, videos, exercises. Further, the unit requires independent study, including broader reading and desk research. We will be working on a specific case throughout the entire unit and during each session we will work on a specific strategic question, concern, or perspective in the company of an organisation that has agreed to be part of the learning experience.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
presentations: nine short presentations on the practical use of specific frames, concepts, ideas, and models. You will be instructed about each task during the sessions and in the handbook. As such, the presentations should capture the learning from each lectorial as well as from the unit overall.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Coursework Assessment: A 3,000-word individual written assignment (100% of overall mark). ILOs 1-4
The individual assignment offers you the opportunity to showcase your learning from the unit by critically engaging with the theory and practice of strategic management. You will be able to build on the foundation developed in the course of the unit and your independent study, including broader reading and desk research, to demonstrate your accomplishment of all the learning outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MGRCM0030).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
