BE284-7-SP-SO:
Strategic Management
2023/24
Essex Business School
Southend Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
15
06 November 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MSC N55012 International Marketing and Entrepreneurship,
MSC N550MO International Marketing and Entrepreneurship,
DIP N210JS Business Management,
MBM N21012 MBM,
MBM N210JS MBM
Strategic Management is concerned with the direction and scope of the organisation. This involves determining the purpose of the organisation, establishing objectives and formulating strategies to achieve the objectives.
It predominantly explores how an organisation positions itself with regard to its changing environment, and in particular its competitors, in order to gain and sustain competitive advantage. This means that strategic management considers how an organisation's internal resources and capabilities can be developed to meet the changing demands of customers, in such a way as to achieve the expectations and objectives of its stakeholders.
The primary aim of this module is to enable the learners to analyze and design profitable business strategies to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The focus is on developing strategies tailored to the economic environment in which the firm is operating and are consistent with the unique resources and capabilities of the firm itself.
A secondary aim of this module is to develop practical skills to approach business problems and to sharpen decision-making skills using some case studies and a simulation. By the end of this course when learners encounter problems – business or otherwise – they will be more capable of cutting to the essence of problems and formulating robust solutions in a disciplined, analytical way.
On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
1. Describe the key questions and associated challenges to be addressed in formulating an organisation’s competitive and corporate-level strategies
2. Appreciate that to sustain competitive advantage an organisation must harness its internal resources and capabilities and react appropriately to changes in its external environment
3. Appraise and differentiate between corporate, competitive (business unit) and functional strategies.
4. Critically apply a range of tools and techniques to illuminate the key questions of competitive strategy and corporate strategy
No additional information available.
The learning on Strategic Management will be delivered through the use of lectures, mainly to explain theoretical concepts, through case studies and a simulation to create a real-time strategy to illustrate application and engagement with other students.
Throughout the module, discussions will be encouraged to help full comprehension of the ideas being dealt with, as well as to allow students to bring their knowledge and experience to enhance their learning and the learning of their fellow students.
Prior to each session students are required:
1. To read the essential readings.
2. To prepare the cases/exercises set.
At the start of the session students may be asked what the key learning points from the previous session were to provide linkage and continuity throughout the module.
Contact hours: 10 weeks X 2hours = 20 hours
Non-contact hours: 75
Total study hours: 100
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Individual Essay |
|
100% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Reza Zaefarian, email: r.zaefarian@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Reza Zaefarian
r.zaefarian@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Dr Andreas Kornelakis
King's College London
Senior Lecturer International Management
Dr Saqib Shamim
Available via Moodle
Of 40 hours, 40 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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