Course Resources Archive

To develop students’ knowledge, skills and capabilities in assessing strategic position, determining strategic choice, and implementing strategic action through quality processes, projects, and people within financial and other resource constraints.

A  Strategic position
1. The need for, and purpose of, strategic and business analysis
2. Environmental issues affecting the strategic position of an organisation
3. Competitive forces affecting an organisation
4. Marketing and the value of goods and services
5. The internal resources, capabilities and competences of an organisation
6. The expectations of stakeholders and the influence of ethics and culture

B   Strategic choices
1. The influence of corporate strategy on an organisation
2. Alternative approaches to achieving competitive advantage

C   Strategic implementation
1. Managing strategic change and strategy development

D   Business process change
1. The role of process and process change initiatives in improving the operations of the organisation

E    Information technology
1. Principles of e-business, upstream and downstream supply chain management and customer relationship management

F    Quality issues
1. Quality control, quality assurance, quality management systems and Six-Sigma

G   Project management
1. Identifying, initiating, monitoring and managing projects

H   Financial Analysis
1. Finance decisions to formulate and support business strategy and the financial implications of making strategic choices and of implementing strategic actions

I     People
1. Issues involving strategy and people: leadership, performance management, reward management, job design, staff development

1. Knowledge and understanding
On successful completion of the module the student should be able to:
a)  Identify and evaluate approaches to strategic management and apply contemporary thinking on strategic management
b)  Evaluate and utilise appropriate tools for strategic analysis and strategic options and make recommendations.

ii. Strategic Business Analysis Skills
On successful completion of the module the student should be able to:
a)  Assess and evaluate the strategic position, strategic choice and strategic implementation of organisations
b)  Evaluate business processes and structures required to implement and support the organisation’s strategy taking account of customer and other major stakeholder requirements
c)  Evaluate appropriate information technology and quality solutions to implement and support the organisation’s strategy
d)  Appraise how project management enables the management of risk and ensuring benefits are realised in the implementation of the organisation’s strategy
e)  Analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of an organisation’s strategy and the financial consequences of implementing strategic decisions
f)   Critically assess the importance of leadership and people management in formulating and implementing business strategy.

iii. Skills
On successful completion of the module the student should be able to:
a)  Analyse and interpret Strategic Management literature
b)  Communicate through group based tutorial activities and written work of a variety of styles

Staff/student contact: approximately 20% (lectures, tutorials)
Student directed study: approximately 80%

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.