MBA7822 - Corporate and International Strategy

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Synthesise key theoretical perspectives and specific techniques in global strategic management to analyse strategic decisions and competitive advantage.
Evaluate the political and economic context in which organisations operate and the impact of the external environment on corporate strategic dimensions.
Compare and contrast various approaches to managing organisational change, internal and external stakeholder interests, and strategy implementation.
Design innovative strategic choices appropriate for organisational transformation, such as international expansion or inter-organisational negotiations.

Content:

This module develops advanced understanding of global strategic management concepts, i.e. competitive advantage, corporate and business level strategies, scenario analysis, and strategic change and implementation. Students will study current theories and approaches to global strategic management, strategic analysis (environmental audit, financial analysis, organisational capabilities), and strategic alternatives (ownership, competitive advantage, portfolio management). This module also focuses on evaluating the factors affecting high-level managerial decision-making and the relationships between various company structures and internal and external stakeholders, measuring and interpreting their interaction and impact on potential international expansion, inter-organisational negotiations, and strategic change management.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The module will be delivered via a series of weekly 2.5-hour teaching blocks, comprising whole-group interactive lecture and seminar covering fundamental theories and applications, followed by simulation game sessions played in teams. Lectures and seminars will be supported by in-depth applied workshops.

The theoretical part of the module gives an opportunity to address current empirical and theoretical business planning models in the context of specific organisations. The practical part of the module encourages students to apply global strategic management concepts in a computer-based business simulation game, which will be facilitated by the module co-ordinator.

The module will make use of current newsworthy case studies and developing business trends and so the nature of the topics and exercises will vary. Students will be provided with, and/or directed to, relevant reading and additional questions/ exercises to support their progress through the module material.

Lectures/Seminars
Hours: 25
Intended Group size: Cohort

Workshops/Tutorials
Hours: 5
Intended group size: Cohort or variable-size groups

Guided independent study
Hours: 170

Further details relating to assessment
Essay: this assignment requires students to analyse in-depth the strategic decisions and strategic change management of a global organisation of their choice. Students will be assessed on their ability to apply key global management concepts and collate and interpret economic and financial data and judge its appropriateness to different groups of organisational stakeholders. Business simulation (Individual Report): students will work in groups throughout the semester and prepare an individual report on the performance and strategic choices of their company in the business simulation game. Students will be assessed on their ability to measure the impact of the external environment on their strategic design, and the challenges of managing international expansion and strategic change. Students will be granted access to SimVenture simulation game.

Formative feedback: weekly lectures and workshops are taught in an interactive manner, providing semi-formal discussion and debates, peer critique and feedback, as well as quizzes and individual or group presentations, which offer ample opportunities for feedback and feed forward to students before their assignments.

Assessment:

001 Essay; 2,000 words; end of term 2 50%
002 Business simulation; 2,000 words; end of term 2 50%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Anthony Brown
Level - 7
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 7T27T17T2

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