Module BUSI4ZD15: ORGANISING FOR STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE (EBS)

Department: Business School (Business)

BUSI4ZD15: ORGANISING FOR STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE (EBS)

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To deepen student understanding of the strategic management of organisations. The module builds on prior material in that it adopts the point of view of the executive team and considers the entire firm as a single entity. Strategic analysis has its own theoretical principles, which will be reviewed and applied.

Content

• Organisational Design and Strategy.
• Strategic Positions vs. Organisational Capabilities.
• Capabilities for Exploitation and Exploration.
• Leveraging Human Resources and Culture for Capabilities.
• Organisational Culture in High-Tech Firms.
• Position and Capabilities: Resource Partitioning Issues.
• Position and Capabilities: Limits to Organisation, Identify and Status.
• Position and Capabilities: Semi-Autonomous Subunits.

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the module, the students will have:
• developed an advanced understanding of the nature of strategic action, based on current theory and research;
• developed a critical appreciation of the problems associated with change in organisations, in particular, inertia and the unintended outcomes of change efforts.

• Upon successful completion of the module, the students will have:
• developed the advanced analytical and communication skills to critically analyse companies and industries with respect to their strategies and those of competitors.

• Written communication; planning, organising and time management; problem solving and analysis; using initiative; computer literacy.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Learning outcomes will be met through a combination of lectures, groupwork, case studies and discussion, supported by guided reading. The written assignment will test students' understanding of relevant concepts and their ability to apply and interpret what they have learned to the analysis of a particular issue in depth.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

None.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University