Postgraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2018-2019 (archived)
Module BUSI46O15: Scenario Thinking (TAUGHT)
Department: Business School (Business)
BUSI46O15: Scenario Thinking (TAUGHT)
| Type | Tied | Level | 4 | Credits | 15 | Availability | Available in 2018/19 | Module Cap |
|---|
| Tied to | N1KS17 |
|---|---|
| Tied to | N1KR17 |
| Tied to | N1N317 |
| Tied to | N1N417 |
Prerequisites
- None.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combination of Modules
- Scenario Thinking (ONLINE)
Aims
- To explore methods and approaches for anticipating the future
- To understand and evaluate how human judgment is modelled in scenario method
- To examine the strategic and operational implications of planning with scenarios
Content
- The core “intuitive logics†scenario methodology
- Modelling judgment: overcoming framing bias and overconfidence
- Stakeholder analysis
- Evaluating the performance of options against scenarios
- Constructing a range of extreme futures
- Diagnosing whether the organizational context is appropriate for a scenario-based intervention
- Evaluating developed scenarios
- Scenario thinking versus decision analysis as ways of making decisions in the face of uncertainty about the future
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- By the end of the module, students should have:
- A critical understanding of the nature and principal concepts of scenario method
- A grounded understanding of the “intuitive logics†scenario method and its augmentations.
- A critical appreciation of decision making using scenarios
Subject-specific Skills:
- By the end of the module, students should:
- Be able to use the “intuitive logics†method to create scenarios
- Be able to develop a range of more extreme scenarios using augmentation of the core “intuitive logics†method
- Be able to analyse and evaluate decision options against scenarios
Key Skills:
- Effective written communication skills
- Planning, organising and time management skills
- Problem solving and analytical skills
- The ability to use initiative
- Advanced skills in the interpretation of data
- Advanced computer literacy skills
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 taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion, supported by guided reading and specially-written self-study material. 
- The summative assessment of the module is designed to test the acquisition and articulation of knowledge and critical understanding, and skills of application and interpretation within the business context.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workshops (a combination of taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion), timetabled in blocks | 28 | ■ | |||
| Preparation and reading | 122 | ||||
| Total | 150 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Written Assignment | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Individual written report on a decision analysis | 4000 words | 100% | same |
Formative Assessment:
Group-based discussions and case study exercises.
■ 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