BSc International Business, Finance and Economics with Industrial/Professional Experience / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Fundamentals of Strategy

Course unit fact file
Unit code BMAN24492
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This course provides a foundation for understanding and appreciating the role of firms’ strategic management. The goal of strategic management is to develop and defend a competitive advantage that allows a firm to sustainably outperform its competitors and achieve superior returns. Strategic management deals with decisions that fundamentally affect a firm’s direction as well as the effective implementation of these decisions. This includes decisions about the market(s) in which a firm competes, the value proposition and business model it chooses to create value to customers, how it positions itself vis-a-vis its competitors, and decisions about the unique resources and capabilities that allow the firm to sustainably defend its position. This course is designed to help students understand the most important strategic decisions, and learn to effectively apply practical tools to confidently address these strategic decisions.

Pre/co-requisites

Core for BSc IBFE.

Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
Dependent course units: BMAN33000 Business Analysis Project

Aims

1.    Develop an understanding of how firms gain and sustain competitive advantages;
2.    To help students understand how managers make strategic decisions in practice;
3.    To develop students' strategic thinking and decision-making skills
4.    To collaboratively analyse and develop strategies for real-world firms

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course unit, students should be able to:

  • Explain how firms can achieve a competitive advantage
  • Make informed decisions about firms' strategic choices with the objective to improve their performance
  • Analyze strategic situations and make predictions about competitive dynamics
  • Develop teamwork skills to collaboratively analyse and develop strategies

Syllabus

• Overview and introduction to strategy
• Key concepts of strategy
• Value creation
• Business models
• Strategic positioning
• Resources and capabilities
• External environment
• Identifying strategic options
• Evaluating strategic options
• Review & Summary

 

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures, plus self-directed study by students.  Total study hours: 100 hours split between lectures, self-study and preparation for classes and coursework.

Employability skills

Analytical skills
By the end of the course, students will have a larger set of analytical tools and will have gained more experience in analysing real-world business cases.
Group/team working
In this course, you learn how to work collaboratively with others in order to achieve a goal. As an individual team member, you will learn how to take on a role within your team, take responsibility for the team's progress, contributing your ideas, and communicate effectively.
Problem solving
In this course, you improve your ability to identify and evaluate the necessary information to develop informed solutions. You will learn a systematic approach to solving the problems you face.
Other
The course helps you to develop and improve skills regarding the effective use of your time and workload. You will need to develop a systematic approach to plan and structure your assignment project and follow through on your plan.

Assessment methods

Coursework 100% - essay (group-based)

 

Feedback methods

Written feedback on coursework assignment and verbal feedback in lectures and via Blackboard discussions.

Recommended reading

Fisher, Greg; Wisneski, John E.; Bakker, Rene M.. 2020. Strategy in 3D. Oxford: Oxford University Press.


Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. 2016. Strategic Management, 12th edition, Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Independent study hours
Independent study 80

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Karl Taeuscher Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Programme Restrictions: Core for IBFE and BA Econ (Business Studies).

For Academic Year 2023/24

Updated: March 2023

Approved by: March UG Committee

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