BSc Accounting with Industrial/Professional Experience

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Business Strategy

Course unit fact file
Unit code BMAN24641
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The main topics covered in this course include:
1. Strategic analysis of the environment
2. Strategic capability and analysing company resources and competencies
3. Diagnosing strategic capability & stakeholder analysis
4. Business-Level strategy
5. Corporate-Level strategy
6. Analysis of live companies
7. Culture & strategy
8. The theory of business strategy
 

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Auditing & Professional Accounting Practice I BMAN10760 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
BMAN10760 is pre-requisite for BMAN24641. Compulsory for and available only to students on the BSc Accounting and BSc Business Accounting.

Pre-requisite course units have to be passed by 40% or above at the first attempt unless a higher percentage is indicated within this course outline.

Pre-requisites: Completion of the 1st year of the BSc Accounting programme
 

Aims

The Business Strategy course aims to provide students with: 
i) a sound understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of corporate strategy, 
ii) a comprehensive knowledge of the various tools and techniques used in strategic analysis and 
iii) the ability to apply the aforementioned concepts and techniques to real-life business scenarios.
iv) It will also satisfy the requirements for accreditation for the ICAEW's Business Strategy paper (subject to students achieving a mark of 50% or higher in this and in both BMAN10512 Introductory Management Accounting and BMAN21040 Intermediate Management Accounting).
 

Learning outcomes

After completing the Business Strategy course, students should be able to:
(a) Understand the fundamental economics underpinning strategy
(b)Analyse the internal and external environment of a business using a number of strategic analysis tools
(c) Assess the strategic position of a business
(d) Appreciate the role of different stakeholders in influencing corporate strategy
(e) Critically evaluate the strategic choices available to a business and recommend strategies that will help the business achieve its strategic objectives
(f) Explain how strategic change can be managed, and
(g) Critique contemporary strategy thinking.
 

Teaching and learning methods

Methods of delivery:

The course content is delivered via a series of lectures and seminars, supported by Blackboard.

Lecture hours: 20 hours

Seminar hours: 5 hours

Private study: 75 hours

Total study hours: 100 hours
Total study hours: 100 hours split between lectures, classes, self-study and preparation for classes, coursework and examinations.
The course will include lecture presentations, workshop/seminar discussions and project work, together with associated reading materials. Extensive use will be made of case studies and live business challenges from the Financial Times. Blackboard is used to support and enhance the delivery of the course and students are actively encouraged to contribute to contemporary strategy debates via the discussion forums.
 

Assessment methods

The course will be assessed via:

  • Group Project work, assessed via preparation and delivery of a group presentation (30%)
  • Examination (70%)
     

Feedback methods

Students on this course will receive feedback via the following methods:
•    Written group feedback on the assessed business feature (video based)
•    Written generic feedback on exam performance
•    Verbal feedback during lecture and seminar sessions
facilitated group discussions during office hours
•    Written feedback to online discussion posts that relate to each lecture topic, and
•    Written feedback to student queries posted on the Blackboard discussion forum or sent to the lecturer via email.
 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Seminars 5
Independent study hours
Independent study 75

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Julian Jones Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Pre-requisite course units have to be passed by 40% or above at the first attempt unless a higher percentage is indicated below.

Pre-requisites: BMAN10760

Co-requisites: N/A

Dependent course units: N/A
Programme Restrictions: Compulsory for and available only to students on the BSc Accounting and BSc Business Accounting programme.

 

For Academic Year 2023/24

Updated: March 2023
Approved by: March UG Committee

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