BSc Management with Industrial/Professional Experience

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Foundations of Strategy and Innovation

Course unit fact file
Unit code BMAN24442
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This course introduces foundational strategy and innovation concepts. This foundation is designed to help students understand i) how managers make effective strategic decisions in today’s dynamic business environment to acquire long term competitive advantage, and ii) what innovation is, its processes and sources and why it matters in business organisations.

 

Pre/co-requisites

NONE

 

Aims

  1. To introduce key theories and foundational concepts from the fields of strategic management and innovation.
  2. To help students understand which strategies are more likely to lead to long term success.
  3. To help students understand processes of technological and business model innovation.

 

Learning outcomes

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

  • Understand the concepts of strategy and innovation and their importance to achieve competitive advantage in dynamic business environments.
  • Understand which strategies are more likely to lead to long-term competitiveness and success.
  • Identify the different main theoretical approaches used in the literature to study strategy and innovation and their applicability in specific contexts.
  • Apply strategy and innovation concepts and theoretical views to real business organizations, and think creatively about alternative courses of action and recommendations for improving their innovation performance.

 

Syllabus

•    Definition of strategy and strategy types 
•    Descriptive strategic management views: the design and planning schools, the Porterian school, and the resource-based view of firm
•    Managerial cognition and behavioural strategy 
•    Definition of innovation, types and sources of innovation 
•    Patterns of technological development 
•    Business model innovation
•    Disruptive innovation
•    Dynamic capabilities  
 

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures and workshops

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Students will be able to critically assess key different views on strategic management and innovation, and its implications for the development of business strategies. ¿ Commercial awareness. The course will develop commercial awareness by enabling students to understand which strategies and structures are more likely to lead to success in innovation, and why some companies are able to innovate and others are not.
Group/team working
via the group assignment students will learn to work collectively as effective and efficient group members, including organising, contributing and motivating others.
Problem solving
the group assignment will allow students to acquire skills needed to apply theory and empirical evidence to develop informed solutions to problems associated with achieving competitive advantage via innovation

Assessment methods

Exam: 75%

Group report: 25%

The group assignment will include a peer-review method.

 

Feedback methods

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

Recommended reading

Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R., (2017). Exploring corporate strategy: text & cases. Pearson education).

Hitt, M.A, Ireland, R.D., and Hoskisson R. (2017) Strategic Management: Concepts: Competitiveness and Globalization, 12th Edition

Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B., & Lampel, J. (2009) Strategy Safari. London: Prentice Hall.

Schilling, M. (2017) Strategic Management of Technological Innovation. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Tidd, J. and Bessant, J. (2013) Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organisational Change. 5th edition (published by Wiley).

 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 22
Tutorials 8
Independent study hours
Independent study 170

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Mercedes Bleda Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Pre-requisites: None

Co-requisites: None

Dependent courses: This is a pre-requisite unit for BMAN31731 Advanced Strategic Management

This course is available to students on the following programmes:

Only available to students on: Mgt/Mgt Specialism; IMABS; IM; and ITMB.

For Academic Year 2023/24

Updated: March 2023

Approved by: March UG Committee

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