BUSI4J010: Applied Strategic Management (FT)

• None

• None

• None

• To contribute to the overall aims of the programme by developing students' understanding of the strategic management of organisations and the impact of the wider external environment.
• To examine how companies attempt different business and corporate strategies to achieve or maintain a competitive advantage.
• To provide real-world scenarios to apply strategic thinking in practice through live strategic projects.
• To give students an in-depth understanding at an advanced level of strategy formulation and implementation under conditions of changing industry competition, firm resources, and technology.
• To provide an in-depth understanding and critical evaluation of specialist techniques to aid analysis of the competitive and contextual environment.
• To understand the linkages between strategic management and the other core business disciplines taught on the Durham Full-Time MBA programme.
• To explore contemporary debates in strategic management research.
• To develop links with the Business School's research strategy by incorporating current research into strategic management within organisations.

• Business and corporate strategy formulation and implementation: the process of developing strategy; making strategic choices; analysing the competitive and contextual environment; implementing strategy; innovation, strategic change, technology and democratizing strategy; strategy and society (ethics, sustainability); strategy in times of environmental jolts.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of this module, students should have:
• A critical appreciation of the main strengths and weaknesses of various strategic models and approaches in order to remain relevant, valuable and sustainable.
• An appreciation and understanding of cost-based and differentiation strategies, consolidation, market penetration, specialisation, product development and technological first-mover strategies for incumbent and new entrants, market development and internationalisation, diversification, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances.
• An advanced understanding of many of the routinely encountered difficulties in strategy design and implementation and have methods and tools at hand to address those difficulties and market opportunities.
• Knowledge and experience of working with external organizations on strategic challenges.

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of this module, students should be:
• Able to think strategically and critically about a firm and its function.
• Able to define a firm's main capabilities, competencies and competitive advantages.
• Able to analyse critically the non-market environment of business on firms, such as the strategic constraints and opportunities presented by social, environmental sustainability, and political developments.
• Able to conduct an in-depth industry analysis and gain advanced understanding of its strengths and limitations.
• Able to develop and defend a cohesive organisational strategy.
• Aware of key debates within contemporary strategic management and be able to undertake critical appraisal of the latest strategic management literature and research, applying critical judgment and discrimination.
• Aware of, and familiar with, methods employed in formulating and implementing corporate and business-level strategies.
• Aware of, and familiar with, tools and techniques to analyse the competitive and contextual environment to develop appropriate strategies.
• Able to understand the implications for the strategic purpose and ethical stance of an organsation arising from the influence of different stakeholder groups within the organisation.
• Able to develop appropriate business plans/business cases that communicate detailed strategic plans to a range of appropriate audiences.
• Able to work with external organizations to refine, investigate and provide strategic options for decision makers

Key Skills:

• Sourcing appropriate data and evaluating evidence at a strategic level.
• Working with strategic decision makers to formulate and/or evaluate strategy.
• Interpreting, making sense of and using data to inform strategic decisions.
• Reflecting and synthesising from experience.
• Developing critical thinking.
• Synthesising diverse perspectives.
• Developing coherent and persuasive arguments.

• Main content is delivered through a mixture of lectures, case studies and project-based workshop sessions.
• In addition, there will be a number of guest lectures with Q&A and debates centred upon the latest research into key topics within strategic management.
• Summative assessment will be a group based strategic project (worth 65%) and an individual strategic portfolio (35%)

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our Help page. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the Help page, or a query about the on-line Postgraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.