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Module

NBS8078 : Strategy for Managers

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Professor Tom McGovern
  • Lecturer: Dr Johannes Schmalisch
  • Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 10
ECTS Credits: 5.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

• To provide students with an introductory appreciation of the formulation and implementation of business strategy.
• To focus attention on the way in which strategic decisions are made and the influencing factors.
• To provide students with a critical understanding of various models of strategic management.
• To develop students’ analytical skills so that they can critically evaluate various sources of information from industry, financial and corporate sources relating to the management of strategy in organisations.
• To provide students with the necessary skills to critically evaluate the corporate and business level strategies of an organisation, to reflect on research conducted on the subject and to serve as an intellectual platform to prepare students to proceed to further modules of study.

Outline Of Syllabus

1. Introduction to Strategy
2. Porterian Strategy
3. Hybrid Strategies
4. Small group teaching on Porterian Strategy and Hybrid Strategies
5. Strategy, Resources and Capabilities: Resource Based View
6. Small group teaching on Strategy, Resources and Capabilities: Resource Based View
7. Strategic Decision-Making
8. Organisational Decline, Failure and Turnaround Strategies
9. Small group teaching on Organisational Decline, Failure and Turnaround Strategies
10. Revision

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture62:0012:00PiP lectures
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials91:009:00Pre-recorded lecture materials.
Guided Independent StudyDirected research and reading251:0025:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching32:006:00PiP. Small group teaching addressing theory and practice through case study analysis. Formative feed
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study231:0023:00N/A
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study251:0025:00Time for students to read and analyse case studies for the small group teaching sessions
Total100:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The focus is on enabling students to understand the fundamentals of business strategy. The lectures provide a framework supportive of student centred learning of these fundamentals. The students are given a selection of case studies to enable them to apply the perspectives, tools and techniques of strategic management, to analyse the key strategic issues and problems facing companies and organisations.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written Examination1201A100A 2 hour exam.
Exam Pairings
Module Code Module Title Semester Comment
1Dual Award Shadow Module
Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Description Semester When Set Comment
Case study1MFormative assessment will be provided during discussions and feedback in class on case studies that have been provided in advance.
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment method ensures that students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the fundamental ideas and common techniques associated with the practice of business strategy.

Formative Assessment: Students are provided with case studies in advance related to the topic that will be taught and discussed in class. The case studies are chosen to help students to relate theory to practice. The discussions and debates that take place in the classroom together with feedback are designed to help students to develop their understanding and critical thinking of the main theories in strategic management.

Reading Lists

Timetable