IB9KH-10 Strategic Advantage
Introductory description
The course aims to provide students with a detailed understanding of the strategic advantage concept and how this can be applied in the analysis of a firm’s strategic advantage.
Module aims
The course aims to provide students with a detailed understanding of the strategic advantage concept and how this can be applied in the analysis of a firm’s strategic advantage. This over arching concept is supported by macro and micro economic analysis as well as insights from marketing, finance and accounting, organisational behaviour and change management. The course therefore aims to raise student awareness of how these contributions may fit
together through a series of strategy models and frameworks. As the course progresses students should gain in familiarity and skill in the application of these techniques allowing integrated and robust appraisal of a firm’s strategic advantage.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Subjects covered across the different variants include:
The concept of strategy.
Environment & complexity.
The microeconomics of strategy.
The macroeconomics of strategy.
Industry Analysis and Competitive Strategy.
Service Industry Strategies.
Competitive Strategy: The Resource-based View and Dynamic Capabilities.
Competitive Strategy: Moving from Theory to Practice.
Corporate Strategy: Adding Value in Multi-business Firms.
Corporate Strategy: Mergers and Acquisitions.
Use of Scenarios in strategic planning.
Global strategies and international advantage.
Strategies for managing change.
Strategy in the New Economy.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of the key elements of strategic advantage for individual organisations against the demands of their industries
- Demonstrate understanding of the role of strategy in business leadership
- Demonstrate understanding of how strategic decisions define the changes a company seeks to make to themselves and their market.
- Demonstrate an awareness of how environmental forces influence companies; examples including legal factors, demographics; ethical & social issues and technological changes
- Critically analyse and construct robust arguments
Indicative reading list
Dependent on variant, texts to include:
De Wit. 2017. Strategy-An international perspective (6th edition). Engage Learning EMEA.
Volberda, H.W.; Morgan, R.E.; Reinmoeller, P.; Hitt, M.A.; Ireland, D.R. and Hoskisson, R.E. (2011) Strategic Management: Competitiveness & Globalization, Hampshire: Cengage Learning EMEA
Grant, R.M. (2010) Contemporary Strategy Analysis (8th edn) Oxford: Wiley
McGee, J.; Thomas, H. and Wilson, D. (2010)
Strategy: Analysis and Practice (2nd edn)
Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill
Angwin, D.; Cummings, S. and Smith, C. (2011)
The Strategy Pathfinder (2nd edn)
Oxford: Blackwell Publishers
Sample academic journal articles:
European Management Journal
Harvard Business Review
Journal of International Business Studies
Administrative Science Quarterly
Strategic Management Journal
Organisation Science
Academy of Management Journal
Academy of Management Perspectives
Subject specific skills
Diagnose environmental and industrial forces that drive and constrain strategic options for business
Develop alternate strategies contingent on the demands of the organisation and its industry context.
Demonstrate strategic thinking skills needed in leadership roles
Analyse strategic positioning strategies of firms and evaluate them against the necessary competencies and resources of the organisation
Transferable skills
Develop written communication skills
Develop numeracy skills
Use information technology
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 8 sessions of 3 hours 15 minutes (26%) |
| Online learning (scheduled sessions) | 4 sessions of 1 hour (4%) |
| Private study | 42 hours (42%) |
| Assessment | 28 hours (28%) |
| Total | 100 hours |
Private study description
Private Study and preparation for lectures
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A1
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Written Assignment (2500 words) | 100% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Assessments are graded using standard University Postgraduate Marking Criteria and written feedback is provided. Feedback for individual essays include comments on a marksheet. Overall percentage marks are awarded for examination performance and general examination feedback is provided to the cohort.
Post-requisite modules
If you pass this module, you can take:
- IB9T1-10 Strategy and Practice
- IB9KF-10 Strategy and Practice
- IB9HB-10 Doing Business in Mexico
- IB819-10 Strategy and Practice
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q4 Postgraduate Business Administration (Executive) London
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q5 Postgraduate Business Administration (Executive) London
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1PW Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q2 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning)
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q9 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Distance Learning) London
- Year 1 of TIBS-N1Q3 Postgraduate Taught Business Administration (Executive)