Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

The increasing level of change and globalization presents managers with key strategic issues they have to deal with. This unit introduces you to the various, often conflicting strategic choices managers can make to deal with these issues in practice to gain a competitive advantage. The unit is designed to look at these choices from multiple perspectives. You will be encouraged to challenge traditional views on strategies, organizations and industries. Contemporary Strategic Analysis will provide you with a more holistic view on strategic problems that will allow you to make superior strategic decisions. By understanding the nature and determinants of contemporary strategy, students will be well positioned to take a more strategic perspective in their organisational activities.

Aims

The unit introduces you to cutting-edge theories and concepts of strategic decision-making. Leading strategists challenge existing concepts, not copy or apply them. The aim is to instill you with a critical and creative mindset to solving real-world strategic problems through analysing them from opposing perspectives. Understanding the limitations and challenging the application of existing strategic concepts will provide you with the skills and mindset to develop superior strategies.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)

The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action

By understanding the nature and determinants of competitive and strategic advantages, students should enhance their professional competences and be well-positioned to take a more strategic and critical perspective towards changing management trends and organisational frameworks.

Unit Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Understand the strengths and limitations of the principal concepts of contemporary strategic management and being able to challenge them.
2. Critically analyse real-world strategic problems from multiple perspectives.
3. Resolve strategic problems by developing strategies through paradoxical thinking.
4. Effectively collaborate to resolve real-world strategic issues.

The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

• Introduction to Strategy


• Strategy process and formation


• Strategy in the organisational context


• Business, corporate, collaborative strategies


• Global strategies


• Strategic change


• The cutting edge: new developments in strategy

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The perspective for learning is to use paradoxes and opposing theoretical perspectives to develop high-level analytical thinking about strategy. This demands the analysis and integration of critical assumptions and conditions to identify, diagnose, problem solve, devise and execute strategies.

To achieve this perspective several teaching formats are used in which students are encouraged and expected to participate and interact.

Online debates:
These debates essentially serve the learning purpose of exploring selected topics before the lecture. They also serve the purpose of reflecting on and discussing a paradox derived from opposing theoretical perspectives on an aspect of strategy.

Online lecture material:
These serve the purpose of introducing the topics to structure and assist in understanding the inherent complexity and ambiguity of strategic management. By making them available online, it gives you the flexibility to learn at a time that maximises your learning

Lectures:
Lectures serve the learning purpose of:
Identifying and evaluating the various analytical approaches to strategy. This requires a knowledge of the diverse and frequently contestable and competing theoretical literature

Providing structures which attempt to provide some form of reconciliation between the various approaches.Analysis of existing cases. These cases were carefully selected to reflect the rapid changes in today's business environment. These cases provide regional, domestic and international balance, together with the balance of business, corporate and industry level cases.

It is imperative that the appropriate sections of the textbook be read prior to class attendance. The reason for this requirement is clear. Strategic management has become very confusing because of the enormous and divergent literatures which can be consulted. Neither the text nor the lecture material explore the full extent of this diversity but together they provide a logical base to progress along several directions in the context of the class room if you are appropriately prepared. In other words, the lectures will continue where the book stops and this learning will be ineffective if you did not prepare beforehand.

Written analysis of a strategy of a real-life company:
From experience you should find that the integrating, synthesising and cognitive perspectives required for effective business strategy are best learned in the particular context of a real-life company.

Assessment

The assessment in this unit aims to support your achievement of the learning objectives for both Discipline Knowledge and Other Graduate Capabilities. Assessment has been designed in order to allow you to:

Receive feedback on you learning as you progress toward the development of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes(formative assessment); and

Demonstrate your learning in order to achieve a final grade(summative assessment).Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:

Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation

Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary

Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation

Indirect: to the whole class

Assessment name: Debate and Strategy Paradox
Description: Online debate on a strategy paradox. As the unit and the book are structured around paradoxes, it is essential that you gain experience with and understanding of using different theoretical perspectives to explain a single strategic phenomena. The quality of the contributions to an online debate will be assessed. The debate will change weekly and you will be assessed once during those weeks. Students will receive individual feedback on their contributions before week 9.
Length/Duration: Not applicable
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1)
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Weeks 4 to 12

Assessment name: Strategy Analysis
Description: Analysis of the strategy of a real-life company. The written report will explore the criticial strategic issues facing a company. The group will be expected to use whatever strategic concepts they deem appropriate. You are expected to develop a focus that draws out the issues present and how the organisation may achieve a competitive advantage in the future.
Length/Duration: 2,000 words
Formative or Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 2, 3, 4 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1), TW (4.1)
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Central Exam Period

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed Text
De Wit, B. & Meyer, R. (2010). Strategy Process, Content, Context: an international perspective (4th edn.). London: Cengage Learning. (This can be purchased as either a hard copy from the QUT Bookshop, or as an e-book directly from the publisher).

There are no out-of-the-ordinary costs associated with this unit.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 07-Jun-2012