Units

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Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 5 2013

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

Rationale

Business leaders today need to be multi-disciplinary strategic thinkers, who have foresight and an ability to take a big-picture, long term view of an organisation. Additionally, the ability to make decisions, often with incomplete information, and to determine appropriate strategic responses to a complex, global business problems and opportunities is seen as the key determinant of positive business outcomes and the longevity of organisations.

This unit has been included in the MBA program to help students to develop a sophisticated knowledge and application of strategic analysis techniques and approaches including the dynamics of inter-firm dependencies, the nature of complex-adaptive systems, an understanding of the pivotal role of data in the strategy process and the limitations of theoretical models.

This unit has been positioned in the latter part of the program building upon the learning in GSN405 Strategic Management and complements the other units in the Leadership and Strategy elective pathway.

Aims

The mission of the MBA and associated programs is to provide world class, graduate business education and stimulating real world learning opportunities to develop current and future business leaders and managers to confidently lead in complex environments.

The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to explore high level strategic concepts and identify the manner in which they must be best employed in complex organisational, industry and global settings.

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

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

1. Evaluate theoretical frameworks and models and identify their limitations in the context of complex strategic decision making. KS1.1, (MBA 1), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4), PC 3.1

2. Critically analyse organisational strategy from multiple perspectives and in a global business context CTA 2.1, (MBA 4)

3. Analyse an organisational context to identify the wide range of influences in the undertaking strategy in response to complex and or dynamic environments KS1.1 (MBA 8), CTA 2.1 (MBA 4)

4. Apply appropriate strategic frameworks and data driven approaches to deal with strategic complexity. (KS1.1, MBA 1)

Content

Six key topic areas will be undertaken and discussed in light of private, public and not-for-profit contexts.

• Global strategy, non-market strategy and Stakeholder engagement


• The role of data in complex strategic environments


• Game theory and strategic outcomes


• Strategic networks, structural holes and firm response


• Complex adaptive systems


• Ethical, strategic decision making

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Three hour face-to-face class sessions are supplemented by a textbook and a range of online materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions. Online materials are available in the unit Blackboard site. Given the importance of the unit Blackboard site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer or tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the lectures and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and all assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.

There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers in an informal environment. These sessions also provide students with an opportunity to hone important generic skills that are in high demand in the business.

It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Blackboard site prior to coming to class to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.
There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences related to the topics explored in this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.
Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and international perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Assessment

Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.
Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.
Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.
Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a Criterion Reference Assessment sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The Criterion Reference Assessment Sheet will be available in the Blackboard unit site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment name: Presentation (Oral or Group)
Description: Assessment Name: Stategy Simulation exercise - Phase 1

Description: Working in small groups you will be immersed in a simulation that will require your team to develop a comprehensive strategic response to a new initiative for the simulated organisation.

At the conclusion of the simulation, your team is required to present to a panel your proposed strategic response as well as a stakeholder analysis. Accompanying this presentation will be a 1500 word briefing note outlining the proposed response including the models and frameworks used.

Length/Duration: 10 minute presentation with visual aids and 1500 word briefing paper

Formative/Summative: formative and summative
Weighting: Presentation (20%) Briefing Note (20%)
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 2, 3 and 4
AOL goals: KS1.1, CTA2.1, PC 3.1, TW 4.1
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week 5

Assessment name: Report
Description: Assessment Name: Strategy Simulation exercise - Phase 2

Description: This assessment task builds upon Assessment Task 1. You should ensure that you incorporate the feedback provided on Assessment Task 1.

Working in the same group as you did for Assessment Task 1, your team will be presented with some emergent challenges that require the team to make some key strategic decisions based on the information available.

After the simulation exercise has concluded, you are required to write an individual report that explains and critiques the decisions made by the group and the limitations of the models and frameworks the team used.

Length/Duration: 2500 words
Formative/Summative: summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 4
AOL goals: KS1.1, CTA2.1, PC 3.1
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 7

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: Nil

Other Resources: GSN560 Blakboard site

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: 30-Oct-2012