The aim of this module is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how organisations can craft and implement strategies that achieve and sustain competitive advantage, particularly in the face of the stakeholder-shareholder paradox. Students will critically examine how strategic management processes guide crucial corporate and business decisions related to the scope, scale, and direction of an organisation’s activities, while balancing the often competing demands of stakeholders and shareholders.

Through the use of case-based learning and short simulations, students will engage in hands-on analysis of strategic challenges and opportunities, stepping into the roles of managers navigating complex dilemmas and underexploited opportunities. These practical experiences will be supported by a range of analytical frameworks and methods, enabling students to develop strategic recommendations that are both actionable and sustainable.

The module integrates behavioural and economic perspectives, exposing students to essential theories and debates within the strategy literature, such as the resource-based view of the firm, value creation and appropriation strategies, competitive positioning, and firm boundaries. Special emphasis is placed on the development of sustainable strategies in VUCA environments, where volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity demand innovative and resilient approaches.

A critical lens is applied throughout the module, encouraging students to reflect on the broader implications of strategic decisions, including the tension between maximising shareholder value and fulfilling stakeholder expectations. By the end of the module, students will have developed the skills and knowledge to formulate and implement strategies that are not only competitive but also sustainable and ethically sound in diverse organisational contexts.

(LO1) Students will be able to define strategy and trace its development as a business discipline, with particular reference to the broadening scope of the field from positioning to resource based approaches.

(LO2) Students will be able to identify key elements of strategic management, from mission through to implementation.

(LO3) Students will be able to analyse an organisation and identify its strategic strengths and weaknesses.

(LO4) Students will be able to critically evaluate the notions of value creation and strategic prioritising approaches derived from it.

(LO5) Students will be able to critically analyse the global nature of strategy.

(LO6) Students will be able to analyse markets and industries using a variety of strategic management approaches, while understanding the limitations of those approaches.

(LO7) Students will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of different perspectives on the role of business in society.

(S1) People Focused
Students will work with multiple stakeholders within the MBA programme and externally. This will be done through challenges posed in the curriculum and outside the curriculum, working and networking with businesses locally and internationally. In doing so students will demonstrate people-focused leadership by prioritising human agency and well-being in a dynamic, disruptive world. Develop inclusivity, transparency, and reflection through teamwork and decision-making exercises, while leveraging innovation to drive personal, organisational, and societal advancement in the digital age.

(S2) Authenticity
Students will develop emotional intelligence through coaching to enhance self-awareness and awareness of others in achieving long-term, purposeful goals. This will permeate with all modules, cultivating accountability by mastering time, resources, and relationships to problem-solve and take actions. In doing so students will act with integrity, foster trust, and engage in respectful challenge and debate.

(S3) Agility
Students will have opportunities to thrive in turbulence and uncertainty. Actively build personal and organisational resilience to embrace disruption, find solutions and keep learning in dynamic environments. Informed, relevant, forward-focused mindsets stemming from constant challenges inside and outside the classroom. Provide clear direction for people and organisations to navigate effectively through simulated and real work problem solving.

(S4) Digital
Students will use a number of digital tools and develop a mindset to confidently embrace new knowledge and technologies, leverage its future potential to inspire, to enhance connectivity, decision making and learning. To bring wisdom in leadership to navigate the new digital revolution and make positive impact. Innovate. Engage in respectful debate.

(S5) Global Perspective
All modules will indulge and challenges students to think globally and consider how they drive the wider global ethical, sustainable and environmental agenda, taking a purposeful approach to aligning people, planet and profit. Experience and appreciate how building partnerships to deliver innovate solutions to economic, environmental and societal challenges are needed to solve wicked problems, improve co-operation globally and be an agent of change.

The module will primarily be delivered through a series of e-lectures, delivered through a variety of methods, covering key topics, theories and case examples. These will be supported by individual online task such as, case studies, blogs, collaborative tasks and discussion boards, which will be used to develop and apply learning. These activities will be moderated by the module instructor. Students will also be directed to key academic and practitioner readings to further develop their learning.

Unscheduled Directed Student Hours: 30 hours
Description: The asynchronous e-lecture and interactive class activity will equate to 5 hours per week over 6 weeks.
Attendance Recorded: Yes – tracked via the learning platform.

Scheduled Directed student hours: 4.5 hours
Description: The synchronous seminars will equate to 4.5 hours in total over 6 weeks.
Attendance Recorded: Yes – tracked via the learning platform.

One scheduled synchronous s eminar of one and half hour will be delivered in week 1, with the remaining two synchronous seminar hours scheduled during weeks 2 to 6. The dates and times of the seminars will be confirmed at the start of the module (if there are issues with time zones another session will be provided). Peer discussion and questions will be encouraged. These sessions will be recorded and moderated by the module instructor.

Self-directed learning hours: 65.5 hours
Description: This will involve directed and independent reading, and independent research into management theories and practices relevant to the module syllabus, aims and learning outcomes.

Defining strategy and organisational purpose – stakeholder vs shareholder paradox;

External environment, internal environment and generic strategies;

Sustainability strategy and organisational resilience;

Organisational growth: corporate strategies and internationalisation;

Strategic change: leadership, culture, innovation and disruption;

Strategy as practice – implementation and evaluation.