Developing Strategic Management and Leadership Potential 

Unit Reference Number

L/618/5988

Unit Title

Developing Strategic Management and Leadership Potential

Unit Level

8

Number of Credits

20

Total Qualification Time (TQT)

200 hours

Guided Learning Hours (GLH)

100 hours

Mandatory / Optional

Mandatory

Sector Subject Area (SSA)

15.3 Business Management

Unit Grading Structure

Pass / Fail

Learning Outcomes – The learner will:

Assessment Criteria – The learner can:

Indicative contents

1. Be able to analyse key external influences on an organisation’s strategy.

1.1 Critically evaluate the external business environment of an organisation.

1.2  Identify key drivers and industry critical success factors.

• Using a variety of tools to critically analyse external business environment: PESTEL and five forces analysis; threats and opportunities analysis, etc.

2. Be able to evaluate the dynamic capabilities and core competences of an organisation.

2.1 Critically analyse the resources and capabilities of an organisation .

2.2 Distinguish between their threshold and distinctive resources and capabilities.

2.3 Evaluate their value chain and identify their core competence as a source of sustainable competitive advantage.

• Using a variety of tools to critically analyse internal business environment: Resources and capability/competency analysis, Value chain analysis, VRIO analysis and the determination of core competencies and sources of sustainable competitive advantage.
• Identify and analyse mandatory competency and competitive advances of an organisation: competitive advantage identification; economies of scope and scale; product or service life measurement; internal statistics and surveys; measures for monitoring and evaluating; emergent and unrealised strategy; globalisation effects; resources analysis; mandatory skills and competences; experience curves; comparative analysis.

3. Be able to appraise strategic options and to evaluate approaches to strategy implementation.

3.1 Critically explore the relationship between, corporate, business and operational strategies.

3.2 Apply strategic models and tools to develop strategic options for an organisation.

3.3 Evaluate strategic options for an organisation.

• To review the position of an organisation in its current market: market situation analysis; organisational position measurement; strategic business planning tools; e.g. SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threats) analysis; Porter’s Five Forces Analysis; value chain analysis; Boston growth-share (BCG) matrix; market equilibrium; market share; sustainable competitive advantage.
• Discussing relationship between, corporate, business and operational strategies: strategic relationships e.g. concepts, application and changing trends; corporate strategies; business strategies; operational strategies; effective communication; strategy formulation; strategic drift; strategic options review; benchmarking; competitor analysis; benefit-cost analysis; information review; organisational value consistency; position in markets; market share; globalisation effect; impacts of technological advancements.
• Use various models and tools to develop strategic options for an organisation: strategic models, e.g. identification, uses and effectiveness; Mintzberg’s strategies e.g. emergent and deliberate; Ansoff matrix strategies; balanced mandatory card analysis; sensitivity analysis; organisational integration; merger and acquisition; gap analysis; product portfolio. SAFe

4. Be able to evaluate international strategy and how it relates to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

4.1 Critically evaluate internationalisation drivers and strategies.

4.2 Critically analyse corporate social responsibility strategies emphasizing the stakeholder theory.

4.3 Demonstrate the nexus between strategy and corporate social responsibility/sustainability and evaluate the concept of shared value.

• Assess internationalisation drivers and potential for different markets: Yip’s globalisation framework, Porter’s Diamond, CAGE framework, global strategy, global integration vs local responsiveness, entry modes, etc.
• Introduce the concept of ‘Business and Society’. Analyse and decide strategic and business strategic options: Business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR), stakeholder analysis, triple bottom line, creating shared value etc.

5. Be able to analyse how leadership impacts upon strategic decision making.

5.1 Identify and assess different leadership styles as related to strategy change.

5.2 Evaluate how organisational context affects strategic change.

5.3 Evaluate how leadership influences strategic change.

• Leadership Styles and Strategic Change: Analysing change context, types of change, levers of strategic change and the challenges of implementing strategic change.

Learning Outcomes to be met

Assessment Criteria to be covered

Assessment type

Word count (approx. length)

All 1 to 5

All ACs under LO 1 to 5

Coursework

4500 words