W301 – Strategic Management (BW7)

Module
Strategic Management (BW7)
Strategic Management (BW7)
Module number
W301 [E01]
Version: 1
Faculty
Business Administration
Level
Bachelor
Duration
1 Semester
Semester
Summer semester
Module supervisor

Prof. Dr. Gerard Lewis
gerard.lewis(at)htw-dresden.de

Lecturer(s)

Prof. Dr. Gerard Lewis
gerard.lewis(at)htw-dresden.de

Course language(s)

English
in "Strategic Management (BW7)"

ECTS credits

5.00 credits

Workload

150 hours

Courses

4.00 SCH (2.00 SCH Lecture | 2.00 SCH Seminar)

Self-study time

90.00 hours
90.00 hours Self-study - Strategic Management (BW7)

Pre-examination(s)
None
Examination(s)

Alternative examination - Paper with presentation
Examination time: 20 min | Weighting: 50%
in "Strategic Management (BW7)"

Written examination
Examination time: 90 min | Weighting: 50%
in "Strategic Management (BW7)"

Form of teaching

Unterrichtssprache / Language: English

Lectures The basic principles, concepts and theories will be presented during lectures. Lecture materials are available on Portal Sachsen (OPAL).

Readings For each topic there are chapters from the main textbooks and some additional readings which support the concepts presented in the lectures.

Worked examples and problems Application of the course materials is reinforced using mini-cases, problems and examples.

Case Studies Students prepare case assignments prior to the scheduled case discussion. Students will be asked questions relating to the case and are expected to present their arguments and reasoning.

Project Student teams will be required to work throughout the semester on a project which identifies and assesses the competitive strategy of a business unit by applying the course materials from the lectures.

Project Report Student teams produce 5000 word report which conveys the essential project information to a senior executive as concisely as possible.

Project Presentation Student teams make a 20 minute presentation which emphasises the project's findings and recommendations.

Media type
No information
Instruction content/structure
Understanding and analysing the business context
  • drivers for growth, availability of resources, critical success factors Understanding and analysing the macro-market context
  • Is the market attractive? Understanding and analysing the industry context
  • Is the industry attractive? Understanding customers
  • Do we meet customer needs? Assessing and building competitive advantage
  • Can we achieve a competitive advantage? Developing a competitive strategy
Qualification objectives

The aim of the module is to enable students to understand and apply the frameworks and tools which practicing business unit managers require to develop competitive strategies and competitive advantage. After successfully completing the module the student will be able to:

  1. systematically analyse and interpret a business unit's international strategic context,
  2. understand the business unit's bases for competitive advantage,
  3. develop and assess a business unit's competitive strategy.

Strategic management is cross-functional and multi-disciplinary. Therefore the module draws upon basic knowledge from other subjects and requires students to take a more holistic view of business in an international context.

Social and personal skills
Analytical skills
  • especially of soft factors Project management, teamwork & presentation skills Problem solving
  • identifying and solving the problem is a key skill in business strategy development Creativity
  • ‚stepping outside of the box‘. The essence of business strategy is to do something different.
Special admission requirements
No information
Recommended prerequisites

English level C1

Strategic Management is a capstone module and requires the application of many areas from the first three semesters of the degree programme.

English level B2,

Continuation options
No information
Literature
The following textbooks are recommended for supporting and complementing the module lectures. Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes & Richard Whittington Exploring Corporate Strategy Prentice Hall, London Robert M. Grant Contemporary Strategy Analysis Blackwell, London Also recommended are the following books which will go into more breadth and depth about a number of topics presented during the module: Porter M. E., Competitive Strategy Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competition, Free Press, 1980. Porter M. E., Competitive Advantage - Creating and sustaining superior performance, Free Press, 1985. Mintzberg, Quinn & Ghoshal, The Strategy Process, European Edition, Prentice Hall, London, 1995.
Current teaching resources

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Notes
For students who expect to develop an international career, the module provides an important insight into large corporations and international strategic development. The module is especially relevant for those who wish to make a career in strategy / general management. The examination is 90 minutes closed book. The examination questions will be written in English and students are required to provide written answers in English or German.