Students
BBA 350 – Strategic Management
2016 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor and Lecturer
Edward Wray-Bliss
Contact via By email
Building E4A, Room 651
Tuesday 1pm - otherwise by appointment please
Erik Lundmark
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| Credit points |
Credit points
3
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(Admission to BBA and MKTG101 and 6cp at 200 level including (ACCG200 or ACCG253 or AFIN253)) or (BBA220 and FOBE202)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit enables students to understand and analyze the highly influential discourse of strategic management. Starting with the premise that the ideas and practices of strategic management are far too significant to be reduced to a set of simplified tools or techniques, this unit draws upon a wide range of academic work across the fields of management, organization studies, and strategy to examine the topic. Using this research, strategic management is considered in terms of the social, political, ethical and global effects that it engenders and encourages in today’s organised world. Students will have the opportunity to synthesize these areas of knowledge through analyzing the strategic lessons to be drawn from major organizational and societal events, including those of high-level corporate fraud and environmental crisis.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Critically assess the nature and origins of strategic management
- Identify and analyse strategic issues in a management context
- Demonstrate awareness of the major conceptualisations of strategic management
- Demonstrate awareness of contemporary challenges for and critiques of Strategic Management
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment One | 30% | Week 5 |
| Assignment Two | 30% | Week 13 (Final Report) |
| Final Examination | 40% | University Examination Period |
Assignment One
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 30%
Essay questions and guidance will be made available on ilearn in Week 2. The essay will require you to discuss the history of strategy in management.
Submission.
On-Line, via Turnitin, on the unit ilearn site by 12pm (mid day) on the Friday of Week 5.
Extensions and Penalties:
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically assess the nature and origins of strategic management
Assignment Two
Due: Week 13 (Final Report)
Weighting: 30%
Groups of (5 students) prepare a case study written report and oral presentation on a chosen organisation. This will require a comprehensive analysis of the strategic successes and failures of the organisation drawing upon ideas and concepts learned in class. Details will be available on ilearn from Week 5.
Submission.
Group presentations will take place in tutorials in Weeks 10, 11 and 12. The final written report will be uploaded online, via Turnitin, on the unit ilearn site by 12pm (mid day) on Friday of Week 13.
Extensions and Penalties:
No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify and analyse strategic issues in a management context
- Demonstrate awareness of contemporary challenges for and critiques of Strategic Management
Final Examination
Due: University Examination Period
Weighting: 40%
A three (3) hour final examination under closed book conditions and within the University formal examination period.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate awareness of the major conceptualisations of strategic management
- Demonstrate awareness of contemporary challenges for and critiques of Strategic Management
Delivery and Resources
Classes
There are 3 hours of face-to-face teaching per week, consisting of 1 x 2 hour lecture and 1 x 1 hour tutorial.
Timetables for classes can be found on the University web site at www.timetables.mq.edu.au
Prizes
A Certificate Prize will be awarded to the student/s achieving the highest mark within this cohort.
Required and Recommended reading
The required reading for this unit consists of a collection of 8 academic articles on strategy and management that will be uploaded for you on the unit ilearn site. You will need to download and read the designated article before your tutorials in weeks 2 through to 9 and to bring the article and your notes on it to the tutorial. Your understanding of each of these articles is examined in the final exam.
In addition, there will be a number of further articles uploaded on ilearn under each week's topic area. You will need to read a selection of these and use them in your assignments.
Unit web Page
The web (ilearn) page for this unit can be found at htp://ilearn.mq.edu.au
Technology
Access to a personal computer is required for downloading resources from ilearn.
Unit Schedule
|
Week |
Topic |
Tutorial (All articles are on ilearn and need to be downloaded, read and brought to your tutorial) |
|
1 |
Introduction 1 : Ambiguous Strategy |
No tutorial |
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2 |
Introduction 2: Histories of Strategy |
Mintzberg, H. (1987) ‘The Strategy Concept I: Five Ps For Strategy’ California Management Review 30 (1): 11-24. |
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3 |
Understanding Strategy 1: Technical understandings of strategy |
Knights and Morgan, G. (1990) ‘The concept of strategy in sociology’ Sociology 24(3): 475-483. |
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4 |
Understanding Strategy 2: Ethical understandings of Strategy |
Carter, C., Clegg, S. and Kornberger, M. (2008) A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Strategy. London, Sage. Chapters 2 and 3. |
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5 |
Understanding Strategy 3: Cultural understandings of Strategy |
Stansbury, J. and Barry, B. (2007) ‘Ethics Programs and the Paradox of Control’ Business Ethics Quarterly 17(2): 239-261.
First Assignment Due |
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6 |
Understanding Strategy 4: Global understandings of Strategy |
Jackall, R. 1988. Moral mazes: the world of corporate managers Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 4 |
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7 |
Strategy Case: Enron, Part One |
Klein, N. (2000) No Logo. London, Flamingo. Ch. 9 |
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8 |
Strategy Case: Enron, Part Two |
McLean, B. and Elkind, P. (2003) The Smartest Guys in the Room, Portfolio/ Penguin, New York. (Chapter 15, ‘Everybody loves Enron’ |
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9 |
Strategy Case: The Environment, Part One |
Grant, R. and Visconti, M. (2006) 'The Strategic Background to Corporate Accounting Scandals' Long Range Planning 39: 361-383 |
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10 |
Strategy Case: The Environment, Part Two |
Jacques, P. et al. (2008) 'The Organisation of Denial: Conservative Think Tanks and Environmental Scepticism' Environmental Politics 17(3): 349-38 |
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11 |
Preparation of Final Report |
Student Group Presentations |
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12 |
Preparation of Final Report |
Student Group Presentations |
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13 |
Revision |
Final Report Due |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
New Assessment Policy in effect from Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html. For more information visit http://students.mq.edu.au/events/2016/07/19/new_assessment_policy_in_place_from_session_2/
Assessment Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Critically assess the nature and origins of strategic management
- Identify and analyse strategic issues in a management context
- Demonstrate awareness of the major conceptualisations of strategic management
- Demonstrate awareness of contemporary challenges for and critiques of Strategic Management
Assessment tasks
- Assignment One
- Final Examination
Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Assessment tasks
- Assignment Two
- Final Examination
Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Demonstrate awareness of contemporary challenges for and critiques of Strategic Management
Assessment task
- Assignment Two
Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Demonstrate awareness of contemporary challenges for and critiques of Strategic Management
Changes from Previous Offering
We have changed one of the weekly readings as a response to tutor and student feedback. We have locked-in the two weeks of group work preparation time in weeks 11 and 12 trialed in the previous semester, due to positive feedback from students.
Global Contexts and Sustainability
This unit examines Strategic Management from a critical academic perspective. As such, we will be questioning the theories and practices of strategic management as much as learning them. A major aspect of this questioning will be an examination of the global, ethical and environmental impacts of dominant corporate strategies.
Research and Practice
This unit requires students to engage with contemporary and classic research texts on strategy, drawn from the leading managemnet and strategy journals. As such, the unit fosters student's abilities to read and understand published academic research on the subject area. In addition, students will conduct their own independent research into the strategies and performance of real organisations - drawing upon the academic material to develop a research-informed analysis of contemporary business practice.