Students

GMBA8011 – Be Competitive

2021 – Coursera term 6, Fully online/virtual

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Miles Yang
Credit points Credit points
5
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to GMBA or GradCertGlobalBusPrac
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The ability to generate strategic insights is an expectation for the "future of work" but what does this actually mean? Are there universal principles of strategic thinking that can help us become more effective at developing insights? And how can these strategic insights help an organisation become more competitive? This unit examines the basic elements of strategy through a set of rich and nuanced business models. It covers classic strategic questions and topics with an emphasis on diverse and emergent themes, such as open innovation and strategy, networks, platforms and other business model innovations, and the processes and practices of strategy, and their effects. Students apply the tools and techniques of contemporary strategic analysis and also reflect on the doing of strategy in the context of their own business or workplace, and other real cases. In parallel, students are encouraged to develop a reflective and critical perspective on the implications and impacts of taken-for-granted strategy thinking, concepts and tools, and conversely are asked to consider the future of strategy, centred on how strategic management can provide solutions for pressing sustainability-related societal-level challenges.

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:

  • ULO1: Critically consider the forces that shape competition for economic exchanges.
  • ULO2: Analyse the sources of value in company offerings and how markets are segmented based on differences in perceived value.
  • ULO3: Evaluate and develop strategic options that are suitable, feasible, and acceptable.
  • ULO4: Effectively communicate a strategy in a way that is relevant, concise, and actionable

General Assessment Information

Submission

Submission of assessment tasks is via Coursera or as otherwise instructed on Coursera.

For written assessment tasks, you must submit in either PDF or Word (.doc) file types. It is your responsibility to ensure your submission is accessible. If your submission cannot be opened, late penalties will apply for submitting the correct file after the due date.

For individual submissions, please use the following naming convention for your file:

lastname-firstname-GMBA8xxx-A1(or A2) 

For group submissions, please use the following naming convention for your file:

team-number-GMBA8xxx-A1(or A2)

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Late Assessment Policy:

Late assessment submissions must be submitted through the appropriate submission link on Coursera. 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. Late submissions will be accepted up to 96 hours after the due date and time.

This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. Note: applications for Special Consideration Policy must be made within five (5) business days of the due date and time

If you would like to apply for Special Consideration please submit a request via ask.mq.edu.au

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Commercial in Confidence

Please note that you must not disclose any information marked ‘Commercial in Confidence’ without permission from the party who supplied it (e.g., your current or previous employer, customers, etc.). 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Discussion Forum Contribution: Debate and Dialogue 40% No 21 Nov, 11:59pm (AEDT)
Strategic Analysis - Group 60% No 28 Nov, 11:59pm (AEDT)

Discussion Forum Contribution: Debate and Dialogue

Assessment Type 1: Debate
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 21 Nov, 11:59pm (AEDT)
Weighting: 40%

 

Strategic management professional engagement. In this professional engagement task, you will debate, discuss, and deconstruct the concepts, ideas, and cases explored in the unit on a weekly basis in the identified discussion forums (150-250 words/week + 1000 word reflective analysis).

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically consider the forces that shape competition for economic exchanges.
  • Analyse the sources of value in company offerings and how markets are segmented based on differences in perceived value.
  • Evaluate and develop strategic options that are suitable, feasible, and acceptable.
  • Effectively communicate a strategy in a way that is relevant, concise, and actionable

Strategic Analysis - Group

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: 28 Nov, 11:59pm (AEDT)
Weighting: 60%

 

Length: 2-3 slides including presenter notes for individual submission; max. 20 minutes (10-12 slides) for team submission Format: Multimedia group presentation Task: For this assignment, you will work within a team and develop comprehensive strategic analysis and derive strategy recommendations for a major organisation. For detailed information and the marking criteria, please refer to the section Course Resources - Assessment Information in your online unit. You will submit your completed task via the Assignment submission link in your online unit.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically consider the forces that shape competition for economic exchanges.
  • Analyse the sources of value in company offerings and how markets are segmented based on differences in perceived value.
  • Evaluate and develop strategic options that are suitable, feasible, and acceptable.
  • Effectively communicate a strategy in a way that is relevant, concise, and actionable

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Required text

There is no required textbook for this unit.  Please refer to the weekly required  readings in your online unit. All readings are available via the Macquarie University library and do not need to be purchased separately.

Delivery method

This unit will be delivered entirely online via the Coursera Learning Management System. Access to a personal computer is required to access the resources and learning materials on Coursera.

Unit Schedule

For this unit, Live Events (via Zoom) will take place each week starting in Week 1 and ending in Week 6. The links to the events are available via Live Events in the Coursera unit.

Attending the Live Event each week is an opportunity to engage with the unit content, your Unit Convenor, and classmates. Students are encouraged to complete specified Live Event preparation learning activities prior to each scheduled Live Event in order to get the most value out of these sessions. Students are strongly advised to attend the Live Events. Recordings of the live events will be made available within 24 hours of the event and can be accessed via the Coursera unit content.

Please note: The teaching schedule is subject to change. Please refer to your Coursera unit for a detailed Live Event schedule.

Week Live Events Assessments
1 Tue 19 October, 7-8pm (AEDT)  
2 Tue 26 October, 7-8pm (AEDT)  
3 Tue 4 November, 7-8pm (AEDT)  
4 Tue 9 November, 7-8pm (AEDT)  
5 Tue 16 November, 7-8pm (AEDT) A1 due: 21 Nov, 11:59pm (AEDT)
6 Tue 23 November, 7-8pm (AEDT) A2 due: 28 Nov, 11:59pm (AEDT)

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

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

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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.


Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook