Students

MMBA8055 – Business Strategy

2021 – Term 4, Special circumstances

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

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Miles Yang
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(Admission to MBA or GradDipMgt or GradCertMgt or MEngMgt) and 30cp at 8000 level
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The unit aims to develop a capacity to think strategically about an organisation, its macro environment, industry and competitive position; to build individual and team skills for conducting strategic analysis in a variety of industry situations; and to integrate business discipline knowledge in making strategic decisions. The purpose of the unit is to build individual and team capability to develop, implement, and evaluate business strategies for sustainable growth and profitability.

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: Demonstrate an applied knowledge of the perspectives, concepts and tools of business strategy through applying and adapting these to a variety of organisational contexts.
  • ULO2: Individually and in teams apply the concepts and tools of business strategy to undertake the sustainable development and evaluation of strategy in a variety of organisational contexts.
  • ULO3: Individually and in teams recommend and communicate an optimal strategic direction and its implementation in a variety of organisational contexts.
  • ULO4: Analyse and integrate environmental, social, and governance factors, and principles of responsible leadership, in the development and implementation of strategy.
  • ULO5: Reflect on how to manage and improve team dynamics in order to effectively collaborate and achieve team objectives.

General Assessment Information

Late assessment submissions must be submitted through the appropriate submission link in iLearn. No extensions will be granted unless an application for Special Consideration is made and approved. 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 not be accepted after solutions have been discussed and/or made available.

Note: applications for Special Consideration Policy must be made within 5 (five) business days of the due date and time.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Assessment 1A: Strategy presentation 20% No Week 6 (Class Presentation)
Assessment 1B: Strategy report 20% No Week 8 (Friday 5pm)
Assessment 1C: Group dynamics evaluation 20% No Week 9 (Friday 5pm)
Assessment 2: Strategy perspectives 40% No Week 10 (Friday 5pm)

Assessment 1A: Strategy presentation

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 6 (Class Presentation)
Weighting: 20%

 

A 15 minute presentation of the initial findings of a strategic analysis, as set out in the Strategy report.

  • Group component = 10%
  • Individual component = 10%

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an applied knowledge of the perspectives, concepts and tools of business strategy through applying and adapting these to a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Individually and in teams apply the concepts and tools of business strategy to undertake the sustainable development and evaluation of strategy in a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Individually and in teams recommend and communicate an optimal strategic direction and its implementation in a variety of organisational contexts.

Assessment 1B: Strategy report

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 8 (Friday 5pm)
Weighting: 20%

 

A 2,000 word report evaluating the strategic position of a business to provide an analysis and recommendation for its future strategic direction.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an applied knowledge of the perspectives, concepts and tools of business strategy through applying and adapting these to a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Individually and in teams apply the concepts and tools of business strategy to undertake the sustainable development and evaluation of strategy in a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Individually and in teams recommend and communicate an optimal strategic direction and its implementation in a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Analyse and integrate environmental, social, and governance factors, and principles of responsible leadership, in the development and implementation of strategy.

Assessment 1C: Group dynamics evaluation

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 9 (Friday 5pm)
Weighting: 20%

 

A 1,000 word reflection on team dynamics including communication, coordination, commitment, and the management of diversity.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Individually and in teams apply the concepts and tools of business strategy to undertake the sustainable development and evaluation of strategy in a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Individually and in teams recommend and communicate an optimal strategic direction and its implementation in a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Reflect on how to manage and improve team dynamics in order to effectively collaborate and achieve team objectives.

Assessment 2: Strategy perspectives

Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 10 (Friday 5pm)
Weighting: 40%

 

A 2,000 word analysis of the different lenses of strategy, as described in the text, to explain and critique relevant aspects of the sessions and experiences that made up the unit.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an applied knowledge of the perspectives, concepts and tools of business strategy through applying and adapting these to a variety of organisational contexts.
  • Analyse and integrate environmental, social, and governance factors, and principles of responsible leadership, in the development and implementation of strategy.

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

Whittington, R., Regner, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., and Scholes, K. (2020). Exploring strategy. Text and Cases. 12th edition. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education Limited. ISBN: 978-1-292-28245-9

Unit Web Page

The web page for this unit can be found at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/

Technology Used and Required

Students are required to have access to a personal computer and familiarise themselves with iLearn (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/).

iLearn will be used to post lecture slides, assessment details, student grades and as a means of communication between staff and students. 

Students should make themselves familiar with Zoom.

Delivery Format and Other Details

The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at:  http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/

Recommended readings

Recommended readings are provided via Leganto on the iLearn Unit page

Inherent Requirements

None

Unit Schedule

Please see iLearn.

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 2021.05 of the Handbook