Strategic Management is a fascinating module in our business management degree that studies the long-term purpose and direction of organisations through analysis of how to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. You’ll explore core frameworks and analytical techniques that will enable you to assess the resources and capabilities of organisations in relation to the conditions of the industry, macro environment, and stakeholder pressures. Your focus then turns to strategic implementation, specifically in relation to business-level and corporate-level strategies.

This is organised around five thematic areas: the evaluation of strategic options in terms of suitability, acceptability, and feasibility; ‘intended strategy development’ versus ’emergent strategy development’; the role of organisational structures and systems in strategy development; and leadership of strategic change; and finally the practice of strategy (who is involved in strategy development, the types of activities in which strategists are involved, and the types of methodologies that strategists use). With a practical and problem-oriented focus, the emphasis is on application of concepts and frameworks, helping you to gain insight into strategic challenges faced by an organisation. Throughout the learning period, you’ll reflect on the global nature of competition, how strategic management can contribute to the creation of shared value and business sustainability.

You’ll develop an understanding of the shift towards more environmentally, socially and economically responsible business practice, and in particular focus on the drivers behind this shift. This includes enhancing your understanding of the sustainable development goals and growing business arguments for including a consideration of sustainability in all business and management practice.

The module promotes a personal approach to the issues of sustainability and personal and social responsibility. The module includes an authentic assessment where you’ll be diagnosing, designing, and evaluating an environmental management plan for your households or organisations, while reflecting on your personal responsibility and ethical behaviour. You’ll pay special attention to questioning the different responses of business in relation to social responsibility and sustainable management. If you’re studying BA (Hons) Business Management, successful completion of this module provides exemption against the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) unit 5022V1 Organisational Corporate Social Responsibility.

This module is designed to give you an overall understanding of marketing communications and the part that it plays in business success. You’ll explore both the role of communications and the integrated nature of modern advertising campaigns, and the tools, techniques, and implementation strategies used in online and offline marketing communications. You’ll analyse the advantages and disadvantages of each, illustrating how the tools interact with the other elements of the marketing mix and why this integration is important.

The promotional planning process at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels is identified, examined, and applied. You’ll gain the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in the marketing industry and, in particular, marketing communications in either a company or agency. The assessment requires you to develop your theoretical knowledge, and demonstrate your skills in applying this theory to the creation of marketing communications in the appropriate media formats. Your brief will be to develop your advertising campaign – live where possible – which you will present to a panel of experts (from the company when live). You can then take this feedback to reflect upon and improve your communications plan where necessary for the report submission. Working in a team, you’ll develop your skills and marketing knowledge, whilst exploring cultural trends, entrepreneurial opportunities, and reflect on your own pitch and performance to develop a positive, creative experience.

The major project will give you the chance to demonstrate what you have learned on live brief assessments and be part of an interdisciplinary team addressing a current issue in business. You’ll be presented with a current business issue and be required to research, analyse, and evaluate the issue effectively as a team. You’ll act as the expert in your field of study to bring the perspective of that specialty to a complex business problem.

You’ll identify the key problems and issues, conduct literature reviews, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable development methodologies, determine solutions, process data, critically appraise, and present the findings of your project using a variety of media. You’ll create a poster presentation on your project for your team to display and then answer the questions of an audience made up of academics and employers at a poster presentation event. You’ll write a group business report on the outcomes of your project, evidencing your recommendations alongside an individual piece of reflective work on how you approached the issue, worked successfully as a team member, conducted robust business research, and developed sound conclusions and recommendations.