Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE MRK4191

 
TITLE Marketing Strategy and Planning

 
UM LEVEL 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 6

 
DEPARTMENT Marketing

 
DESCRIPTION In this study-unit, marketing is viewed as a dynamic process designed to achieve distinctive strategic competence and global advantage. This is accomplished through value-added marketing activities and operations that are designed to create and sustain long-term relationships.

This study-unit will include:
- Introduction to strategic marketing management: changing role of marketing, changing marketing environment, strategic marketing planning and marketing intelligence.
- Strategy and Structure
- Strategic Change and Human Resource Management
- Cultural Barriers to Strategic Change
- Analysing competition
- Building and sustaining competitive advantage, Core competencies
- Competing in Maturing and Declining Industries
- Portfolio Management
- Diversification
- Mergers and Acquisitions

Study-unit Aims

The objective of this unit is to help the students achieve success by taking the best from traditional marketing theory and practice and combining it with contemporary, innovative approaches to meet challenges in a fast-paced, often uncertain environment. The emphasis will be on Change and Innovation, Cutting-edge topics, and an integrated approach.

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Comprehend the importance of strategic marketing.
- Discuss the goals of marketing strategy.
- Identify strategic issues and alternative approaches to address these issues.
- Analyse how marketing decisions are influenced by forces in the external environment.
- Identify the core competencies and weakness of firms in the context of the strategic issue.
- Evaluate alternative solutions to marketing problems.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to conduct a marketing audit and assess the findings in order to develop a marketing plan that is responsive to the market and organizational changes and underpins the organization’s marketing strategy.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings

Main Text:
- Robert M.Grant (2010) Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 7th edt. John Wiley and Sons.

Additional Readings:

- H W. Volberda, R.E. Morgan, P. Reinmoeller, Michael A. Hitt, R.D. Ireland, R.E. Hoskisson (2011), Strategic Management - Competitiveness and Globalization, South Western.
- For students to apply course material to current issues and promoting critical evaluation and debate, regular review of the Financial Times is recommended.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Seminar and Workshop

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Presentation Yes 30%
Examination (3 Hours) Yes 70%

 
LECTURER/S Peter Calleya
Miriam Pocock

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit