| CODE | MGT5912 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Strategy and International Business | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Business and Enterprise Management | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This advanced strategic management study-unit builds on the fundamentals of various relevant perspectives presented in earlier courses and consolidates an integrated and comprehensive understanding of evolving contemporary strategy concepts. Throughout the course, theoretical insight on strategy and practice within the context of globalisation will be engaged, discussed and applied to business cases and current competitive organisational realities. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit is framed within the context of globalisation. Applied and rooted in the complex and increasingly volatile global realities faced by organisations across the board – it aims to provide participants and practitioners with a deeper understanding of strategy fundamentals and applied contemporary insight into alternative perspectives on strategy dynamics, strategizing and internationalisation. Indicative outline: • Consolidating strategy fundamentals, the environment and competitive context; • Strategic capabilities as a basis for competitive advantage; • Culture, strategy and international considerations; • Business strategy and interactive engagement in increasingly dynamic contexts; • Corporate strategy and diversification; • Internationalisation and the strategy of international business; • Alternative perspectives on strategic competition and market creation; • Perspectives on strategic choices: Scope for innovation and entrepreneurship, and mergers acquisitions and alliances; • Evaluating strategies; • Strategy development processes and practice; • Organising for success and leading strategic change. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - View business related situations from a more holistically informed point of view, framed within the context of international dynamics; - Better understand the complexity and need to assess the general and competitive, increasingly globalised environment, within the context of broader trends and developments; - Better understand the complexity and strategic implications of organisations’ capabilities and resources base (including intangible resources and tacit knowledge), in presenting potential competitive challenges and opportunities; - Better understand the practical challenges and difficulties experienced by managers in their decision making process – and be able to translate this into practice; - Come up with sound and practicable strategy recommendations. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Use insight garnered from various theoretical models and applied perspectives to illustrate their assessment and strategic options for a business case – in enterprise; - Better understand particular situations in business contexts and complex underlying dynamics – which will serve participants in good stead in the real world of business and practice, whether in professional employment or running their own business; - In this respect, students should be able to establish a sound rationale and basis for strategic recommendations presented from among alternative options – and be able to effectively communicate such for decisional consideration. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Core Textbook: - Gerry Johnson, Richard Whittington, Steve Pyle, Duncan Angwin, Kevan Scholes, and Patrick Regnér (2014). "Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases". 10th revised edition. Pearson Education. Supplementary texts: - Hill, Charles (2014). “International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace”. 9th (global) edition. McGraw-Hill Irwin. - Thompson, Strickland and Gamble. "Crafting and executing Strategy: The quest for competitive advantage – Concepts and cases”. Additional Reading: Throughout the study-unit, relevant readings from academic journals and the popular business press will be presented to students in-class or via the VLE, for group discussion, application and debate. Furthermore, for students to apply course material to current issues, promoting critical evaluation and debate, regular review of relevant management journals and publications in the popular business press is recommended. Suggested periodicals include: − Financial Times − The Economist − Harvard Business Review − Forbes − Inc. Magazine − Fast Company − CNBC Business Magazine − Malta Business Weekly Among others, suggested academic journals include: − Academy of Management Journal − Strategic Management Journal − Journal of International Business Studies − Journal of Management Studies − International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal − Journal of International Entrepreneurship − Journal of Business Venturing − Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal − Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice − Journal of Small Business Management |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Nathaniel P. Massa |
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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. |
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