Course Introduction: Application

and Integration 2018

 Timetable:

Guest Lectures: Case studies to help you think about what to include in your
strategic report. Potential companies for management report.

Management Report Outlines: Lectures providing guidance on how to write

your management report.

Individual Progress Review: Student will be scheduled 15 minute meetings

each with lecturer to discuss report progress.
Question and Answer Session. Final opportunity for student to ask
questions/seek advice from lecturer on strategic or management report.
 Course Assessment:

Assessment Type Assessment length Weighting

4,000 word Report,

Strategic Analysis 30%
Strategic Report

12,000 word (max)

Management Report Research Project 70%
 Course Assessment:
Strategic Report

Assessment criteria can be

found at the end of the
Deadline: 9am 8th July 2019 Module Handbook Document
on blackboard
Task:
Conduct a strategic analysis of an organisation, its environment and address some
key areas which are related to your area of specialisation. The report allows you to
select and analyse as you wish, but the following instructions should be understood
as the marking guide is related to them. There are four steps/areas which need to
be addressed:
 
1. Firstly, you must choose an organisation, and industry and a country in which the
analysis will be conducted.
2. Secondly you must undertake a strategic review at organisational, industry,
country, regional and international levels.
3. Thirdly, you are to draw upon your area of specialisation (marketing, management,
international business, accounting/finance) and complete the strategic task.
4. Fourthly you are to reflect on your entire course with regards to implementation
of your strategic task.
 Course Assessment:
Management Report

Assessment criteria can be

found at the end of the
Deadline: 9am 27th September 2019 Module Handbook Document
on blackboard
Task:
You are required to compile a management report in line with the guidance provided
in the Management Report Handbook. You will be provided with detailed
instructions in the classes for this module. You will be allocated a supervisor who will
guide you through the management report process.

Word count: The word limit must be understood as a word guide. Some projects will
be shorter than this. This is acceptable and should be guided by your supervisor.
However, under no circumstances will longer works be examined.

PLEASE NOTE: you will be required to attend three meetings (minimum) with your
supervisor and record these using the management meetings document. These must
be included in your management report submission. Engagement with the
supervision process will be assessed as part of the management report.
 Reading List:

Textbooks
Recommended readings:
Riley, M., Wood, R., Clark, M.A., Wilkie, E., and Szivas, E. (2000). Researching and Writing
Dissertations in Business and Management. Thomson Learning. ISBN 1861526083
 
Baker, M.J. (2003). Business and management research :how to complete your research project
successfully. Helensburgh Westburn. ISBN 094643302X
Friedman, L. (2013) Strategy. Oxford: Oxford University Press
McCandless, D. (2009) Information is beautiful. London: Collins.
Patton, M.Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. London: Sage Publications.
Saldana, J (2013) The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. London: SAGE.
Zikmund, W.G., & Babin, B.J. (2013). Essentials of Marketing Research (5 ed.). UK: South-
Western, Cengage Learning. ISBN 101133273432
 
There are a number of further readings included in the lectures slides for this course.
QUESTIONS?
What is Strategy?
 Lecture Overview

1. What is strategy?
• Strategy Creation

2. Producing a strategic report

• Strategic Report Outline
• Strategic Report Content

3. Basic Information for Strategic report and Management report

• Referencing
• Sources
 Strategy Creation

Strategy creation involves: vision, planning, adaptation

– Vision: pulls the organisation (entrepreneurship and
leadership)
– Planning: pushes the organisation (for example by setting
targets and goals)
• Systematic and formal
• Informal
– Adaptation: supports and completes strategy through
intrapreneurship
• Emergent strategies
 Strategy Creation

Strategic Planning Process: Formulates a strategy from own missions and objectives,
analysis of external environment and analysis of internal operations.

SWOT and PESTEL

Analysis

Environmental
Analysis
Mission & Strategy
Objectives Planning Operations
Organisational Formulation
Analysis

SWOT Analysis/
PORTERS Five Forces
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Outline

Executive Summary (100 words)

Background (500 words)
Strategic Analysis (1400 words)
Strategic Task (e.g. Planning for foreign entry) (1400 words)
Reflection (400 words)
Conclusion (200 words)
References (not included in word count)
Appendices (not included in word count)
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Executive Summary (100 words)

Summary of your report to include the company and industry

you are analysing, overall conclusions relating to companies
current strategy and potential future concerns
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Background (500 words)

• Give a detailed background on your chosen area of study.

• Select and give an analytical background on an organisation which

you are interested in

• Select and give an analytical background on an industry which that

organisation operates in

• Select and give an analytical background on two countries: (1) a

country that you wish to analyse with respect to the organisations
base and (2) a country which the organisation could be expanded to.
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Analysis (1400 words)
• Conduct a strategic analysis using the tools you
have learnt and the research skills you have
developed.
• Analyse the organisation’s strategy (market and
non-market)
• Analyse the organisation’s industry (competition
etc)
• Analyse the global environment, and potential in
the target country (areas of potential growth etc)
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Analysis (1400 words)
• Market component - The market environment includes those
interactions between firms, suppliers, and customers that are
governed by markets and contracts.
Market Strategy: A focused pattern of actions
taken to create value by improving the economic
performance of a firm
• Nonmarket component - The nonmarket environment is
composed of the social, political, and legal arrangements that
structure interactions outside of, but in conjunction with,
markets and contracts.
Non Market Strategy: A concerted pattern of actions taken to create
value by improving overall performance
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Analysis (1400 words) – Analysing Competition

Components of
competitive
analysis
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Analysis (1400 words) – Analysing Competition
Five Forces Model
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Analysis (1400 words) – Analysing Competition
SWOT
STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES:
Factors may relate to: products, pricing, costs, profitability, performance, quality, people,
skills, adaptability, brands, services, reputation, processes, infrastructure, business culture.

OPPORTUNITIES & THREATS:

Factors may relate to markets, sectors, audience, trends, competition, economics, politics,
society, industry culture, technology, environmental, law, etc.
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:
relating to the situation inside the relating to the situation inside the company
company or organisation or organisation

OPPORTUNITIES: THREATS:
relating to the external environment relating to the external environment.
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Analysis (1400 words) – Analysing Competition
PESTLE
The activities of consumers and competitors, the policies of governments and international
organisations, developments in technology, the social and cultural context.

LEGAL

ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC

The Business
Environment

POLITICA
TECHNOLOGICAL L
SOCIAL
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Task e.g. Planning for foreign entry (1400
words)
CHOOSE ONLY ONE RELEVANT OPTION. Discuss the areas listed below (your specialist
area) with regards to the foreign country you have chosen; give a strategy for the
international expansion.

Marketing
• Set goals and objectives
• Outline potential target market
• Outline potential market position
• Outline marketing strategy (7Ps)

• International Business
• Set goals and objectives
• Assess political risk
• Assess cultural issues
• Outline potential and select a market entry strategy
 Producing a
Strategic Report
Strategic Task e.g. Planning for foreign entry (1400
words)
Management
• Set goals and objectives
• Assess HRM issues
• Assess international management strategy concerns

Accounting and Finance

• Analyse key areas of law which will impact on the organisations financial
operations
• Analyse key areas of tax with relation to the organisations expansion
• Analyse issues related to ‘capital’ for the market expansion
 Producing a
Strategic Report

Reflection (400 words)

Write 500 words outline issues which you can identify that relate to any of
the modules that you have undertaken in this degree that may be a problem
for your organisations international expansion plans.

These may include:

• Leadership issues
• Ethical issues / Cultural issues
• Issues identified by guest speaker in this module
 Producing a
Strategic Report

Conclusion (200 words)

Summarise your company’s overall position in the marketplace based upon
your analysis.
 Basic Information for
Strategic report and
Management report
Referencing
Harvard style (document on blackboard)

Sources
– Textbooks (from any lectures, use as guide / methodology)
– Journal Articles (main source for information for literature review)
– Websites (such as the company website. PLEASE NOTE: only use your company’s own
website or website with statistical data such as ONS http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons

Sources not to use: Wikipedia, Marketingteacher.com, Marketing91, Scribd, other websites

where other students have uploaded their work

Sources to use: The Financial Times/The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Any Journals
found on the ‘online journal list’ via Information Services, Office of National Statistics,
Government websites, Company’s own website, Company Annual reports
 What Next:

Deadline for Strategic Report: MONDAY 8th JULY 9AM

Think about the following before the afternoon lecture tomorrow

1. Company you would like to write report on.

2. Type of analysis you would like to undertake
3. Which strategic task you would like to focus on

Bring any questions you have about the strategic report to the lecture tomorrow afternoon.
REMEMBER: you have just a few weeks to complete this whilst also working on your
management report.