BUSI5F215: Managing in the Competitive Environment

• None.

• Compulsory.

• None.

• By the end of the module, students should be able to understand how organisations interact with the competitive environment from strategic, marketing and operations perspectives.

• a) Inter-disciplinary case study analysis (strategy, operations, marketing)
• b) Strategy: nature of strategy: definitions; deliberate - emergent debate: Sustainable Competitive Advantage - strategic capabilities; environmental analysis, resource and capabilities analysis, positioning and resource-based approaches; Strategy process: schools and models, stakeholder analysis, cultural analysis, mission and objectives.
• c) Marketing: Achieving marketing orientation; The customer imperative; the marketing philosophy, sources of value, markets and the environment, buyer behaviour; Defining strategic pathways; segmentation, targeting and positioning; Issues to manage - market research, product policy, pricing strategies, distribution, marketing communication.
• d) Operations: Operations objectives and Strategy; Product/service design, network design, job design, role of technology; Planning and control; capacity, inventory, Just-In-Time, quality, projects; Improvement Philosophies.
• e) Summary: Inter-disciplinary case - preparation for assessment.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of the module, students should be able to understand how organisations interact with the competitive environment from strategic, marketing and operations perspectives. In particular students should be able to:
• develop an integrated appreciation of the key business areas that need to be managed in a competitive operating environment; emphasis on process and integration rather than functional "silos".
• appreciate the dynamic pressures of the environment, both internally with the organisation and externally;
• develop a critical understanding of the existing theoretical knowledge base on key areas(Strategy, Marketing and Operations).

Key Skills:

• A combination of case study-based lectures, small group and individual case study analysis will underpin the knowledge requirements of the course.
• tutor contact hours will be supported by the use of specially written self-study material (course material, selected text books, self-assessed exercises and guided reading). this is designed to:
• Permit Students to develop their understanding of the core curriculum by self reflection and if necessary in consultation with an allocated tutor.
• Encourage independent learning
• The assessment of the module, by the written examination and assignment, is designed to:
• Test the acquisition and articulation of knowledge.
• Test conceptual understanding and skills of application and interpretation within the business context.
• The written examination will test student's knowledge and understanding of key topics.
• The summative assignment will test student's knowledge and understanding of key topics and their ability to apply what they have learned in a particular context.

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