The Lancaster Executive MBA

Strategic Management and the Economic Environment

Duration and timing: 4 days, Year 1

Overview

The corner-stone of the Executive EMBA, this module aims to give you a view of strategy from the perspective of a general manager. One of the qualifiers for success in business is the ability to think strategically and to solve strategic problems. This module helps you to develop these capabilities and provides a strategic framework through which the ideas and concepts covered in subsequent modules can be integrated. It will therefore enable a wider and more complex discussion of organisational issues and develop your ability to create actionable and advantageous recommendations for your organisation.

The module seeks to develop your appreciation of the ‘science’ of strategy – essentially an analytical perspective – through studying the traditional ‘toolbox’ of strategic approaches and also to give you practical exposure to the ‘art’ of strategy development by engaging in strategy-making and reflection. It deals both with how strategic direction is determined and how the strategic process is managed, so you will be involved simultaneously with the analytical, behavioural, and creative aspects of organising.

In aiming to develop strategic thinking capabilities the module examines the external context of the organisation and the forces that influence action – and how organisations can respond to these pressures. You will also consider what the existing competences and capabilities within an organisation and how these can be leveraged to provide strategic advantage.