Strategic Management

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

Approximately 2.5 hours of personal study per hour of class time is required to achieve a satisfactory level of performance

Available to all students in the Master of Management who have successfully completed 100 points of study in either the 150 point or 200 point program, plus completion of the core subjects MGMT90025 People and Change and MKTG90004 Marketing Management at time of subject commencement.

Available to all students in the Master of International Business who have successfully completed 50 points of study at time of subject commencement.

Available to all students in the Master of Finance who have successfully completed 100 points of study at time of subject commencement.

This subject assumes a basic ability to read and interpret financial statements.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject provides an integrative learning experience and affords students the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in previous subjects in a coherent way to solve business problems. In a business strategy simulation students are required to make decisions, assess outcomes, and compete with other management teams for resources, opportunities and markets. Each team develops a strategy for its firm and applies the subject’s concepts and frameworks, as well as the concepts and frameworks acquired in other subjects. In the process, students will discover the interaction of a firm’s production, marketing, research and development, human resources, and financial operations and observe the impact of key decisions on business performance within a competitive market.

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Explain the dynamic nature of business and the role of strategy in generating and sustaining a competitive advantage;
• Analyse relevant information and evaluate the competitive environment faced by organisations;
• Identify and evaluate business strategies and explain why and how a particular course of action will provide a competitive advantage; and
• Analyse the capacity for strategy implementation within an organisation given an understanding of structure, culture, systems, governance mechanisms and stakeholder relationships.

• 2 hour end-of-semester exam (50%);
• 1200 word group assignment (5%) and 5000 word group assignment (30%) due between Weeks 5-10;
• 10 minute group presentation due between weeks 11-12 (10 minutes) (5%);
• Performance in group simulation due in week 10 (5%); and
• 500 word individual written task due between week 11-12 (5%).

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On successful completion of this subject, students should have improved the following generic skills:

• Problem solving skills and critical thinking, which should be fostered in the seminar program where students will apply theoretical material to actual case studies;
• Collaborative learning and teamwork, which should be enhanced through exercises, role- plays, and simulations that are incorporated into the seminar program;
• Evaluation, interpretation and analysis of data;
• Accessing data and other research information from a range of sources, which should be facilitated through the assignments and preparation for the exam; and
• Developing oral and written communication skills.