UWA Business School

Unit Outline

Strategic Management
MGMT3347
SEM-2, 2015
Campus: Crawley
Unit Coordinator: Dr Christopher Chalon

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(Cth).
Copying of this material by students, except for fair dealing purposes under the Copyright Act, is prohibited. For the purposes
of this fair dealing exception, students should be aware that the rule allowing copying, for fair dealing purposes, of 10% of the
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the course material itself
The University of Western Australia 2001

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Unit details
Unit title
Unit code
Availability
Location

Strategic Management
MGMT3347
SEM-2, 2015 (27/07/2015 - 21/11/2015)
Crawley

Credit points

Mode

Face to face

Contact details
Faculty
School
School website
Unit coordinator
Email
Consultation hours
Unit contact hours

Business School
UWA Business School
www.business.uwa.edu.au
Dr Christopher Chalon
christopher.chalon@uwa.edu.au
By appointment

Lecture time: Thursdays, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Lecture venue: Please refer to http://www.timetable.uwa.edu.au for the unit timetable.

Lecture capture system

Online handbook
Unit website

For standard teaching period: lectures: 2 hrs per week; tutorials: 1 hr per week
LCS is implemented for this unit.
http://units.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/units/MGMT/MGMT3347
http://www.

Unit rules
Prerequisites

Any two Level 2 units in the Management major; for pre-2012 courses: none

Unit description
This unit examines theories, models and analytical frameworks in the field of strategic management. Major themes include the concept
of strategy, goals, values and performance, industry analysis, resources and capabilities, organisational structure and management
systems, nature and sources of competitive advantage, cost advantage, differentiation advantage, life-cycle model, technology-based
industries and management of innovation, competitive advantage in mature industries, vertical integration and the scope of the firm,
global strategies and multinational enterprise, diversifications strategies, multi-business strategies, and strategies for the future. Case
studies and student projects provide opportunities to apply concepts learned, not only from this unit, but from other business and nonbusiness units as well.

Introduction
Welcome to the Strategic Management unit. This unit is designed to provide you with the opportunity to develop an essential managerial
tool confidence in your ability to structure problems and to make decisions. This unit provides you with an opportunity, perhaps unique
to your undergraduate experience, to synthesize the functional areas of accounting, marketing, finance, law, information systems,
engineering and economics into a comprehensive strategic analysis of a firm. The confidence acquired should increase your ability to
make strategic decisions within an integrative framework.

Unit content
This unit introduces students to the key parameters of strategic management, covering the evaluation of the organisations internal and
external environments, the formulation of basic organisational missions, purposes, and objectives; the development of policies and
strategies to achieve them and, the efficient execution of implementation processes that result in the achievement of organisational
objectives.

The goal of the unit

This unit provides you with an opportunity, perhaps unique to your undergraduate experience, to synthesize the functional areas of
accounting, marketing, finance, law, information systems, engineering and economics into a comprehensive strategic analysis of a
firm.
The emphasis is on strategic thinking and critical analysis and students will be encouraged to go beyond the prescriptive approach of
what to do and explore the why and how elements of decision making. Research skills and the ability to access up to date
information, as well as creative thinking and successful presentation of ideas will be important. Teamwork and communications skills
are also essential in this course.

Educational principles and graduate attributes

In this unit, you will be encouraged and facilitated to develop the ability and desire to:
Develop an understanding of the factors contributing to sustainable competitive advantage for organisations;
Develop an understanding of the link between the external and internal environments of an organisation, and how this impacts on
strategy formulation and implementation;
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Understand the global forces and issues which serve to precipitate rapid change in the way that organisations compete to achieve
long-term performance;
Reflect on your own experience of organisations as well as those that you study with a view to becoming more aware of ways in
which these organisations can grow and develop;
Engage in activities which involve critically analysing the way that organisations are structured and managed and suggesting ways of
improving them;
Develop an awareness of the range, scope, and complexity of the issues and problems related to achieving long-term strategic
competitiveness.

Learning outcomes
Students are able to (1) understand the strategic management process through exposure to theoretical concepts and current
developments in the field; (2) develop an appreciation of the organisation as an integrated system through extensive case analysis,
encompassing a variety of concepts and theories covered in class; (3) think strategically and apply key course theories and tools to
identify key challenges and opportunities; (4) formulate plausible solutions and initiatives consistent with organisational goals; and (5)
make informed recommendations regarding the optimal path for the organisation for sustainable performance.

Unit schedule
Week

Date

Lecture Topic

Readings

30 July

Chap 1

2
3
4

6 August
13 August
20 August

5
6
7

27 August
3 September
10 September

17 September

9
Mid-semester study break
10
11

24 September
28 September - 4
October
8 October
15 October

Course introduction
Strategic management and strategic
competitiveness
The external environment
The internal environment
Business level strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy
Competitive rivalry and competitive dynamics
Corporate level strategy
Acquisition and restructuring
Cooperative strategy
Managing innovation
Strategic entrepreneurship
Group project consultations (no lecture)
No lecture
International Strategy
Corporate governance & strategic leadership

12
13

22 October
29 October

Chap 8
Chaps 10 & 12
Article on LMS
Chap 11

Pre-examination study break

Semester 2 examination
period

2 - 6 November
7 - 21 November

Organisational structure and control

Course revision
Exam overview

Chap 2
Chap 3
Chap 4
Articles on LMS
Chap 5
Chap 6
Chaps 7 & 9
Chap 13
Articles on LMS

Teaching and learning responsibilities

Teaching and learning strategies
This course combines a number of instructional tools including lectures, tutorial review questions, case analyses, team projects and
final examination. The lecturer will assume that the student has read the relevant material identified in the unit schedule prior to
attending class.
The lectures will focus on ensuring that the student and lecturer have a common understanding of the key concepts of the course, will
describe the application of these concepts to current business challenges, and will seek to assist the student in developing an
analytical framework for the analysis of future business challenges.
Your tutorials give you the opportunity to prepare for, and engage in, conversations on the key issues facing organisations today as they
try to adapt to a time of extraordinary change and complexity. The tutorials, along with your assignments, give you the opportunity to
engage with the course materials and one another as you make sense of what is happening in the world of work and organisations and
develop your own ideas about what you can do as a leader and manager within organisations in the future (or perhaps the present).

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Case analyses, text review questions and discussions will be the predominant focus of the tutorial sessions. For each week, students
should prepare the relevant text review questions and/or case analyses (as set out in the unit outline) in advance of the tutorial, and
come prepared for discussion. Two cases from the textbook will be covered in the tutorials Coles and Woolworths (week 3) and
McDonald's (week 4), and students should prepare by applying key concepts from the textbook readings and lectures to the assigned
cases. Each student will complete an individual case analysis of the Lego case (available on LMS); see unit outline for due date and
submission details.
A group project will be completed by groups of 34 students formed within the larger tutorial groups. The group will perform a
comprehensive analysis of a company (Apple, AirAsia X, GEOX or Cirque du Soleil). The objective of the project is to evaluate the
impacts of external environmental and internal resources on the companys current strategic direction and performance, and make
recommendations for future sustainable performance.
Your group project presentation gives you the opportunity to articulate your analysis and recommendations in front of an audience. The
main objective of this task is to develop your ability (as a group) to articulate, explain and defend (through Q&A sessions) your
evaluation and recommended course of action. This presentation (together with the group project) requires each group to work very
much as a team, a key characteristic of work in contemporary organisations.
Finally, the examination will test the students understanding of lecture and reading materials, as well as their ability to apply strategy
theories and concepts to real-life business problems and scenarios.

Teaching and learning evaluation

You may be asked to complete two evaluations during this unit. The Student Perception of Teaching (SPOT) and the Students Unit
Reflective Feedback (SURF). The SPOT is optional and is an evaluation of the lecturer and the unit. The SURF is completed online and
is a university wide survey and deals only with the unit. You will receive an email from the SURF office inviting you to complete the
SURF when it is activated. We encourage you to complete the forms as your feedback is extremely important and can be used to
make changes to the unit or lecturing style when appropriate.
This unit, like others at UWA, is evaluated on a regular basis and feedback from students is taken into account when the unit is
updated. Changes that have been introduced in this unit in response to student feedback in the last few years include the following:
Ensuring that all relevant lectures to the group project are delivered early in the Semester enabling additional time to prepare the
group report;
Ensuring that students are exposed to real life organisational situations and given the opportunity to apply the unit content in
addressing actual problems.

Attendance
Participation in class, whether it is listening to a lecture or getting involved in other activities, is an important part of the learning
process. It is therefore important that you attend classes. More formally, the University regulations state that to complete a course or
unit students shall attend prescribed classes, lectures, seminars and tutorials.

Charter of student rights and responsibilities

The Charter of Student Rights and Responsibilities upholds the fundamental rights of students who undertake their education at the
University of Western Australia.
The University's charter of Student Rights and Responsibilities is available at
http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/home/policies/charter

Student Guild contact details

Contact details for the University Student Guild can be found at http://www.guild.uwa.edu.au/. The Guild Education Officer is available to
provide assistance and advice on a range of issues.

ACE/AISE/CARS
Your academic orientation includes three online units which you must complete within the first 10 weeks of your enrolment:
AACE1000 Academic Conduct Essentials (ACE)
INDG1000 Indigenous Study Essentials
CARS1000 Communication and Research Skills

Information for students with disabilities

The University has a range of support services, equipment and facilities for students with a disability. If you would like to receive advice
on
these
services
please
email uniline@uwa.edu.au
or
visit
http://www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au/information_about/disability_programme

Assessment
Assessment overview
Assessment information is provided in the unit outline.

Assessment mechanism
# Component

Weight Due date

Relates to outcomes

1 Individual case study

15%

All

11 September, 12:00noon
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2
3
4
5

Group case study

Group presentation
Tutorial attendance and participation
Final examination

20%
5%
10%
50%

9 October, 12:00noon
Weeks 11 and 12 tutorials
Ongoing
Semester 2 examination period: 7 - 21 November

All
3,4,5
All
3,4,5

Assessment items
Item

Description

Submission
procedure

#1 - Individual case study

Students will prepare an analysis of the Lego case (on LMS), and use the
case analysis framework outlined in LMS, as well as notes provided by the
lecturer as a guide in their case analysis.
Students will form groups of 3 or 4 members within the tutorial groups and
each group will select a company from Apple, Cirque du Soleil, GEOX or
AirAsia X. These cases can be found on LMS. These companies have been
carefully selected for their impact on the local and international business
environment; topical in their strategic direction or issues they are currently
facing; and are highly relevant to specific areas of this course.
Groups will present the highlights of their project to their tutorial group during
weeks 11 and 12 of the semester. The objective is for the groups to
communicate the key issues and main conclusions from their analysis. The
presentation should be well structured, clear and concise, and conducted in a
professional style.
The tutorial mark should represent the students preparedness and
willingness for consistent participation in tutorials. It is essential that students
read the readings and case studies that have been assigned for discussion
each week, regardless of whether a case submission is required.
A formal examination will be held at the end of the semester. The exam will
require an essay-type answer to specific questions or a business scenario.
The whole semesters work will be the subject of the final examination.
Answering questions in the examination will require knowledge the concepts,
theory, terminology, principles and applications covered during the course of
the unit. All lectures, guest lectures, cases, readings and videos covered
during the course of the semester will contribute to this body of examinable
knowledge. Your answers will be assessed on how well you display and
apply a comprehensive and integrated view of the unit content.

Via LMS

#2 - Group case study

#3 - Group presentation

#4 - Tutorial attendance and

participation

#5 - Final examination

Via UniPrint

In tutorial

In tutorial

The final examination is 3 hours and 10 minutes reading time.

Academic literacy and academic misconduct

The University of Western Australia takes very seriously the matter of academic misconduct by students and has policies in place that
define misconduct (including plagiarism) and the penalties that apply. The consequences for misconduct can be severe, including
exclusion from the University.
All students are expected to make themselves aware of the definitions and the policies relating to academic misconduct, found at the
websites below, and with any additional requirements or stipulations that may be provided by individual coordinators.
http://www.teachingandlearning.uwa.edu.au/tl4/for_uwa_staff/policies/student_related_policies/academic_conduct

Appeals against academic assessment

The full regulations governing appeals procedures are available in the University Handbook available online at
http://rules.handbooks.uwa.edu.au/rules/student_rules/

Textbooks and resources

Recommended texts
Please ensure you have access to the following textbook which will be referred to throughout the course:
Hanson, D., Dowling, P. J., Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D. and Hoskisson, R. E. (2013),Strategic Management: Competitiveness and
Globalisation (Asia Pacific 5th ed.), Cengage Learning, Melbourne. ISBN:9780170227643
Available for purchase through the Campus Bookshop. Some copies in Closed Reserve.

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Additional resources and reading

Cases for the individual case analysis and group projects are available on LMS:
Lego
Cirque du Soleil
GEOX
Apple
AirAsia X

Other important information

Late submission
Failure to submit by the due date will attract a penalty of 10% for each day beyond the due date, including weekends. The lecturer only
in exceptional circumstances will waive this penalty. No work will be accepted after other students work has been marked and
returned. Equipment malfunction and work commitments will not be accepted as valid reasons for late work.

Standard of assessment
The Business School must ensure that the processes of assessment are fair and are designed to maintain the standards of the School
and its students. The School follows the UWA marks and grades distribution:
Higher distinction
Distinction
Credit pass
Pass
Fail
Fail
Failed component

(HD)
(D)
(CR)
(P)
(N+)
(N)
(FC)

80-100%
70-79%
60-69%
50-59%
45-49%
0-44%

The scaling of marks to ensure comparability between classes is an acceptable academic practice. The School and Board of
Examiners have the right to scale marks where it is considered necessary to maintain consistency and fairness.

Quality assurance
Your assessed work may also be used for quality assurance purposes, such as to assess the level of achievement of learning
outcomes as required for accreditation and audit purposes. The findings may be used to inform changes aimed at improving the quality
of Business School programs. All material used for such processes will be treated as confidential, and the outcome will not affect your
grade for the unit.

Approved calculators for examinations

The University permits only the use of calculators in examinations when the calculator has an approved sticker and the examiner
permits their use. If the student does not have an approved sticker on their calculator, they will not be permitted to use the calculator.
Calculators can be approved at the Undergraduate Student Centre, the Postgraduate Student Centre or at Student Administration.
Further information is available on the Business School website at http://www.business.uwa.edu.au/students/assessments

Special consideration/alternative arrangements

If you are unable to attend a class, tutorial or examination due to circumstances beyond your control and are seeking an extension for
submission of an assignment or a deferred exam, please read valid reasons for special consideration
a t http://www.student.uwa.edu.au/life/health/uniaccess/special-consideration, complete the application form and submit at the
Undergraduate Student Centre or Postgraduate Student Centre.
PLEASE NOTE that deferred exams are not available in Summer School units.

Acknowledging Sources of Information and the Business School Policy on Plagiarism

Student Services provides an online plagiarism portal that includes a definition of plagiarism and a link to FAQ
http://www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au/ss/learning/online_services/plagiarism_portal
Turnitin' Originality Checking & Plagiarism Prevention is used in the Faculty to allow both educators and their students check written
work for improper citation or misappropriated content. More information about 'Turnitin' can be found at
http://turnitin.com/static/index.html

eBooks and open book exams

eBooks cannot be taken into an examination. Please check your exam details and purchase a printed version of any book you would
select to take into an open book exam.

Referencing
It is important that the referencing of any sources used in your written work is done properly, if only to substantiate the points you are
making in your assignment or project. The Harvard style is the preferred and there are some notes for guidance which have been
prepared by the library staff: Citing your Sources Harvard Style http://libguides.library.uwa.edu.au/harvard

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The EndNote software package is a really good system for building up a database of references. Not everyone will want to invest the
time in using this system but you should consider it if you intend to build up resource materials or plan to undertake extensive research
in a particular area. The library staff have also developed a tutoring package: A Quick Guide to Using EndNote which provides the
basics for using EndNote with an essay http://libguides.library.uwa.edu.au/endnote

Last day to add a unit offered in a semester

From 2014, the final date to add a unit has been changed to the end of week 2 of the semester. For further information on important
dates for 2015, refer to http://www.student.uwa.edu.au/course/dates/important

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