21510 Introduction to Strategy
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 21632 Business Strategy and Scenario Planning
Description
This subject is designed to give students a broad overview of the complexity of developing and implementing strategy in a local, national and international business environment. Students are encouraged to explore the context of wicked problems, contemporary challenges, ethical dilemmas and sustainability issues in different business and organisational environments. Students gain an understanding of how changes in the business and organisational environment, business modelling, competitive intelligence and scenario analysis inform and affect strategic decision-making and managerial processes.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Apply strategic management principles, analytical tools and concepts in the construction and/or critique of a strategic plan |
|---|---|
| 2. | Justify strategic recommendations and actions in a challenging business context |
| 3. | Design flexible strategic plans that enable businesses to deal with major social, environmental, technical, and economic uncertainties |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following program learning objectives:
- Demonstrate ability to work independently and with others as a member of a team to achieve an agreed goal (2.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject builds on the students’ knowledge of the organisational and business environment. It provides an opportunity to further develop and deepen their understanding of contemporary issues and how they affect business and organisational strategy, decision-making and the ability to innovate. Students develop analytical thinking, critical thinking, and problem-based learning skills for addressing wicked problems and organisational and business issues in complex and dynamic business settings.
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
- Communication and collaboration
- Professional and technical competence
This subject also contributes specifically to develop the following Program Learning Objective for the Bachelor of Business International Business major:
- Communicate information clearly in a form appropriate for its audience (2.1)
This subject also contributes specifically to assure the following Program Learning Objective for the Bachelor of Business Management major:
- Demonstrate ability to work independently and with others as a member of a team to achieve an agreed goal (2.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject will comprise of a 1.5-hour lecture and 1.5 hour tutorial session each week. Students will be required to undertake substantial directed readings prior to class. Content for this subject will be supported by the learning management system. Guest lecturers may be incorporated where relevant.
Lectures: Students are expected to attend all lectures. While lecture notes will be posted on the UTS Learning Management System, the PowerPoint slides act as a reference point for teaching and learning, not as a substitute for attending the lectures. Much of the detail is provided only during the lecture.
Tutorials: The prime objective of the tutorials is to encourage an overall understanding of the content and issues addressed in each week’s lecture. Students should come to tutorials prepared to actively participate in the learning process. This means having attended the weekly lecture. Directions for the tutorials and other exercises will be given the week prior if not stated in the subject guide. Readings and tutorial tasks must be completed. The tutorial activities form part of this subject’s assessment items (see section on Assessment Items).
UTS Learning Management System: This subject will use the UTS Learning Management System, which can be found at: https://online.uts.edu.au/. Various resources will be made available through the learning management system including the subject guide, lecture notes, weekly readings, tutorial exercises, announcements and any supplementary resources. It is your responsibility as active learners to make sure that your UTS email is checked regularly - non-receipt of any message or announcement will not be accepted as an excuse for any shortcoming.
Discussion Board: You are encouraged to use Discussion Board as a forum to discuss the lecture topics and other current issues pertaining to subject. This is also a site for enquiries about readings, assessments and other subject requirements. You are encouraged as peers to answer any questions posted on the Discussion Board that you feel confident in answering. The lecturer will clarify any answers provided by a student if required. Remember, if in doubt read your subject guide thoroughly before posting a question. Note: lecturers will not accept e-mails directly from students unless it is in relation to a confidential matter.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
Content (topics)
- Competitive Business intelligence and competitive analyses
- Management strategy selection
- Entrepreneurial strategy and competitive dynamics
- Business planning
- Industry analysis
- Scenario planning
- Sustainable business development
- Workplaces of the future
- Business environments of the future
- Strategic innovation
- Socially responsible business
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Report (Group)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 2 This addresses program learning objectives(s): 2.2 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Assessment 1: 1500 (+-10%) words. This excludes, executive summary, references and appendices |
Assessment task 2: Ongoing Quizzes (Individual)*
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 15 minutes per quiz |
| Criteria: |
*Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero. |
Assessment task 3: Recommendations & Justification (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 2 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 1000 (+/-10%) words excluding references |
| Criteria: |
|
Assessment task 4: Reflection (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 1000 words (+/-10%). Excluding executive summary and references |
| Criteria: |
|
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
Required texts
The prescribed textbook for this subject is:
Whittington, R., Regner, P., Angwin, D., Johnson, G., and Scholes, K. (2020). Exploring strategy : text and cases (Twelfth edition). Pearson.
This subject assumes that students will have a comprehensive understanding of the contents of the UTS Business School Writing Guide.
Recommended texts
Lafley, A. G. & Martin, R. L. (2013). Playing to win : how strategy really works. Harvard Business Review Press.
Rumelt, R. P. (2011). Good strategy, bad strategy : the difference and why it matters (1st ed.). Crown Business.