Module "Strategic management"

MSc International Food Business and Consumer Studies
MSc Sustainable International Agriculture

• Concepts and frameworks used in strategic management;
• The importance of values and purpose in defining an organisation's strategic goals;
• The analysis of the complex environment of agrifood organisations and how it shapes the strategic behaviour of members of the value chain and an organisation's competitive environment;
• A critical review of strategic frameworks;
• Analysis of the internal environment;
• An introduction to organizational and business strategies;
• The management of stakeholder relations;
• The relationship between organization and strategy;
• The management of strategic change and the role of strategic leadership.

The aims of the module are:

• To deepen the students' understanding of the unique aspects of food and agricultural production, processing, distribution, wholesaling and markets and their relationship with strategy;
• To familiarise students with the development of strategies within a changing environment, to meet stakeholders' interests;
• To provide students with the knowledge and confidence to make strategic business decisions;
• To raise critical awareness of strategic decision-making in agrifood organizations.

Lectures and short lectures combined with facilitated group discussion; seminars include research based learning elements such as case studies and research activities involving students (e.g. scenario analysis)

Lectures 30 hours and seminar 30 hours

Oral presentation (without written report but with hand-out, 30% of overall assessment); written report (based on your own empirical research, 70%)

Please see examination regulations (e.g. breakdown of student learning hours) and moodle (e.g. timetable slot, location)