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Course & Unit Catalogues


MN30677: Corporate strategy and development

[Page last updated: 23 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: School of Management
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework (CW 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: Having studied the unit, students will be able to:
(1) Understand the challenges in corporate growth, corporate strategy and development.
(2) Formulate appropriate corporate development plans by drawing on strategy frameworks and tools.
(3) Appreciate the challenges of deals in particular contexts such as in high technology sectors and across national boundaries.


Aims: This unit focuses on how firms employ various modes of corporate development to advance their corporate strategy so as to overcome resource constraints, access new technologies, exploit emerging opportunities, redesign firm boundaries and achieve profitable growth. Corporate development modes include mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate venture capital investments, strategic alliances, and outsourcing deals.
The main aims of this unit are:
(1) Offer participants an in-depth understanding of strategy in multi-business corporations and of the different modes of corporate development.
(2) Enable participants to assess and select appropriate strategies and corporate development modes drawing on strategy theories and concepts.
(3) Provide participants with an understanding of the factors that contribute to the successful implementation of corporate strategy.

Skills: Intellectual skills
* Understand the tradeoffs affecting corporate growth and the choice among different corporate development modes.
* Capability to apply theory to the analysis and diagnosis of strategy problems and problems related to strategic resource gaps.
Practical skills
* Understand the challenges that managers face and be able to participate in or advise on corporate development decisions.
* Implement a plan for corporate development and deal with common problems that arise in the implementation process.
Transferable skills
* Capability to formulate and defend arguments in support of strategy policies, using theory and evidence.
* Develop skills to work in groups, and the capability to synthesize views and reach consensus.

Content: The unit covers topics such as:
* Introduction to corporate strategy
* Directions for corporate growth
* Historic and conceptual overview of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As)
* Challenges in the pre-acquisition stage
* Post-acquisition integration and organizational learning
* Corporate venture capital (CVC) investments
* Entering and managing strategic alliances
* Alliance networks and platforms.

Course availability:

MN30677 is Optional on the following courses:

School of Management
  • UMMN-AYB06 : BSc(Hons) International Management with Year Abroad (Year 4)
  • UMMN-AFB04 : BSc(Hons) Management (Year 3)
  • UMMN-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Management with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UMMN-AKB05 : BSc(Hons) Management with Marketing with Year long work placement (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.