Master Award in
Strategic Management
Master Award could transfer 20 credits and full tuition fees to Master’s programs by SIMI and University Partners.
Master Award in Strategic Management
The aim of this unit is to develop learners’ understanding of strategic and change management models, as well as the ability to review strategic plans, to propose strategic options, to create implementation plans and to lead organisational changes.
Could transfer 20 credits and full tuition fee to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) of SIMI Swiss and University Partners.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Be able to analyse key external influences on an organisation’s strategy.
- 1.1 Critically evaluate the position of an organisation in its current market.
- 1.2 Critically analyse the effects of existing plans on an organisation.
2. Be able to appraise strategic options for an organisation
- 2.1 Critically explore the relationship between, corporate, business and operational strategies.
- 2.2 Apply strategic models and tools to develop strategic options for an organisation.
- 2.3 Evaluate strategic options for an organisation.
3. Be able to evaluate various tools and approaches to a strategy implementation plan.
- 3.1 Create a relevant vision, mission and strategic goals for an organisation.
- 3.2 Propose a suitable structure for an organisation that fits a strategic plan.
- 3.3 Create a resourced strategy implementation plan.
4. Be able to develop and implement a strategic organisational change management plan.
- 4.1 Apply force field analysis to effectively distinguish forces of change.
- 4.2 Critically evaluate various change management models.
- 4.3 Identify relevant leadership and change agent skills to implement a strategic change in an organisation.
5. Be able to monitor and control the implementation of strategic plans.
- 5.1 Develop a monitoring and control system for the implementation of strategic plans.
- 5.2 Design key success indicators in order to monitor the implementation of the strategic plan.
- 5.3 Distinguish potential risks during implementation.
- 5.4 Review the effectiveness of the strategic plan.
Topics:
Explaining the importance of scanning business environments in making strategic decisions of organisation.
Business environment e.g. definition, features, characteristics, types; distinctions between culture and organisational environment; key components of organisational environment; organisational environment basics; internal environment e.g. working capacities, employment relations, job satisfaction; external factors e.g. beneficiaries identification, consumer group demands; ways to meet those demands; contractors; stakeholders; shareholders; suppliers; general workforce; competitor success directions; links of influential factors e.g. social, political, technological; organisational commitment e.g. short term, medium and long term; competitor analysis; designing of products or services; influence measurement; organisational environment improvement.
Using a variety of tools to critically analyse external business environment:
Course Coverage:
Business environment dynamics e.g. definition, characteristics, changes; basics of business environment; organisational environment e.g. benchmark, liability, elasticity, intelligibility, commitment of team, management practices impact; effectiveness and efficiency effects; tools of analysis; threats and opportunities analysis; SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis; market analysis, consumer survey; competitor identification; market research; data and information analysis.
Using a variety of tools to critically analyse internal business environment:
Course Coverage:
Internal organisational environment e.g. definition, types, features and changes; internal management analysis; employee and management review; efficient communication rationale; strength analysis; weaknesses analysis; resource analysis; pricing strategies; strategic drift; product analysis; product life cycle analysis.
To review the position of an organisation in its current market:
Market situation analysis; organisational position measurement; strategic business planning tools; e.g. SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threats) analysis; Porter’s Five Forces Analysis; value chain analysis; Boston growth-share (BCG) matrix; market equilibrium; market share; sustainable competitive advantage.
To analyse the effects of exiting plans on organisation:
Organisational planning effects; organisational agreement between several organisations; communication with stakeholders; organisational planning development; objectives led management; guidelines; action planning; strategic and structure fit; Business Process Re- engineering; performance appraisal; policy development; systems of communication; realignment and focus.
Identify and analyse mandatory competency and competitive advances of an organisation:
Competitive advantage identification; economies of scope and scale; product or service life measurement; internal statistics and surveys; measures for monitoring and evaluating; emergent and unrealised strategy; globalisation effects; resources analysis; mandatory skills and competences; experience curves; comparative analysis.
Discussing relationship between, corporate, business and operational strategies:
Strategic relationships e.g. concepts, application and changing trends; corporate strategies; business strategies; operational strategies; effective communication; strategy formulation; strategic drift; strategic options review; benchmarking; competitor analysis; benefit-cost analysis; information review; organisational value consistency; position in markets; market share; globalisation effect; impacts of technological advancements.
Use various models and tools to develop strategic options for an organisation:
Strategic models, e.g. identification, uses and effectiveness; Mintzberg’s strategies e.g. emergent and deliberate; Ansoff matrix strategies; balanced mandatory card analysis; sensitivity analysis; organisational integration; merger and acquisition; gap analysis; product portfolio.
Analyse and decide strategic and business strategic options:
Strategic options e.g. basics and organisation led applications; potential option review; business ethics; good practices; effective participation of stakeholders; diversity management; organisational environment consideration; awareness raising; objectives settings; strategic alliance; benchmarking; leadership.
Developing appropriate vision, mission and strategic goals for an organisation:
Situational analysis; setting vision and mission targets; understanding organisational values; business environment outlining; conceptualising stakeholders.
Proposing a suitable structure: stakeholders:
identification, role analysis; comprehensive target setting for a business organisation; motivation to participate in strategic planning; strategy formulation; strategy implementation; monitoring and evaluation of stakeholders’ performance.
Developing an agreed strategy plan that addresses all resource implications due to new action plan:
Organisational culture analysis; understanding basic values of a business organisation e.g. cultural, ethical, social, economic, business; SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-based) target selection; resource audit; risk analysis.
Carrying out force field analysis:
Organisational changes e.g. definitions, processes, patterns; the identification of change forces; roles of change forces; factor identification; impact of globalisation.
Using various change management models:
Change management models e.g. identification, selection and use; in order to implement any change in an organisation; Lewin’s Change Management Model; McKinsey 7-S Model; Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model.
Acquiring leadership and change agent skills:
Change agent skills e g, identification, appropriate selection and application; implementing a strategic change in an organisation; right attitude; appropriate knowledge; leadership and skills.
To develop a time schedule for implementation of the plans:
Time requirement for planning implementation; time allocation for planning; time management; time scheduling; planning implementation timetable.
To develop key success factors in order to monitor the implementation of the strategic plan:
Success factors definition; success factors identification; successful strategic plan monitoring; planning implementation; evaluation and monitoring of control system; cascading and dissemination process.
To analyse potential risk:
Risks e.g. definitions, features, identification and relevancies in diverse circumstances; implementation risks; implementation risks avoidance; contingency planning; contingency corrective development; risk preventive actions.
Indicative reading list
Core texts:
- Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2017) Fundamentals of Strategy. Pearson Ltd.
- Gupta, S. and Starr, M. (2014) Productions and Operations Management Systems. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Additional reading:
- Barney, J. (2010) Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage. New York: Pearson Education.
- Cusumano, M. A. and Markides, C. (2001) Strategic Thinking for the Next Economy. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning EMEA.
- De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. (2004). Strategy: Process, Content, Context. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning EMEA.
- Finlay, P. N. (2000). Strategic Management: An Introduction to Business and Corporate Strategy. Harlow: Prentice Hall.
- Goold, M., Campbell, A. and Alexander, M. (1994) Corporate-level Strategy: Creating Value in the Multibusiness Company. New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
- Grant, R. (2010) Contemporary Strategy Analysis. Hampshire: John Wiley and Sons.
- Gratton, L. (2000) Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
- Harrison, J. S. (2002) Strategic Management of Resources and Relationships: Concepts and Cases. Hampshire: John Wiley and Sons.
- Hill, C., Jones, G. and Schilling, M. (2013) Strategic Management: Theory: An Integrated Approach. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
- Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
- Johnson, G. & Scholes, K. (2000) Exploring Public Sector Strategy. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
- Kaplan, R. & Norton, D. (2000) The Strategy-focused Organization: How Balanced Mandatory Card Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.
- Lynch, R. (2005) Corporate Strategy. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
- McGee, J., Thomas, H. and Wilson, D. (2005) Strategy: Analysis and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
- Mintzberg, H. (2000) The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
- Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. (2008). Strategy Safari: Your Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
- Pettigrew, A. M., Thomas, H. and Whittington, R. (eds.) (2006) The Handbook of Strategy and Management. London: Sage.
- Stacey, R. D. (2010) Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics. Harlow: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
Journals/newspapers:
- The Journal of Marketing
- The European Journal of Marketing;
- The Journal of Marketing Management;
- • Academy of Management Journal;
- British Journal of Management;
- California Management Review;
- European Management Journal;
- Harvard Business Review;
- Journal of Business Strategy;
- Journal of Management Studies;
- Long Range Planning;
- MIT Sloan Management Review;
- Strategic Change;
- Strategy and Leadership;
Websites:
- www.sps.org.uk Strategic Planning Society;
- www.ft.com Financial Times;
- www.managers.org.uk Chartered Management Institute
Entry requirements
To enroll The Master Award, the learner must possess:
- Graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or achieved a Level 6 Diploma according to the European Qualifications
- For a degree from non-recognized universities; The learner should have followed the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualifications (APEL.Q) policy of SIMI and/or University Partners.
- Learners must be over 21 years old.
The SIMI Swiss reserves the highest decision-making power for admission whether to accept or not accept after a specific review of each candidate’s profile to ensure that they can comprehend and gain benefits when participating. For the fake university or diploma mills, University Partners shall not be accepted.
English requirements
If a learner is not from a predominantly English-speaking country, proof of English language proficiency must be provided.
- Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B2 or equivalent
- Or A minimum TOEFL score of 101 or IELTS 6.5; Reading and Writing must be at 6.5 or equivalent
After graduating with Master Award, students receive all certified documents from the SIMI Swiss.
Certified Documents:
- e-Certificate from the Swiss Information and Management Institute (SIMI Swiss).
- Hard copy certificate from the Swiss Information and Management Institute (SIMI Swiss) – Optional.
- Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualifications (APEL.Q) certified from University Partners for credit and tuition fee transfer.
Because the program is accredited and recognized, students can easily use certified in the working environment and have many opportunities for career advancement. In addition, in case if you want to study for a SIMI degree or university partner degree, students can convert all credits and the full paid tuition fee when participating in the program University Partners.
The SIMI Swiss’ Master Award means:
SIMI Swiss Master Award is the award at the master’s level and is equivalent to:
- Level 7 certificate of Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) of UK
- Level 10 certificate of Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
- Level 7 certificate of Credit and Qualifications Framework (CQFW)
- Level 7 certificate of European Qualifications Framework (EQF)
- Level 9 certificates of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
- Level 7 certificate of ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF)
- Level 9 certificate of the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF)
Students can convert all credits and the full tuition fee when participating in the SIMI Swiss and/or University Partners academic programs if they want to study for an academic degree.
Credits transfer:
Learners can accumulate 20 credits from the Master Award program when participating in the Master of Business Administration (MBA). Please see the credit transfer policy HERE
Tuition fee transfer:
When participating in the MBA program, students who have graduated 1 Master Award will receive a discount of full tuition fee which you paid. Please see the tuition fee transfer HERE
The SIMI Swiss micro-credential program allows for the transfer of credits and tuition fees into full degree programs from SIMI Swiss and/or its university partners. SIMI Swiss reserves the right to limit admissions once the number of students exceeds the quotas.
Apply Policy:
- To participate in the SIMI Swiss micro-credential program, students need to meet the entry criteria corresponding to each level. Please see the “Entry” tab for more details.
- SIMI Swiss will not accept applicants if their entry qualifications are from diploma mill universities or schools/universities that are not accredited.
- For Master Award programs, if an entry bachelor is unavailable, students must demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of work experience in the relevant field. Please note that a bachelor’s degree is required for the Master’s program at SIMI Swiss and University Partners so that you could study Master Award but could not move to the Master’s program of SIMI and University Partners.
- English is not a mandatory entry requirement for short course programs, but candidates need to ensure that English is used in reading documents, listening to lectures, and doing assignments. Candidates should note that English is a mandatory requirement when switching to an academic program at SIMI Swiss and University Partners.
Apply Process:
- Choose the program that suits your requirements. Note that applicants without a university degree will not be able to participate in the program at Master’s level, and applicants without a Master’s degree will not be able to participate in the program at the Doctoral level.
- Email your application to support@simiswiss.ch with all the required documents. You could download the application form here.
- Our admission department will contact you and guide you through further processes if the registration documents need to be supplemented.
- SIMI Swiss will issue the Letter of Acceptant (LOA). You will proceed to the next steps according to the instructions and pay tuition fee.
- SIMI Swiss will issue a student confirmation letter, login account to the e-learning system and related documents.
- You have become an official SIMI Swiss student and enjoy your study journey.
The SIMI Swiss micro-credential program is fully online, allowing you to study anytime, anywhere. You have the option to attend live classes with SIMI Swiss. The final exam will be uploaded to the system and evaluated by the academic panel of SIMI Swiss. Students must submit assignments on time; failure to do so will result in the student being considered to have discontinued the program.
Pricing Plans
Take advantage of one of our non-profit professional certified programs with favorable terms for your personal growing carreers.
- Live Class (Option)
- Full online videos
- e-Books
- Self study contents
- Online tutor videos
- Assignment guide
- e-Certificate
- Hard copy certificate
- Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Qualifications (APEL.Q) certified from University Partners for credit and tuition fee transfer
- Accreditation & Recognition certified from University Partners.
- Deliver hard copy certificate and all certified documents to your home
- Transfer full credits & tuition fees to equivalent academic programs
- Get more support tuition fees and scholarships when become University Partners' international students
- (*) In the event that you receive a scholarship or discount, the fee you should transfer is the amount you actually paid
SHORT COURSES NETWORK
Contact us
If you interested this course, please feel free to contact with us! Please note that this program is a not for profit and learning with full online model.