Strategy and Innovation
| Module title | Strategy and Innovation |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEMM116DA |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Sarah Bailey (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 14 (ongoing) |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
In a world increasingly characterised as VUCA – volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous – few things are assured. Managing risk and uncertainty considering current and future opportunities is both expected and complex. We can be certain that demand for both high quality and frugal products and services will only be met by individuals and organisations who invest in learning how to manage innovation within an increasingly digital world.
The module will cover the traditional principles of strategic management and how they inform decision-making in organisational responses to the dynamic external environment, organisational design and positioning, strategic communication, and managing change.
It will cover how organisations, markets and society can recognise and respond to disruptive innovation through effective horizon scanning and the creation of diverse, innovation related competences.
Module aims - intentions of the module
As a Senior Leader you must be capable of horizon scanning, setting direction, defining mission and the values and culture the organisation must develop for success. In this module you will study the tools and approaches for understanding where your organisation is and where it should go. This includes the impact of disruptive environmental forces like technological and social change, the design of effective organisational structures, the need to create a sustainable future.
You will learn how to understand changing stakeholder needs and respond to these with well communicated, creatively designed and cost-effective products and services that create value in a responsible way.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Define how to shape organisational mission, culture and values. (K1)
- 2. Evaluate organisation structures; business modelling; diversity; global and horizon scanning perspectives; governance and accountability; technological and policy implications. (K2)
- 3. Critically analyse new market strategies, changing customer demands and trend analysis. (K3)
- 4. Describe innovation; the impact of disruptive technologies (mechanisms that challenge traditional business methods and practices); drivers of change and new ways of working across infrastructure, processes, people and culture and sustainability. (K4)
- 5. Analyse competitive strategies and entrepreneurialism, approaches to effective decision making, and the use of big data and insight to implement and manage change. (K7)
- 6. Define brand and reputation management. (K15)
- 7. Analyse the organisations developing communications strategy and its link to their area of responsibility. (K20)
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Critically explore horizon scanning and conceptualisation to deliver high performance strategies focusing on growth/sustainable outcomes. (S1)
- 9. Lead change in their area of responsibility, create an environment for innovation and creativity, establishing the value of ideas and change initiatives and driving continuous improvement. (S4)
- 10. Define, shape and manage the communications strategy for their area of responsibility. (S21)
Syllabus plan
Week 1 - Foundations of strategy and innovation - Getting comfortable with the foundations of strategy and innovation, defining strategy, and introducing the field of innovation – establishing the baseline for the rest of the module.
Week 2 - Masterclass One — Key topics explored include: theory and definitions of strategy; horizon scanning; an introduction to innovation management; and the value of diversity.
Week 3 - The Wicked world - Understanding the organisation’s context and external environment and innovation as a reaction to a complex world. How can I as a senior leader, lead and make decisions when there are no right answers and completing global priorities?
Week 4 - Looking inward: The Resource-based View (RBV) - What business are we in? Why are we doing what we are doing? What are the internal drivers of innovation and innovation culture? What do we do (really well)?
Week 5 - Re-thinking competitive advantage - Is it possible to shift away from the traditional linear economic model towards a circular strategy? What opportunities are there for sustainable transition that challenge the established basics of competitive advantage and place greater emphasis on dynamic capabilities?
Week 6 - Re-thinking value creation - What value do organisations contribute to society? Is profit all that matters? How does innovation create value and disrupt established ideas? Re-thinking traditional concepts of value to drive responsible innovation and sustainable value creation.
Week 7 - Masterclass Two — Key topics explored include: digital transformation; strategy implementation and execution as a practice; the circular economy and new business models.
Week 8 - Strategy ideation & creativity: Where do good strategies come from? How does the innovation process work? How can I recognise, encourage, and harness diversity, creativity and innovative thinking in my organisation?
Week 9 - Implementation & leading change - Successful implementation of either strategy or innovation practice is crucial for realising the benefits you intend, but so often it is implementation stage that stalls and falters. What are the leadership skills, including communication, needed for successful implementation and managing change?
Week 10 - Digital transformation – Further exploration of digital innovation and transformation. What are the current and future implications of digital technology and applications for your business? Does your strategy integrate necessary digital innovations? Are you moving fast enough? Is moving fast a good idea?
Week 11 - Business ecosystems - discover the ecosystems approach in strategic management and innovation theory and how business ecosystems harness and add value. Explore a range of strategies and mechanisms available to apply these ideas in practice, and what this could mean for your organisation.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | 266 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 28 | 4 Masterclass days |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 6 | Webinars |
| Guided Independent Study | 94 | Use of online learning materials. Completion of assessments required to monitor progress. Consultation with academic staff. |
| Work-based Learning | 172 | Time in employment used for consolidation of skills and knowledge, preparation of EPA portfolio. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly learning journal use of and reflection on, recommended strategy activities | 300 words | 1-7 | Written (tutor and peer) |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workplace Innovation Culture Readiness Audit Assessment & Report | 40 | 2,500 words | 2, 4, 8, 9 | Written |
| Strategic Value Creation Proposal Report | 60 | 4,000 words | 1-10 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workplace Innovation Culture Readiness Audit Assessment & Report | Resubmission | 2, 4, 8, 9 | Programme schedule dependent |
| Strategic Value Creation Proposal Report | Resubmission | 1-10 | Programme schedule dependent |
Re-assessment notes
All passed components of the module will be rolled forward and will not be reassessed in the event of module failure.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Suggested reading:
Edmondson, V. C. (2018). The Thinking Strategist: Unleashing the Power of Strategic Management to Identify, Explore and Solve Problems (1st ed.). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Moon, J. A. (2004). A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice (1st ed.). Routledge.
Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Smith, A., & Etiemble, F. (2020). The invincible company: How to constantly reinvent your organization with inspiration from the world’s best business models (1st ed., Vol. 4). Wiley & Sons.
Samans, R., & Nelson, J. (2022). Sustainable enterprise value creation implementing stakeholder capitalism through full ESG integration (1st ed.). Springer International Publishing.
Schwab, K. (2017). The fourth industrial revolution. Penguin.
Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. (John E.), & Strickland, A. J. (Alonzo J.). (2021). Crafting and executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases. (23rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Tidd, J., & Bessant, J. R. (2020). Managing innovation: Integrating technological, market and organizational change (7th ed.). Wiley.
Yaghmaei, E. & van de Poel, I. (2021). Assessment of responsible innovation: Methods and practices (1st ed.). Taylor & Francis.
Additional suggested reading:
Christensen (1997), The Innovator’s Dilemma; Harvard Press
Key words search
Strategy, Innovation, Culture, Ecosystems, Value creation, Systems thinking, Digital transformation, Shared Value, Change Management
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | none |
| Module co-requisites | none |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 09/04/2021 |
| Last revision date | 08/04/25 |
