This module reflects and supports the changing agenda for senior managers in organisations, addressing globalisation's increasing impact on the organisational landscape. As the boundaries between private, public, and third sectors become increasingly blurred, these challenges apply across all sectors and demand the ability to lead during times of uncertainty and constrained resources in ways that were inconceivable just a few years ago.
This module aims to enhance and support strategic management challenges by encouraging and enabling students to develop the intellectual and professional acumen needed for the conception and analysis of responsible business strategies. This includes making appropriate choices between strategic options and following a trajectory that delivers robust, ethically sound, and socially responsible results.
A range of illustrative strategic issues, recognised as fundamental to organisational success, is used to identify and explore the tensions and paradoxes of organisational life. The ongoing debate demonstrates that often opposing perspectives can provide valid, albeit partial, contributions to understanding key strategic issues. To effectively manage contemporary organisations, the ability to set direction in a turbulent environment needs to be developed by seeking options most appropriate for the organisational context under consideration.
To succeed in the global environment, future organisations will need to be both commercially viable and demonstrate a responsible attitude towards the wider society, encompassing the full community of stakeholders. Otherwise, they may be subject to increasingly restrictive regulations. To meet this requirement while avoiding stricter regulation, senior managers and aspiring leaders must adopt a longer-term and more responsible view of the business enterprise rather than focusing solely on short-term profit maximisation.