Module: Strategy & Leadership

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Strategy & Leadership
Module Code	MNA1018 (ITS: MT5131)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	5

Description

This is one of the strategy modules in the strategy pathway on the MSc in Management. The aim of the module is to help the students to develop skills in business analysis and strategic thinking, deepen their understanding of the strategy process in its wider context and of how strategy and leadership are related, and to familiarise them with the thought-leadership literature in the strategy and leadership areas.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify, explain and critically evaluate the thought-leadership frameworks and concepts in the strategy/leadership literature
2. Identify the leadership challenges involved in determining stakeholder priorities and decision making
3. Understand strategic change and strategy making
4. Identify and explain the main challenges involved in effective strategic positioning of the company
5. Conduct a strategic analysis of a business, identify and evaluate options for its future and make strategic recommendations
6. Identify the relationship between strategy and sustainability

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Seminars	18	Seminar Series (Cases and Readings)
Assignment Completion	20	Case analysis (Team asssignment)
Assignment Completion	32	Individual Essay 2
Independent Study	55	Preparing Readings and Cases for Class Discussion
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	20069	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Sriteja Reddy Wudaru	Module Teacher	Declan Curran, Malcolm Brady, Sean Dempsey

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Group assignment	Conduct a strategic analysis of a preassigned case	30%	n/a
Assignment	An individual literature-informed essay/analysis on a major module theme drawing on the readings and cases featured in the module.	70%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction
Introduction and overview of the main topics in the module

Strategy and Leadership
The concepts of leadership and strategy and how they interrelate

The Strategy Toolkit - Tools for Analysis
The early strategy models - the 'old venerables' (Product Life Cycle, Experience Curve, BCG Growth-Share Matrix etc). The positioning perspective. The core competency perspective (Resource-Based View). New perspectives on value innovation.

Strategy, Leadership and Stakeholder Priorities
The social responsibility of business. Establishing stakeholder priorities. How to think more strategically about the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) agenda.

Competitive analysis and strategic positioning
Industry structural analysis ('Where to play'). Effective strategic positioning ('How to win').

Value Innovation and New Market Creation
Perspectives on value innovation and new market creation ("disruptive innovation," "blue ocean strategy," "value co-creation"). Strategies for emerging markets. Global Localization ('Glocalization') and 'Reverse innovation'

Competing in the Digital Age and the Age of AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Strategies for competing in the new era of customer connectivity and AI. The strategic importance of business ecosystems and 'platform' strategies, and the competitive impact of 'data analytics' and 'online experimentation,' and of 'network' and 'learning' effects.

Corporate Strategy
The central challenge of corporate strategy and the distinction between "business" and "corporate" strategies.

Indicative Reading List

Books:
None

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None