Module: Business Unit Strategy & Planning

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Business Unit Strategy & Planning
Module Code	MNA1130 (ITS: SB5005)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10

Description

This module is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the special problems involved in the strategic management at the business unit level. The main pedagogical objective is to help to develop in the student the capacity to think strategically and to better understand the ways in which a firm plans to achieve its objectives within a particular business. Particular emphasis will be placed on innovation and new venture planning. This module is delivered using a combination of workshop and mentor-based activities.

Learning Outcomes

1. Synthesise theory and practice to assess the efficacy of strategic models and frameworks.
2. Integrate specialist knowledge, theory and practice into a strategic and dynamic overview of a business unit in its environmental context.
3. Critically evaluate alternative strategies and apply the strategic process to a particular business unit in variety of contexts including new market entry, new venture creation, mergers and acquisitions.
4. Develop and defend coherent and persuasive arguments for the adoption of innovative strategies and investment in a project or business proposal.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Workshop	32	Topic-based workshops
Assignment Completion	136	Business plan research and preparation
Assignment Completion	20	Pitch preparation and presentation
Assessment Feedback	26	Mentor meetings
Online activity	36	Preparation and participation in exercises, simulations and case discussions
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	11123	Part of Term	Semester 1
Coursework	100%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Brian Harney	Module Teacher	Patricia Borgardt

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Group presentation	Students will be allocated to a group and will present their proposal for entering a new market, an acquisition, new product or venture.	25%	n/a
Report(s)	Students will be allocated to a group and will research and prepare a detailed plan for entering a new market, an acquisition, new product or venture.	75%	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

Developing breakthrough products and services
Lead user method, user innovation communities, (re)combinatory innovation, ethnographic needs discovery, big data needs discovery, crowdsourcing, mass customisation

Defining the opportunity
Developing your value proposition, sizing the opportunity, designing your business model and strategy, organising to exploit, assessing feasibility

Customer Acquisition
Sales Strategy - B2C vs B2B, Pricing, Channel Strategy, Data-driven Marketing Strategy

Financing the opportunity
Financial modelling, startup vs growth financing, valuation, funding mechanisms, term sheet negotiation, exits

New Venture Analytics
Unit economics, Business model analytics - E-commerce, SAAS, Free, Media, UGC, Multi-sided marketplaces; Stage analytics - Empathy, Stickiness, Virality, Revenue, Scale

Pitching the plan
Business plan structure and preparation, designing the pitch deck, presenting

Scaling Up
Sustaining entrepreneurial growth, leadership for a growing business, developing and keeping an entrepreneurial spirit beyond start-up

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Harvard Business Review: 0, The Harvard Business Review Entrepreneur's Handbook, 9781633693708
W. Chan Kim,Renee Mauborgne: 2015, Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition, Harvard Business Review Press, 256, 1625274491
Eric von Hippel: 2005, Democratizing Innovation, MIT Press, 204, 9780262002745
Alexander Osterwalder,Yves Pigneur: 2010, Business Model Generation, John Wiley & Sons, 288, 9780470876411
Alistair Croll,Benjamin Yoskovitz: 2013, Lean Analytics, "O'Reilly Media, Inc.", 409, 1449335675
Eric Ries: 2011, The Lean Startup, Currency, 320, 9780307887894
Geoffrey A. Moore: 2014, Crossing the Chasm, 3rd Edition, HarperBusiness, 288, 0062292986

Articles:

von Hippel, E.: 2001, Innovation by User Communities: Learning from Open Source Software, Sloan Management Review, 41131
1997: Spark Innovation Through Empathic Desig, Harvard Business Review, November, 41132, 1
The Dynamics of User Innovation: Drivers and Impediments of Innovation Activities: , International Journal of Innovation Management, 41133, 1, Thomke, S., & Von Hippel, E.
Harvard Business Review: 80(4), 41134, 1, Johnson, Mark W., Clayton M. Christensen, and Henning Kagermann., 2008
86(12): 41135, 1, Bower, J. L., & Christensen, C. M., 1995, Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave
41136: 1, Lowry, James R., 2003, A primer for lean marketing, Business Horizons,
1: Yang, M., & Gabrielsson, P., 2017, Entrepreneurial marketing of international high-tech business-to-business new ventures: A decision-making process perspective, Industrial Marketing Management, 64, 147-160.,
Yadav, A., & Bansal, S.: 2020, Viewing marketing through entrepreneurial mindset: a systematic review, International Journal of Emerging Markets.,

Other Resources

None