This module aims to provide students with an understanding of principles of strategic management and leadership and their practical application, is also designed to develop students’ judgement and critical thinking skills and to develop students’ ability to integrate and apply knowledge and skills developed across preceding modules to develop practical solutions to business scenarios. Case-based teaching will be employed extensively throughout this module and will cover areas such as strategy, accounting and finance decision-making, ethics and governance and current issues and trends in accounting and finance.
Business Strategy:
Defining the nature and role of business strategy
Understanding the significance of organisational culture and leadership styles
Determining vision, mission, goals and objectives
Performing strategic analysis
Developing and implementing organisational strategies
Integrating principles, concepts and techniques from disciplines of financial reporting, management accounting, finance, taxation, auditing and strategy to develop solutions to (business) scenarios.
Effective Leadership:
The meaning of leadership, the psychology of leadership, principled-centred leadership, current leadership theories and practice, leadership application in teams. Ethics and social responsibility.
Motivating Self and Others.
Ethics and Governance:
Developing ethical decision making - Arguments for & against Business Ethics. Common Ethical problems. Individual and situational influences on ethical decision making. Approaches to ethics in organisations - Compliance & Integrity based approaches. Culture of ethics in business
Overview of Corporate Governance including the History and Development of Corporate Governance. Theories of Corporate Governance including Agency Theory, Stewardship Theory and Resource Dependence Theory. Systems of Corporate Governance - UK and Ireland, European and US.
Legal Framework of Governance – UK Code of Corporate Governance (2018)
Director Responsibilities
Board of Directors - Composition, Roles and Responsibilities. Duties of Directors. Director Remuneration. Composition, Role and Responsibilities of Main Board Sub-Committees - Audit, Remuneration and Nominations Committees.
Current Issues and Trends in Accounting and Finance:
Data Analytics - Demonstrate an understanding of emerging technologies in big data and data analytics. Provide analytic insights for strategic advantage. Plan data analysis. Demonstrate an understanding of the analytics lifecycle. Use analytics tools to aid in the accountant’s statutory function.
Artificial Intelligence – Understand the differences between the three pillars of artificial intelligence. Understand the impact of applications on the traditional roles of the Accountant. Identify opportunities where artificial intelligence applications can be used to aid the accountant. Understand where artificial intelligence applications can be used with clients
Emerging Technologies - Transitioning a given business to a digital model. Understand the principles of Blockchain. Gain an understanding of the Cryptocurrency eco system. Gain an understanding from an accounting perspective how to deal with clients using The Crypto Assessment Framework™
Integration of Strategic Management Accounting:
Utilising the knowledge from the management accounting modules and applying the principles underlying strategic management accounting. Identify and advise on the links between management accounting and sustainable competitive advantage, with particular reference to strategic management accounting.
Integration of Strategic Finance:
Utilising the knowledge from the finance modules and applying appropriate techniques to advice in financing and investment decisions. Advise on financing aspects of small, medium and large enterprises. Undertake appropriate financial analysis to inform the decision making process.
While traditional lectures may be employed for the introduction of the principles of strategic management to students, the delivery of this module will primarily involve case study based teaching and learning. Over the course of the module students will progress from shorter cases which focus on individual disciplines within accounting and strategic management to longer more complex cases which require the integration of several different disciplines. The nature of the case work will also vary between group and individual exercises and between requirements for oral presentations and written submissions.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 55 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 45 |