Unit information: Strategic Business Management for Engineers in 2024/25

Unit name	Strategic Business Management for Engineers
Unit code	MENGM0041
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Hadi Abulrub
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Unit Information

The unit main aim is to ensure students are capable to articulate strategic management concepts and formulate critical view/opinion of business practices to formulate a strategic response to major challenges faced by engineering/technology organisations.

This is achieved through the following aims:

1. Describe theories, frameworks and concepts of strategic management and its association with business practices
2. Develop knowledge to compare/contrast various strategies and recognise vital aspects of an effective business strategy
3. Identify and analyse a diverse range of issues that affect strategic management thinking and decision-making
4. Develop skills to articulate knowledge, construct thoughts and transfer them into practice through application of real-world case studies
5. Advance students’ skills to recognise, interpret and formulate a strategy for an engineering / technology organisation in response to an up-to-date technological / engineering related challenge.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. Discuss key models, concepts and frameworks of strategic business management (A1)
2. Determine the important aspects of a successful strategy and relate them to business practices within engineering / technology firms. (A1 & A2)
3. Establish critical view of the industry forces and value creation with technological options to maintain competitiveness within the sector/industry (A2&A3).
4. Systematically evaluate in-depth associated operational tactics in terms of its human resource, supply chain, as well as, business model (A3 & A4).
5. Apply critical thinking, problem solving skills and analyse to evaluate real-world engineering / technology scenario and propose practical strategic recommendations (A3 – A5).

How you will learn

Lectures will be the main channels to transfer theoretical knowledge. It allows complex concepts, models and frameworks to be established, exchanged and developed using academic discussion and debates. External industrial speakers will be invited to enrich the learning environment, construct practical insights and provide constructive critique to the theoretical knowledge.

Students will be presented with real-world case studies that signify strategic challenge for engineering / technology organisation(s). Case method teaching immerses students into realistic business situations helping them to appreciate the challenge of implementing strategic decisions / directions.

Interactive discussions sessions allow students to exercise their critical thinking skills, personal decisions and communication skills. It also provides an opportunity for students to develop perspective of the concepts within the field of strategic business management.

A transparent published method is in place for identifying students’ contribution to group work. This peer assessed process is moderated by the unit director.

How you will be assessed

• Group written report (70%): to execute an assessment of an up-to-date technological challenge using the concepts taught in the unit, and to make strategic recommendations. (LO1 – LO5)
• SBM Global Challenge Group Project Report and dissemination (30%) (ILO4, ILO5)

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MENGM0041).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.