Assessment is by one assignment, a critical essay of 6000 words (100%) which integrates theory and practice. The assignment must include a clear structure with an abstract, a list of references and, where appropriate, appendices and diagrams. You must make appropriate use of journal articles and texts. References should follow the Harvard system – see the guide at https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/library/referencing/guides/.
The assignment should contain:
1. A critical literature review of key theories of how strategy is developed and implemented, and the relationship between strategy, innovation and change
2. A critical analysis of selected strategic processes within your organisation, or an organisation of your choice, related to relevant theories
3. An assessment of the extent to which people within the organisation are engaged with and contribute to a selected strategy
4. Recommendations about how strategic processes within the organisation could be improved.
To preserve confidentiality, please anonymise the organisation or organisations you discuss in the assignment, eg by calling them Company X, or Governmental Organisation Y, or International Organisation Z. Similarly, where you write about private individuals, call them manager A, or leader B.
N.B. The word count will include quotations but exclude footnotes, list of references, appendices, tables and graphs. Appendices will not count against the word limit but should not contain large amounts of text. (It will be expected that they will normally contain diagrams or tables or visual images).
recommended references
Claire Capon 2008 Understanding Strategic Management Pearson Education: Harlow*
SR Clegg, J Schweitzer, A Whittle and C Pitelis 2017 Strategy: Theory and Practice, 2nd edn. Sage: London#*.
Bob de Wit and Ron Meyer 2005 Strategy Synthesis Thomson*
Bob Garratt 2010 The Fish Rots from the Head Profile Books: London#*
Robert M Grant 2016 Contemporary Strategy Analysis, Blackwell: Malden, MA#*
J Lampel, H Mintzberg, JB Quinn & S Ghoshal 2014 The Strategy Process Prentice Hall*
Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand and Joseph Lampel 2009 Strategy Safari FT Prentice Hall*
John A Pearce III and Richard B Robinson Jnr 2009 Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation and Control, 11th ed McGraw Hill; Boston*