Module manager: Josh Morton
Email: j.morton1@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
| LUBS2660 | Principles of Corporate Strategy |
LUBS3070 Strategic Management
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Strategy remains central to organisational success, but the nature of strategic management has evolved significantly in response to heightened uncertainty, digitalisation, sustainability pressures, and changing governance and stakeholder expectations. This module examines how organisations develop, adapt, and implement strategy in contemporary competitive environments. It focuses on how firms create, renew, and defend competitive advantage over time, and how strategic decisions are shaped by growth choices, digital technologies, governance structures, and broader societal expectations. The module develops students’ understanding of how managers navigate environmental turbulence, make decisions about firm growth and renewal, and respond strategically to issues of responsibility, legitimacy, and digitalisation. Emphasis is placed on contemporary theories, debates, and real-world applications of strategic management across a range of organisational contexts and sectors.
This module has been designed to build on students’ existing knowledge of strategic management and deepen their understanding of how strategy is formulated, enacted, and adapted in contemporary organisational contexts. This module moves beyond foundational introductions to engage critically with current debates, emerging challenges, and evolving practices in the strategy field. The module integrates leading academic research with applied insights from business practice, drawing on contemporary strategy literature as well as practitioner-oriented sources such as Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. Through theory-informed discussion, real-world examples, and practitioner perspectives, students will develop a more advanced and practice-relevant understanding of strategic management. This will be achieved through the following module objectives:
1. Deepen understanding of contemporary strategy theory by critically engaging with established and emerging perspectives on issues such as strategic agility, growth and renewal, digital strategy, and governance.
2. Apply strategic concepts to contemporary organisational challenges by analysing real-world examples and using theory to interpret strategic issues across different organisational contexts.
3. Evaluate strategic choices, trade-offs, and consequences by assessing alternative strategic options and developing balanced, evidence-based judgements about their implications.
4. Develop advanced strategic thinking and communication skills by articulating strategic arguments clearly, integrating theory with practice, and communicating complex strategic ideas effectively to different audiences.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
ALO1. Apply contemporary theories, debates, and perspectives in strategic management, including strategic agility, growth and renewal, digital strategy, and governance to scenarios facing organisations today.
ALO2. Analyse how organisations adapt strategy in response to environmental turbulence, technological change, and shifting stakeholder expectations.
ALO3. Critically evaluate the role of corporate governance, responsibility, and legitimacy in shaping strategic decision-making and organisational outcomes.
ALO4. Analyse and evaluate how firms build, access, reconfigure, and divest resources and capabilities to sustain competitive advantage over time.
Upon completion of this module students will be able to:
SLO1. Academic, work readiness: Develop and communicate advanced strategic arguments by constructing clear, well-evidenced written analyses of contemporary strategic issues that integrate academic research with practical business examples.
SLO2. Academic: Apply critical thinking to contemporary strategy challenges by evaluating competing strategic perspectives, trade-offs, and implications in complex and uncertain organisational contexts.
SLO3. Academic, digital, work readiness: Use relevant academic and practitioner literature to analyse contemporary strategic issues by identifying, evaluating, and synthesising appropriate sources to support informed and credible strategic analysis.
SLO4. Work Readiness, enterprise, sustainability: Demonstrate contextual awareness in strategic analysis by examining how organisational, industry, societal, and governance contexts shape strategic decisions and their implications for performance, responsibility, agility, and legitimacy.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Independent online learning hours | 5 | ||
| Private study hours | 80 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 15 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
Students will receive formative feedback throughout the module to support their understanding of key concepts, readings, and assessment expectations. Online learning units will complement lectures by providing structured opportunities for self-assessment and reflection, including short reflective tasks and multiple-choice quizzes with automated feedback. These activities will help students check their understanding as the module progresses and identify areas requiring further development.
Formative support for the summative assessment will be provided more explicitly through a dedicated online unit and workshop focused on coursework preparation. These sessions will offer guidance on topic selection, use of academic and practitioner sources, structuring the essay, and developing a clear argument. Students will also take part in interactive workshop activities designed to generate formative feedback on their ideas and approach as they prepare their coursework.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 3,000 words | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Critical essay focused on a chosen topic (choice of 4 available). 3000 words. The essay brief will be formatted in the style of a task from a specific organisational context. The resit for this module will be 100% by 3,000 word essay.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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