
COURSE DESCRIPTION: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Strategic Management is a comprehensive undergraduate unit designed to equip learners with advanced knowledge and practical skills for making long-term organizational decisions in a competitive and dynamic business environment. The course focuses on how organizations establish their strategic direction, analyze their internal and external environments, formulate effective strategies, implement strategic plans, and evaluate performance to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.
The unit introduces learners to the fundamental concepts of strategy and strategic thinking, emphasizing the role of vision, mission, organizational values, and strategic objectives in guiding business success. Students will explore the strategic management process from strategy formulation to implementation and control, while understanding how strategic decisions affect organizational growth, profitability, competitiveness, and long-term sustainability.
The course further examines how businesses respond to environmental pressures such as globalization, technological changes, economic shifts, government policies, and market competition. Learners will gain the ability to conduct strategic analysis using tools and frameworks such as PESTEL Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Porter’s Five Forces Model, Value Chain Analysis, Ansoff Growth Matrix, and the Balanced Scorecard. These tools will enable students to assess opportunities and threats in the external environment and evaluate strengths and weaknesses within the organization.
A major emphasis of this unit is placed on the formulation of strategies at different levels of an organization, including corporate-level strategy (growth, diversification, mergers and acquisitions), business-level strategy (cost leadership, differentiation, focus), and functional-level strategy (marketing, finance, human resources, operations). Students will also examine competitive advantage, strategic positioning, and the role of innovation and technology in driving strategic success.
In addition, the unit explores strategic implementation challenges such as organizational structure, leadership, culture, resource allocation, and resistance to change. Learners will develop an understanding of how strategic leaders influence decision-making, manage change, and promote innovation. The course also integrates key issues of corporate governance, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility, demonstrating how responsible leadership influences organizational reputation and sustainability.
To ensure practical learning, the unit incorporates case study analysis, group discussions, presentations, and research assignments that expose learners to real-world organizational strategic challenges and solutions. By the end of the course, learners will be able to develop and defend strategic plans, analyze organizational performance, recommend competitive strategies, and apply strategic management principles to both private and public sector organizations.
This unit prepares students for managerial and leadership roles by strengthening their analytical thinking, decision-making abilities, problem-solving competence, and strategic planning capacity in both local and global business contexts.
- Teacher: Ian Kipkirui
