This module aims for you to develop a deep understanding of effective strategic management in business and public services. The different examples presented across the units as well as activities that we have designed, will enhance your learning through application to real-world situations. In addition, two course-long case studies in video form featuring IKEA and the European Training Foundation will help you consolidate your understanding of how strategy works in practice.
Unit 1: Introduction to strategy
This provides an overview of concepts such as strategy, vision, mission, stakeholder management and non-market strategy. Additionally, you'll be introduced to the concept of purpose and the different types of business and public organisations that exist so that you can understand their aims and ways of measuring their performance (financial and non-financial). The unit also includes a session explaining the pressures on managers to integrate additional social and environmental issues into their organisational strategies.
Unit 2: Strategic analysis
This will teach you how to conduct external and internal strategic analyses, both in businesses and the public sectors. You'll explore concepts such as five forces, strategic groups, value chains as well as organisational capabilities. Building on Unit 1, you'll also learn how to analyse financial and non-financial indicators of organisational performance.
Unit 3: Strategic decision-making
This introduces you to how different organisations develop strategic options and choose between them, both at headquarters and unit level. You'll also learn the role that managers play in making these decisions. The unit places a special emphasis on the internationalisation of firms, which constitutes a key decision in the current business world. Consistent with prior units, it also explores the peculiarities of decision-making in the context of public services.
Unit 4: Strategy in action
This focuses on the implementation of strategic choices, devoting special attention to organisational structure and culture and the barriers that may unfold during this phase. You'll also learn about the importance and practice of change management. The unit addresses innovation in its broadest sense, including technological innovation, process innovation and management innovation, and its links to organisational strategies. There will also be a discussion about cutting-edge organisational structures and practices such as holacracy and the Rendanheyi model.
The module comprises 19 study weeks, and you will be required to study for 14-15 hours per week for six months.
Residential school
Satisfactory participation in the compulsory residential school is required. It is an opportunity to get a holistic view of the module, interact with other managers and tutors, and work in small groups. There will also be a session to engage you in developing soft skills. The residential school is offered face-to-face and online. In the intensive face-to-face and online school, you should expect to spend 6 to 8 hours a day on tasks and activities, while if you opt for the less intensive 14-day online version, you should expect to spend about 90 minutes a day on tasks and activities.
Please note that the schools usually take place in study weeks 15-18. That means if you start this module in November, the school is likely to be in February to early March. If you start in May, the school will be August to early September. (Dates are subject to change).
The module is designed for professionals from a wide range of contexts and backgrounds who need to actively engage with the challenges of contemporary management, develop their management skills and knowledge of management frameworks, theories and tools and use these appropriately in order to make a real difference in their own practice.
Your learning will take place within a tutor-facilitated group of approximately 20 students. Your tutor is responsible for providing individual tuition, professional advice and support, mentoring, assessment and regular feedback on your performance throughout the module. You will learn by working with your group and individually online in structured activities supported by a wide range of resources, including a specially designed Reader and a world-class online library. Activities generally require online participation over two to six-week periods and contribute to your reflective practice and your assessment.
Course work includes:
As well as the individual tuition provision, you'll have access to regular opportunities for engagement with other students, university library access, an extensive variety of specially written resources presented in different media (print and online) and designed exclusively for this module, audio-visual material, published articles, case studies and a set of interactive tools to help you develop your management thinking abilities.
You can only study this module as part of specific Open University qualifications.
B873 is a compulsory module in our:
Sometimes you cannot count a module towards a qualification if you have already counted another module with similar content. To verify any excluded combinations with this module, check with an adviser before registering.
Effective strategic management in business and the public sector starts twice a year, in May and November.
This page describes the module that will start in November 2025 and May 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in May 2027.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
This is a compulsory module in our MBA and Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration programmes. It can only be studied after successfully completing Managing in a changing world (B870) and Creating and sustaining value (B872).
This is also an optional module in our MSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice programmes. To study either of these, you should normally hold a UK bachelors degree, or equivalent.
Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum overall score of 6 and minimum score of 5.5 in each of the four components: reading, writing, speaking and listening under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see the IELTS website for details.
Elements of this module are delivered online and include the use of real-time online discussions and an interactive whiteboard space, so time spent using a computer and the internet will be extensive. If you use assistive technology or have a hearing or speech impairment and have concerns about accessing this type of virtual environment and materials, you can visit the system provider's website for information and contact The Open University to discuss it further before registering.
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
|---|
| 02 May 2026 | 31 Oct 2026 | 16 Apr 2026 | £3,670 |
| 07 Nov 2026 | 30 Apr 2027 | 15 Oct 2026 | Not yet available* |
| 01 May 2027 | 31 Oct 2027 | 15 Apr 2027 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information in late March 2026. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
This module has a residential school. There’s no additional cost for the school, but you'll need to pay for your travel.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
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Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).
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Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
