What you will study
The twenty-first century has brought about new macro-trends. We have seen an unprecedented growth in new information technologies and an increase in the number and scope of profound global events putting people’s lives at risk across the world. How can we cope with these challenges? This is a critical question, and we need to ask it at individual, organisational and institutional levels.
The course emphasises strategy creation. You'll learn what a strategy is, who can be a strategist and how you can develop a strategic mindset, which is needed not only to adapt to the new conditions in our lives but also to make sense and, most importantly, to avail ourselves of emerging opportunities.
Unit 1: Understanding the meaning of strategy
This unit focuses on the first of three strategy-creation questions addressed through the course: What is a strategy? You'll learn about strategic management from different perspectives as we address this question.
Unit 2: Who a strategist is – expanding to new contexts
This unit introduces the second key course question: What does it mean to be a strategist? It outlines a wider view of strategist roles, one that stems from the changing nature of strategic management. Today, strategising is essentially about expanding to new contexts, reaching new levels, and dismantling organisational boundaries.
Unit 3: Who a strategist is – a practical application
In this unit, we continue to discuss how a strategist helps organisations to become more resilient by expanding to new contexts. Our focus is on a practical application of the ideas suggested in the previous unit.
Unit 4: Who a strategist is – reaching new levels
This unit continues to explore the question of who a strategist is. You'll learn how strategists help organisations to develop resilience by reaching new levels.
Unit 5: Who a strategist is – dismantling barriers
This unit revisits the question of who a strategist is. You'll learn how strategists develop an organisation’s resilience to external shocks by dismantling traditional organisational boundaries. These could be as (un)natural disasters, economic recessions, and health crises.
Unit 6: How a strategist thinks – linear and systems thinking
This unit explores the third key course question: How does a strategist think? You'll learn about thinking styles underlying a strategic mindset.
Unit 7: How a strategist thinks – the role of metacognition
This unit continues to explore the question of how a strategist thinks. This time, you'll consider metacognition – the process of thinking about thinking – which a strategist develops to lead strategy creation work.
Unit 8: Reflection and integration
In the concluding unit we invite you to reflect on strategy creation work by completing three short quizzes. As you work through this unit, we advise you to revisit the key themes of the course.
You will learn
By completing this course you will learn to:
- explain what a strategy is and what strategists do
- contribute to the contexts, levels and boundaries of strategic decisions
- discuss the contexts, levels and boundaries of strategic decisions
- identify components of an organisation’s market and non-market environments
- distinguish between two styles of strategic thinking and enable strategic thinking in your organisation’s and/or your professional life.
Learner support
Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you directly. Other support is available via the course forum, dedicated website and computing helpdesk.
Practice-based assignment
There is a practice-based assignment (PBA) which you complete at the end of the course to demonstrate how you have applied, or are intending to apply, the theories and models you have learnt. Once completed and successfully passed you will receive a digital badge and a course completion certificate which you can download as a record of your learning.