Duration
2 weeksWeekly study
5 hours100% online
How it works
Strategic Planning: Target Markets and Business Decision-Making
Explore the importance of strategic planning and decision-making in a business
In such a fast paced world, it’s becoming ever more vital for organisations to put strategic choice at the heart of a business plan.
This two-week course aims to provide you with the tools to make smart strategic choices and improve your decision-making skills within a business context.
Build your understanding of strategic planning
Strategic choices are integral to the successful running of a business, and should be undertaken at a variety of levels. This course will give you access to the knowledge to make plans at all three levels: Corporate level strategy (the foundational questions of what you want to achieve), business level strategy (how you’ll compete), and market level strategy (how to grow your business).
BCG explained: the Boston Consulting Group Matrix
When defining a strategy for your business, the Boston Consulting Group matrix (or BCG matrix) will help with long-term strategic planning. With the BCG matrix, you’ll assess the dynamic environment, considering portfolio and investment growth opportunities and whether to develop or discontinue products.
Conduct in-depth research into strategic leadership and strategic direction
You’ll cover the basics of strategic direction and leadership, competitive dynamics, and how these can help you build an effective senior management team. You’ll also explore how strategic leadership creates value for a business.
Syllabus
Week 1
Corporate-level Strategy - diversification
Welcome to the course
This week we will discuss how to allocate resources across business units in a large corporation and explain a firm’s strategic choice to for growth.
BCG matrix
BCG matrix is one well-known method for product portfolio planning. It addresses the inter-relation between market growth and market share.
Assessing the dynamic environment
The dynamic and fast-changing environment offer both opportunities and risks.
Does diversification create value?
Can diversification create value? Yes, it certainly can. But you need to carefully consider the environment and allocate appropriate resource accordingly.
Week 2
Strategic direction and leadership
Welcome to Week 2
In this week, we aim to discuss the strategic direction of an organisation and roles of strategic leadership.
Strategic action: Which way to go?
Strategic action: Which way to go?
Strategic leadership and competitive dynamics
Strategic leadership and competitive dynamics
Summary activities
Strategic leadership is at the centre of an organisation’s decision making process and determines which way the organisation is heading and competing.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Discuss the nature and importance of strategic choices
- Explain the importance of course portfolio management
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for intermediate-level business managers and students to gain more knowledge about strategy and globalisation. This course aims to equip you with the concepts, framework and techniques needed for better environmental scanning.
You can enhance your learning experience by following related courses, designed by Coventry University:
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
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Choose the best way to learn for you! | $54/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 30 Jan 2025 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$54/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 30 Jan 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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