TH70052E Strategic Management for the Tourism and Aviation industry

The central premise of this module is that strategic management is a process. It is never a once and for all event – it goes on and on. Consequently there is a need to continually review strategic objectives because the environment is continually changing. The purpose of strategy is to make an organization fit its environment. By achieving this the probabilities that it will survive and prosper are enhanced.

Topics covered on the module are as follows:

Defining strategy and the strategic process in the tourism and aviation industry

Strategic choice and capability

Strategic evaluation and selection

Strategic implementation

Strategic management present and future trends

LO1: Demonstrate current detailed knowledge about internal and external business environments which affect strategic management decisions.

LO2: Critically evaluate key components of the internal and external business environments including business strategies, competences, competitive advantage, value added and supply chains.

LO3: Critically analyse and reflect on how companies and organisations gain position in the business environment and implement strategies including the use of management and change agent approaches.

You are working as a senior manager in an organisation in the aviation and tourism industries. As part of your role you have been asked to conduct an analysis on the organisation’s current strategic focus in order that decisions can made to improve the organisation’s current performance. The report is to be a minimum of 2500 word and a maximum of 3000. It is also to be written using business report conventions.

Therefore, the following needs to be actioned:

· Identify and select an organisation in the aviation and tourism industry.

· Analyse the internal and external environment of the organisation and how this affects strategic management decisions.

· Critically evaluate business strategies, competences, competitive advantage, value added and supply chains, along with other key components of the internal and external environments.

· From your analysis and evaluation, make strategic recommendations in order to enhance the organisation’s performance.

Assessment criteria:

You will be assessed according to the following learning outcomes: LO’s 1-2

LO1: Demonstrate current detailed knowledge about internal and external business environment which affect strategic management decisions.

LO2: Critically evaluate key components of the internal and external business environments including business strategies, competencies, competitive advantage, value added and supply chains.

Marking criteria:

· Sound knowledge & understanding of issues – 25%

· Ability to collect, synthesise and apply information – 40%

· Ability to generate appropriate recommendations / conclusions – 20%

· Academic reasoning, communication of information & references – 15 %

Assessment task:

You have been promoted to a senior management position in your organisation, which is in the aviation or tourism industry. As part of this role, you are required to work with colleagues on a group project to determine how your organisation can gain a greater competitive position in the business environment. From the research, the group members are then required to critically analyse the organisation’s current position in the industry, and then reflect on how this can be improved. The analysis also needs to include the organisation’s current strategy and identify its future strategy. This also needs to include the use of management and change agent approaches. From this, prepare a c.20 minute presentation of c.15 slides outlining the organisation’s existing position in the aviation or tourism industry, its current strategy along with future strategy. Recommendations for the organisation form part of this. Within the presentation, adoption of management and change agent approaches need to be included.

The group size should be 2 – 3 members. Although group members will be assessed on a collective basis, 10% of the overall grade awarded will be individual and specific to the individual group member. This will cover individual presentation skills, ability to answer questions and contribution. Each group member is to include a written narrative for the slides they have produced, to support the presentation. This can be in the slide notes.

LO3: Critically analyse and reflect on how companies and organisations gain position in the business environment and implement strategies including the use of management and change agent approaches.

Marking criteria:

Identification of the organisation

Group working and cohesion

Presentation of a research project

Analysis of competitive position

Critical analysis of current position