Strategic & Operations Management

The aim of the module is to develop knowledge and understanding of key principles and practices in management, to equip the aspiring Chartered Secretary for both the strategic and corporate contexts of the professional role.

At the conclusion of this module, the candidate will be able to:

• Understand and apply strategy theory, models and language to contribute to boardroom decision making
• Understand and apply organisation theory and best practice in contributing to corporate management.
• Understand and apply leadership theory and best practice in the functional role and leadership of teams.

This module is a component of the ICSA Professional Programme Part I. It is designed to enable aspiring Chartered Secretaries to (a) demonstrate required standards of competence for professional practice in a key discipline, and (b) acquire essential knowledge and skills to underpin the relevant components of the Professional Programme.

Evidence of assessed knowledge and understanding must be demonstrated through the Institute's examinations, or those of equivalent qualifications which have been approved as meeting the Institute's required curriculum and standards.

The module specification is based on the assumption of some relevant prior learning in management.

Strategic Management

The nature of strategy
Emergent and rational models in strategic management: applications and limitations. The rational cycle: corporate needs, decision making,implementation, monitoring and review, feedback.

Strategic analysis, choice and evaluation
Strategy: strategic options for direction, change and growth.
Strategic alliances.
Analytical techniques: portfolio analysis, competitor analysis, value chain analysis, market migration analysis.

The corporate environment:
The "Boardroom" strategic role: Mission, ethics and values.
Stakeholder theory and management.
Social responsibility.
Environmental factors: the impact of law, regulation, the market, and other "PEST" factors.
Measurement of corporate performance: concepts of output and outcome, the "balanced scorecard" and the strategic balance sheet.

Planning and policy
The distinction between strategy and policy.
Planning: short, medium and long term.
Planning techniques: scenario planning, contingency management, resource allocation and planning.
Policymaking and implementation.

Corporate Management

Organisational design
Organisational structure and culture: determinants of organisational form, types and characteristics, the management and mobilisation of culture, alternative organisational forms.
Organisational development: the management of change, business process re-engineering.
The management of quality: total quality management and audit approaches, benchmarking.

Managing operations
Supply chain management and logistics.
Cycle time reduction. Just in Time and manufacturing Resource Planning techniques.

Knowledge and information management
Information systems strategy.
Knowledge management.

Corporate communication
Personal communication.
Networking, cascading and team briefing.
The use of communications technology: the Internet and Intranets.
Communicating change.

Team Leadership

Individual behaviour
Concepts of satisfaction, morale and motivation.
Implications of changing work patterns, empowerment.

Leading teams
Leadership, authority and responsibility.
Emotional intelligence.
Groups and teams.
Techniques in team building.
Project management.
Self-directed and cross-functional teams.

Managing performance
Appraisal and measurement (organization, team and individual), enhancing the performance of teams and individuals.
Human capital management: ideas and practice.