MQM2DBS: Digital Business Strategy

Module code: MQM2DBS

Module provider: Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters Stage 2

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Mona Ashok, email: m.ashok@henley.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: No placement specified

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students:

Talis reading list:

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is the second of the IT Strategy specialisms for the MSc Digital and Technology Solutions programme and builds on the core modules.

Digital Business Strategy (DBS) covers the strategic development of digital initiatives. It utilises both academic and professional sources to provide integrated perspectives, supported by theory and applicable in practical contexts.

This module builds the knowledge and skills to gain a strategic perspective on the digital transformation of an organisation for key initiatives. It connects the enterprise view of digital transformation introduced in the Managing Strategic Alignment module with the strategic technologies used by the enterprise.

Aims:

• This module aims to enable course members to analyse, design and develop key digital initiatives to help organisations transform in a fast-moving digital world:

• To analyse and assess how key digital initiatives fit into the overall strategy and business/operating models

• To formulate design solutions for the key digital initiatives including a plan for the required technologies and capabilities

• To appropriately select from a portfolio of tools and apply these for key digital initiatives, and to engage with senior stakeholders

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Analyse and assess complex digital business problems

2. Formulate technology-based design solutions

3. Assess the organisation’s capability to deliver technology-based outputs

4. Define and deliver strategic plans for implementing digital technologies

5. Select and apply appropriate tools to engage stakeholders and design digital initiatives

Additional Outcomes:

An understanding of how strategy and business design can be used to identify and enable digital transformation initiatives. This leads to the module on Digital Business Strategy.

Module content

The modules are in two main parts – digital initiatives and digital technologies.

Analyse Digital Initiatives and Formulate Digital Design Solutions

• Collect and review business data to analyse digital initiatives

• Analyse and assess complex digital problems

• Formulate technology-based design solutions

Plan the Digital Technologies needed for the Digital Initiatives

• Review the organisation’s technology-based products and services

• Assess the capability and different technical options to deliver the digital outputs

• Develop digital technology plans considering implementation approaches.

This module recognises that enterprises often operate multi-nationally and provides this perspective through published global business IT research.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module will use a blended learning approach including Henley seminars, structured work-based learning and independent study. Formative assessments will support the initial learning.
Course members will engage with their organisation to gather information through guided fieldwork which, together with the use of course, academic and professional material, contributes to a summative assessment. This work-based assignment will be introduced at an early stage and is designed to reinforce the skills and knowledge learning outcomes.
Reflection is an important part of the module, both on the study material and the overall reflection on how the module supports work-based goals. This contributes to the end-point assessment of professional discussion.

Workload
This module meets the Apprenticeship standard of 20% off-the-job learning at 7 hrs/day one day per week. Alth ough face-to-face Henley seminars are 21 hours, a broader definition of contact hours is shown which equates to off the-job learning.

Study hours

At least 14 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

This module is subject to the Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes policy, which can be found at:

https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf

The Module Convenor will apply the following penalties to work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted up to one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark; 
• where the piece of work is submitted more than one calendar month after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessment is through feedback for group work in workshops

Reassessment

Additional costs