Context: Globalisation and International Business: USA Germany & Japan. British de-industrialisation and decline?
Approaches to continuity and change: Understanding Business Models, Policy Models and firm ‘ecology;’ within industrial districts. Restructuring British Business in response to global challenges:
The following case evidence will be explored
Materials and Aerospace
Approaches to restructuring mature industry: example the steel industry – nationalisation to privatisation, competition policy and merger activity.
Project management capabilities and the restructuring of aviation: Concorde and the early satellite industry. Managing manufacturing processes and project based businesses
Trade Services and the City of London: Industrial Policy and the Bank of England. Managing service enterprise: insurance, shipping, etc. The evolution of banking and financial services. British trade and investment in the international economy; Management control of banking organisations. De-regulation and the ‘Big Bang’.
Decisions for Restructuring: Competition, merger and acquisition policy; From the firm to the market: shifting organisational solutions, from nationalisation to privatisation. ‘Financialisation’ of decision making.
The evolution of managerial capabilities: accounting and economic measurement. Understanding technical performance through business and management methods. History as an approach to understanding business change.: Comparing British and American management capabilities as ‘best practice’.
Alongside the above core content, the case evidence will use Annual Reports, the trade press and where relevant, internal documents from government/business enterprise.