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MBA Blog: Strategy Consulting At Lancaster Management School

Twin MBA writers blog about business strategy module at UK business school

Fri Sep 4 2015

BusinessBecause
By Ashleigh Dueker and Anirban Gupta

Term two of the MBA program was about to begin, the New Year had been ushered in, and everyone was excited to be back at school. We kicked off the new term with a strategy module. The Lancaster MBA’s strategy teaching is rated as among the best in the world.

We were split into teams of five for the two-week long program, spread over 24 hours.

We kicked off with a one-hour lecture introducing us to the basic principles of strategic management. We learned about a wide range of tools and ideas that cut across many sectors, and we were then given a choice of case studies to apply them to. We then had to present and defend our assessments to a panel of three experienced professional strategists — our professors — as well as the rest of the class.

This general schedule was repeated for the next five days, with each day of lessons and assessments building on the previous. It was nearly as intense as Jack Bauer in the TV series 24

The panel of professors turned the classroom into a boardroom, where each and every statement was questioned and challenged. The sessions were intense, but then again a company boardroom meeting is not for the faint-hearted, either.

Even the professors themselves had differences in opinion, which added to the challenging dynamic of the classroom — everyone saw things from a different perspective — which is probably one of the most valuable things we learned during this module.

Due to the vast wealth of experiences, backgrounds, cultures and personalities, no one person saw a problem in the same way. Our class was comprised of 22 different nationalities from every continent, leading regularly to diverse cultural and experiential approaches to the same situation, and different solutions; there was never a perfect answer.

Diversity in opinion ranged from initially selecting which company to analyse (those from Asia preferred large international Asian companies to study whereas students from the US and Mexico were unfamiliar with those companies and preferred western organisations) to determining the final strategy recommendation.

The final strategy decision was difficult for many groups because different strategies would work more successfully in certain countries than others (international media streaming companies succeed differently in the UK than they do in China, for example), so deciding on the top strategies for an international firm to implement was a lengthy process.

The work pressure, coupled with team members’ different perspectives, resulted in some intense discussions, resembling real-life consultancy projects. However, this taught us an important skill which no classroom lecture can — the art of actively listening to each member of the team to develop a shared vision, to move forward together.  

This development was essential for the second week of the module. By now we were expected to develop and present our final strategic recommendation for our assigned companies. Due to the short timescales and large volume of work, teams were working around the clock in order to produce the most sound and reasoned analysis and recommendations. In these moments the textbooks proved to be just as useful as a pillow for a power nap.

Regardless of the quality of work presented, no team walked out of their presentation to the “board” unscathed. But that was the beauty of the entire course: to be challenged; to learn how to grow exponentially fast; to always challenge the status quo; to see different perspectives and options, and to reconcile these into the strongest few recommendations instead of many mediocre ones.

We learned from the individuals within our team and the critiques of our work, as well as from our peers and their presentations.

By the end, we were all exhausted but thrilled to have learned so much and to present the best quality work we were capable of. 

The writers are studying for MBAs at Lancaster University Management School

Student Reviews

Lancaster University Management School

Jesse

Verified

28/09/2018

An exceptional educational establishment in the North West of England.

This university has been a fantastic life experience as well as a great academic one. I first decided to go to Lancaster University Management School due to its exceptional business education facilities and have not been disappointed. I recommend the university to anybody that wants to put themselves in a strong position for a career upon graduation.

Student

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24/11/2022

On Campus

Student Ambassador

Overall, the instruction is decent, however it also depends on your department. The people are friendly, in my opinion. The sporting events are enjoyable, and there is a good sense of community. Although the city is quite remote, it is nonetheless attractive.

Student

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3/08/2020

Lancaster University honest review

The education system in the university is excellent especially that of the Management School. The campus has great facilities for students to study and live in a relaxed manner. The students can engage in various activities through the socities.

Student

Verified

17/06/2020

Great opportunities to think beyond

Lancaster University provides a lot of good opportunities to think beyond.There Entrepreneurship in residence program helps students to meet and seek guidance about entrepreneurship and the challenges.Their Work in progress program help to fabricate your startup idea and further to pitch to the potential investors.Apart from that there are lot of programs like Enactus, guest lectures and guidance from seniors to help and shape your career needs. They provide lot of opportunities to shape up your employability skills.

Student

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9/10/2020

On Campus

A top university in the UK for management science!

If you’re interested in management science studies, Lancaster University is one of the top universities in the UK. The faculty is renowned and have a sterling reputation for research in management science. Candidates specifically interested in Forecasting would find the Centre for Marketing Analytics and Forecasting especially relevant to their field. Besides, the ROI is good as the overall cost compared to other universities is less.

Student

Verified

10/04/2019

Great university for academia – not great for 'entrepreneurs'

Please keep in mind that my review is nuanced by my expectations of an Entrepreneurship degree :) I came to Lancaster University because it was one of the top universities to have a course in Entrepreneurship. After 4 years in this degree, my most valuable experience has been my placement and not the actual course. The course is heavily focused on impractical elements, which is a bit odd for an Entrepreneurship degree. There are some modules that involve hands-on work but the faculty support for such things has not been great. My course also involved a lot of teamwork which has been fantastic and really prepared me when it comes to dealing with the diversity of opinions. In terms of career prospects, the management school does A LOT to host events, workshops and support sessions to help you build up your employability skills. Although, I wish there was more acknowledgement of SMEs/startups as a viable career option. The entrepreneurship team which is meant to support budding businesses is really stepping up their game with tons of guest speakers, workshops and pitching opportunities. The location is a concern if you're not in STEM, Law or Accounting and Finance. Business requires networking with the broader community. However, for Lancaster students, the best bet is a trip down to Manchester or London. On the flip side, living in Lancaster is much cheaper! Overall, if the purpose of your university experience is to receive top academic education and have great facilities at your disposal, Lancaster is a great choice. But if you want to be in business and entrepreneurship, I would look elsewhere.

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