Course description

Title of the Teaching Unit

Digital Strategy

Code of the Teaching Unit

21IF032

Academic year

2024 - 2025

Cycle

Number of credits

Number of hours

Quarter

Weighting

Site

Anjou

Teaching language

English

Teacher in charge

FOLON Jacques

Objectives and contribution to the program

Contribution to the teaching profile (Learning Goals) and the expected Learning Outcomes
Contribution to the Teaching profile
This course is providing a conceptual and methodological framework enabling the student to:
o Understand the strategic issues related to the digitization of the economy and the enterprise;
o Analyze the digital value chain of a product or a service;
o Identify and analyze the key managerial issues related to the web-marketing of a project or a service;
o Analyze critically the business models as well as the underlying strategies of the key players of the Web;
The teaching format of the course is based on flipped classrooms i.e. the students will prepare some presentation in groups about the topics of the module. Some resources will be given in advance on Ichec Moodle Platform.
These presentations will be evaluated and graded.
These presentations will be completed in class and a feed back will be given.
Personal research work and input and reading of scientific articles or books related to the course subject will enable the student to complete his education and stay aware of new developments in the field.
The student will also be encouraged to connect the topics discussed during the lectures with the other subject matters of his master program.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the Teaching Unit (TU) the student will be able to:
e) Think a digital business in strategic term;
f) Apply key concepts that ground the digital economy;
g) Identify and analyze the Business Model of a digital business;
h) Analyze critically the strategy developed by key players of the Web;
i) Communicate in English on the outcomes of an analysis carried out by his/her team .

In other words, by the end of the course module, the student will be able to take into consideration the following aspects of a web-business strategy:
o the multidisciplinary character, of a digital project, and its global complexity, given the various dimensions inherent in such projects (technological, ergonomic, marketing, human, cultural, financial, legal, ethical,);
o the local and international environment in which this kind of Web-Business projects unfold;
o the involvement of the various internal and external components and functions of the enterprise (stakeholders).
In terms of personal ability, the student will demonstrate his/her capacity to:
o Develop team work skills;
o Learn and work collaboratively within a multicultural and international group of people;
o Become familiar with public speaking.

Prerequisites and corequisites

TU required knowledge
This course subject requires knowledge developed in the other following Teaching Units of the program of studies:
" TU MSI (Information System Management, Data Base Management, Introduction to Internet)
" TU Economie (Micro-economics)
" TU Management (Organization)

Content

General objectives of the Teaching Unit (TU)
The general objective of the TU can be expressed in four intrinsically connected parts:
a) Firstly, to prepare the student to look at companies and organizations from a digital perspective, and more specifically in terms of managerial and entrepreneurial strategy:
o Through the developing of a conceptual and terminological content that is specific to the digital economy,
o By referring to recognized and innovative theoretical approaches in the field of business start-up and management strategy,
o By using a Business Model analysis and design methodology put into practice by key players of the Web economy.
b) Secondly, to develop a holistic approach of the digital enterprise, taking into consideration the various stakeholders involved, and its different organizational, human, technological, commercial, and financial dimensions.
c) Thirdly, to stimulate the student to start thinking the digital business strategy from an international perspective from the very beginning of the business process (Think global, Act local), as the Internet is not only an enabling technology easing access to international markets, but because it also confronts the enterprise to the challenges that arise from a globalized and multicultural economy.
d) Last but not least, to make the student aware of the fast evolving pace of the digital technologies, and of the human, social, technological, economical, and legal challenges that digital companies will need to face as a consequence.

The main topics will be:
o disruption
o IOT
o AI
o data privacy
o information security
o digital strategy
o intellectual property
o e-branding
o social media context
o e-commerce

Teaching methods

Teaching method
" Flipped classroom
" some lectures,
" Exercices
" Group case studies (in class and online)
" Monitored group work and feed back
" Readings (reference books & articles, web references)
" e-learning activity.

Assessment method

Assessment method
a) Formative assessment :
The students are required to carry out group work and exercises in class or online, in order to test their understanding of the subject matter and their ability to put theoretical input into practice.

b) Sommative assessment:
This assessment involves two parts:
The first amounts to 50% and is made of
Group exercises and presentation
The second part (50%) consists of a group written exam lasting three hours; the exam covers the content developed during the lectures and is also an opportunity for the students to demonstrate their ability to put the theoretical concepts discussed during the lectures into practice. The exam is online with open books and internet access. The style of the exam is an "in basket"
Assessment criteria :
a) Presentation of a PowerPoint synthesis in classroom: 50 % of the final grading. The main criteria taken into consideration are the following:
o The student's ability to put the concepts into practice in a proper and justified way;
o An argued critical analysis of the presentation by another group;
o The delivery of a PowerPoint presentation including a critical analysis;
o The quality of the oral communication by the team according to the team work instructions;
o The presence of each member of the group is compulsory during both presentation and discussion sessions.
b) The written exam: 50 % the final grading. The main criteria taken into consideration are the following:
o The student's ability to put the concepts into practice in a proper and justified way;
o the ability to present a structured and justified argumentation;
o The student's ability to show the relationships between the different chapters of the course contents in a synthetically, justified and argued way;
o The student's ability to analyze critically a case or example taken from the real digital-business world.

References

Teaching material
" PowerPoint presentation
" PowerPoint presentation from the groups
" Course website hosted on the e-Learning Moodle platform where students will build their teams, find documents, discuss, and share views.
" Web-Business Internet sites
" Reference Reading:
o Chaffey, D., (2014), "Digital Business and E-Commerce Management - Strategy, Implementation and Practice", USA.
o Osterwalder A., & Pigneur Y., (2014), "Business Model generation, A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers.", USA.