Purpose of the course
During this course, you will familiarise yourself with the operating environment and key analysis methods in your industry sector and area of expertise. Knowledge of the operating environment is central to the strategic management and decision-making of organisations and the industry sector.
Competences
Service Business Management competence
Learning and information management competence

Learning outcomes
You are familiar with your industry sector and area of expertise, its operating environment and the services it provides, and are able to analyse and evaluate them from the perspective of companies and the industry sector, both at the national and the global level. You are able to use the key methods for analysing the operating environment and understand their advantages and limitations, as well as the significance of the results for the management and decision-making of the industry sector and organisation.

The current state and future of the industry sector and area of expertise
Sector-specific analysis of the operating environment in support of strategic management and decision-making
Key methods for analysing the operating environment

McManners, P. J. 2014. Corporate Strategy in the Age of Responsibility. Ashgate Publishing Ltd.

Kamensky, M. 2015. Strateginen johtaminen: Menestyksen timantti. Helsinki: Talentum.

Bachelor's degree

0-5

Adequate 1
You differentiate between and classify key concepts. You understand the theory and methods of the subject area and describe the implementation with reference to them. You discuss the subject from different perspectives. You present principal results and development suggestions. You develop the organisation from the point of view of your work role. You take responsibility for your own work. You evaluate your competence and recognise your principal development target. You write in an illustrative manner, but the text contains illogicalities and shortcomings.

Satisfactory 2
You apply a theory of the subject area that is delineated from the point of view of your topic. You select and define the key concepts. You find a solution to the problem and illustrate the results with examples. The examples exhibit understanding and independent thinking that is connected to theory. You are able to cooperate in a responsible manner in a problem-solving situation and take responsibility for a colleague’s work. You evaluate your own competence with the help of examples. You write in a logical and illustrative manner, but the text exhibits certain shortcomings. You write text that is partly unstructured and exhibits numerous different language and style errors.

Good 3
You analyse essential and well-delineated theory and concepts of the subject area and justify their choice. You demonstrate an ability to follow and analyse the development and/or research in your area of expertise. You lead or plan a research, development or innovation project in which you apply new methods. You develop the operations of the organisation by finding an alternative solution. You combine theory and practice. You evaluate and substantiate your own competence and are capable of developing it. You write in a logical and illustrative manner, substantiating the points you make. You write structured text with occasional language and style errors.

Very good 4
You outline a coherent whole of the key theory and concepts of the subject area, which you reflect upon critically. You assess, follow and discuss the development of, and international research in, your area of expertise. You lead or plan a research, development or innovation project in which you resolve a practical problem. You assess the process and the outcome by mirroring them against usability and theory. You reflect your competence and development. You write in a logical, analytical and competent manner. You write structured text in a fluent and almost error-free formal style.

Excellent 5
You produce new perspectives or knowledge on the subject area. You assess and interpret critically the development of professional fields and international research knowledge. You reflect upon the matter at the societal level. You define the key concepts related to the special competence of the field in relation to one other. You show development responsibility for increasing new knowledge and practices in your own professional field and for goal-oriented learning in your own organisation. You lead a research, development or innovation project in which you produce and analyse new knowledge and revise operating practices in the changing operating environment of your field. You assess, analyse, compare and substantiate the process, its outcome and its action proposals that are linked to the set objectives and criteria. You assess the development of your competence critically, comprehensively and in a diverse way. You report convincingly, presenting a logically coherent whole in which you combine things in a new way. You write convincingly, presenting a logically coherent whole in which you combine things in a new way. You show an ability for critical and argumentative writing.