OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership

Name: OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership
Availability: InStock

An Ofqual-regulated postgraduate qualification developing strategic management and leadership skills for senior managers, enabling them to translate organisational strategy into effective operational performance.

Course Features

This qualification is delivered by OTHM-approved centres through face-to-face, distance, and online modes, with flexible full-time and part-time options designed for working professionals.

Qualification Number: 603/2181/7 — regulated by Ofqual on the RQF
120 credits | 1200 hours Total Qualification Time | 600 Guided Learning Hours
4 mandatory units plus 2 optional units chosen from 6 electives
Internally assessed coursework, externally verified by OTHM
Pass/Fail grading structure based on achievement of all learning outcomes
Pathway to MBA top-up programmes at UK and overseas universities

About This Course

The OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership is designed to develop high-level strategic management and leadership competencies in managers who possess the authority and personal attributes to translate organisational strategy into effective operational performance. The qualification reflects current practice in the field and allows learners to expand their understanding of strategic management and leadership across complex organisational contexts. It is suitable for mature learners from either an academic study background or industry, and carries a clear work-related emphasis on practical skills development alongside rigorous theoretical fundamentals.

Ofqual-regulated qualification on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) at Level 7
Equivalent in level to a master's degree (120 credits of a full 180-credit master's programme)
Designed for delivery over one academic year full-time; flexible for part-time and distance learning
Combines practical skills development with rigorous strategic management theory
Recognised by UK and international universities for MBA and master's top-up entry
Suitable for mature learners with a background in industry or higher-level academic study

What You'll Learn

The qualification's learning outcomes are drawn from the official OTHM unit specifications and span the full breadth of strategic management and leadership practice. Learners completing this diploma will be able to:

Analyse key external and internal influences on organisational strategy and appraise strategic options using established models and tools
Develop, implement, and monitor strategic plans, including vision, mission, strategic goals, and risk management frameworks
Apply in-depth leadership theory to influence individuals, teams, and organisational performance, and critically evaluate ethical decision-making and corporate social responsibility
Design comprehensive human resource strategies that align people management with organisational mission, vision, values, and objectives
Develop and justify business research proposals, including critical literature reviews, appropriate methodologies, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques
Apply specialised knowledge in chosen optional areas such as financial management, supply chain and operations, entrepreneurship and innovation, globalisation and corporate governance, strategic change management, or strategic marketing

Who Should Attend

The OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership is intended for experienced managers and professionals seeking to advance to, or excel within, senior and executive-level roles. It is appropriate for:

Practising managers seeking to formalise and elevate their strategic management and leadership capability
Professionals aspiring to senior management, executive leadership, or consultancy roles
Graduates holding an honours degree or Level 6 diploma who wish to progress to postgraduate-level study
Mature learners with substantial management experience who wish to convert practical knowledge into a recognised academic qualification
Individuals intending to progress to an MBA or master's top-up programme at a UK or overseas university
Managers operating in any sector requiring advanced understanding of strategy, leadership, human resources, finance, or organisational change

Entry Requirements

Entry onto the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership is governed by the official OTHM entry criteria. All applicants must satisfy the following requirements before registering through an approved centre:

An honours degree in a related subject, a UK Level 6 diploma, or an equivalent overseas qualification; OR mature learner status with relevant management experience (applicants must confirm eligibility with the delivery centre prior to registration)
Learners must be 21 years of age or older at the commencement of the programme
Learners whose first language is not English, and who are not from a majority English-speaking country, must provide evidence of English language competency in line with OTHM's English Language Expectations

Assessments

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the approved centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualification is criterion-referenced, meaning achievement is determined by whether learners have fulfilled all specified learning outcomes and met the standards of all assessment criteria.

Coursework assignments (written assessments of approximately 4500 words per unit, except Advanced Business Research Methods which requires approximately 2500 words)
Internal assessment by a centre-appointed assessor who must provide a clear audit trail of how overall achievement was determined
External verification of all assessed units carried out by OTHM to ensure consistency and standards
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be applied to individual units, where sufficient evidence of prior knowledge, skills, or experience can be demonstrated against the specified learning outcomes and assessment criteria

Progression

Successful completion of the OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership enables learners to progress in multiple directions, both in employment and in further academic study.

Progress to an MBA Advanced Entry route at London Graduate School
Progress to a Master of Business Administration (MBA) top-up programme validated and awarded by the University of Chichester
Progress to MBA or master's top-up programmes with advanced standing at numerous UK and overseas universities that have formal progression arrangements with OTHM
Progress into or within senior employment in strategic management, executive leadership, business consulting, or related professional roles

Curriculum

Analysing key external influences: scanning business environments, SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, competitor analysis, market research and data analysis
Reviewing organisational position in the current market: value chain analysis, BCG matrix, market share, sustainable competitive advantage
Evaluating effects of existing plans: objectives-led management, business process re-engineering, performance appraisal, strategic and structural fit
Appraising strategic options: relationship between corporate, business and operational strategies; Mintzberg's strategies; Ansoff matrix; gap analysis; product portfolio
Creating vision, mission, and strategic goals; proposing organisational structure; developing a resourced strategy implementation plan
Conducting force field analysis; applying change management models (Lewin, McKinsey 7-S, Kotter's 8-Step); identifying leadership and change agent skills
Developing monitoring and control systems; designing key success indicators; identifying and managing implementation risks; reviewing strategic plan effectiveness

Principles, concepts and approaches to contemporary leadership: traits approach, functional approach, behavioural categories, contingency theories, transformational and authentic leadership
Leadership in strategic management: vision, mission, values, stakeholder relationships, change management, levels of leadership, future thinking
Leadership influence on individuals, teams and the organisation: groups vs teams, types of teams, group cohesiveness, Belbin, inter-team conflict
Organisational effectiveness and performance: innovation, culture, creativity, Peters and Waterman, McKinsey 7S, learning organisations, EFQM Excellence Model
Leadership development: coaching, empowerment, knowledge management, succession planning, Balanced Scorecard, Strategy Maps
Ethical decision-making and organisational value: leadership power and influence, French and Raven power sources, ethics and CSR, value-based leadership
Leadership and sustainability: sustainability leadership model, sustainable development, the triple bottom line

Nature and importance of HRM: HRM models (Guest, Patterson, Harvard Framework, best practice, contingency), personnel management vs HRM
Role and purpose of strategic HRM: HRM strategy, interrelationships with organisational strategy, human capital management, value creation
Human resource planning: business factors, labour demand and supply, selection and recruitment, retention, upskilling, succession planning
Legal, regulatory and ethical requirements: employment legislation, data protection, business ethics, CSR and sustainability requirements in HR policy
HR strategy development: culture and structure (Schein, Hofstede, Handy), SMART objective setting, HRM performance indicators, monitoring and evaluation
HRM approaches and organisational performance: employee motivation and appraisal, employee retention, leadership styles, recruitment and selection processes
Monitoring HR strategy against organisational mission, vision, values and objectives; quantitative and qualitative HRM performance measurement

Developing research approaches: research problem identification, research aims and objectives, conceptualisation, feasibility, research planning and timetables
Research problem selection and justification: rationale, research question and hypothesis formulation, skills and knowledge requirements
Critical literature review: sources of literature, selection and justification of appropriate literature, comparing theories and authors, developing a theoretical framework
Research methodologies: quantitative and qualitative approaches, action research, intervention and non-intervention research, reliability, validity and ethical issues
Quantitative data collection and analysis: questionnaire design and distribution, surveys, value analysis, statistical tools, coding and electronic analysis
Qualitative data collection and analysis: interviews, observation, case studies, categorisation and coding, transcripts interpretation, data presentation
Developing a research proposal: research question, literature review, methodology, data collection and analysis techniques

Introduction to financial and managerial accounting and financial strategy formulation
Cost systems: cost classifications, job costing, process costing, standard costing, variance analysis and management by exception
Costing methods: absorption costing, marginal costing, activity-based costing (ABC), pricing policy and cost controls
Financial statements analysis: profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statement, financial ratios, liquidity, efficiency and profitability
Budgetary processes: fixed and flexible budgets, zero-based budgeting, functional to master budget, budgetary control, variance investigation
Sources of funding: short-term and long-term funds, venture capital, leverage, risk, cost and control considerations
Investment appraisal: capital expenditure, payback period, accounting rate of return, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), discounted cash flow, inflation and taxation in project appraisal

Operations management: definition, objectives, relationship with other business functions, value chains
Supply chain relationship types: strategic, adversarial, collaborative and developmental alliances; supplier associations; intermediation and disintermediation
Key success factors for integrated supply chain strategy: inventory, facilities, information, transportation, pricing, sourcing, technology, customer service
Role of information technology in supplier relationships: extranets, intranets, internet, virtual private networks, order processing, supply chain integration and tracking
Logistics and procurement: importance of logistics, procurement strategies and procedures, factors for improving logistics and procurement
Inventory control: economic order quantity, LIFO, FIFO, AVCO, Just-in-Time (JIT) systems
Developing a supply chain improvement strategy: waste reduction, labour cost reduction, distribution network, information sharing, resource and time planning

Nature, characteristics and challenges of entrepreneurship: establishing different kinds of enterprise, business skills, key factors of successful entrepreneurs
Types of innovation: product development, market development, business model innovation, process improvement
Tools for creativity and innovation: lateral thinking, PESTLE analysis, cost-benefit analysis, Stage Gate Model, Anderson and West's four-factor theory
Evaluating business ideas: production feasibility, marketing feasibility, financial techniques, cash flow forecasting, investment appraisal methods
Intellectual property: patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patent application procedure, registered marks and infringement
Business plan development: mission, vision, objectives, organisational structure, sources of funds, marketing and financial feasibilities, legal formats (sole trader, partnership, limited company, social enterprise)
Control and monitoring of a business plan: schedules, Gantt Charts, key success factors and metrics, investor needs and presentation skills

Impacts of globalisation on organisations: PESTLE analysis, multinational and transnational corporations, international institutions (WTO, World Bank, IMF, OECD, G-20)
Global financial stability: emerging economies, trading blocs, capital investment, corporate social responsibility, fair trade, transfer pricing, intellectual property
Socio-cultural, ethical and moral issues: equal opportunities, diversity, discrimination, racism, harassment, bullying, whistleblowing, work-life balance, ethical standards in business
Corporate governance: nature and purpose, board responsibilities, transparency, disclosure, integrity, stakeholder interests, principal/agent relationships
Regulatory requirements: Cadbury, Greenbury, Hampel, Turnbull, Higgs and Smith reports; Companies Acts; Sarbanes-Oxley Act; Corporate Governance Code
International consumer protection laws: national and international legal frameworks, key consumer protection legislation, measures to protect consumers
Online trading regulations: UK online trading legislation, organisational compliance obligations, environmental legislation and sustainability

Change agent knowledge, attributes and skills: characteristics of effective change agents, courageous leadership, flexibility, resilience, self-reflection, action planning
Principles of organisational change: systematic change, top-level commitment, communication, cultural considerations, individual focus, contingency planning
Change theories, tools and techniques: Lewin's three-step model, Kotter's model, McKinsey 7-S, Kubler-Ross, ADKAR model
Causes of change: external triggers (market changes, legislation, demographics, economic downturns) and internal triggers (mergers, re-engineering, TQM, resource constraints)
Implementing change: pay-off matrix, threat/opportunity matrix, stakeholder analysis, backwards imaging, risk management, teambuilding
Monitoring and evaluating change: goal-based and process-based evaluation, outcome-based evaluation, quality circles, milestones, benchmarks
Stakeholder responses and resistance to change: types and sources of conflict, managing resistance, inter-personal and inter-group conflict, integration of all business functions in change management

Nature and purpose of strategic marketing: definition, concepts, objectives, digital and online marketing, relationship between strategic marketing and corporate strategy
Strategic marketing processes: planning processes (McDonald, Doyle), factor analysis, option evaluation, objective setting, perceptual mapping, formulation and implementation
Tools for analysing the business environment: SMART marketing objectives, PESTLE, SWOT, Ansoff matrix, BCG matrix, Product Life Cycle, Porter's Five Forces, marketing audit
Market segmentation, targeting and brand positioning: consumer segmentation methods (demographic, geographic, psychographic, behavioural, cultural), targeting strategies, brand positioning statements
Integrated marketing mix (7 Ps): product/service strategies, distribution, pricing, promotion, people, processes, physical evidence, e-marketing strategies, customer relationship management
Brand management: nature and significance of brands, brand pyramid, brand positioning, brand management integration, using branding to strengthen business position
Monitoring marketing strategy effectiveness: marketing performance indicators, early warning systems, tactics and objective review, customer retention strategies, customer lifecycle value

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