Business Management BA (Hons)

The purpose of the module is to provide an introduction to business statistics for the non-specialist. The course aims to provide a broad understanding of the nature of variability and why it is an issue for managers. It will also provide students with the ability to derive and understand a variety of graphs and statistics which can be produced in Excel and which provide a means for managers to make intelligent use of statistics in the process of management and decision-making.

The aim of this module is to introduce the core principles of economics (both micro and macro), to develop models and economic perspectives relevant to business students and demonstrate how modern economics can illuminate the problems that businesses (both national and international) face on a day-to-day basis.

The module is an introduction to the fundamental principles of marketing. The module aims to bring contemporary marketing perspectives to life for students new to the concept of marketing. The content of the module is underpinned by marketing theory, which with an emphasis on application.

Whether pursuing a career in marketing or in supply chain management, modern business professionals have to be well versed in the language of accounting and finance. This module aims to equip a non-specialist audience with a solid understanding of the key principles of financial reporting and management accounting. Students will first learn how firms measure and report their financial position and performance, and then engage in analysis and visualisation of real data using financial ratios. The module will also introduce students to a number of fundamental managerial decision-making techniques, such as cost-volume-profit analysis, simple costing models, budgeting, and capital investment appraisal methods.

The module provides students with a grounding in practical and theoretical perspectives on historical and contemporary forms of management. It explores how organisations address their major challenges by drawing from tried and tested methods, as well as more innovative practices. Students are encouraged to question common sense assumptions about management, and to identify creative and sustainable practices in organisations.

This module aims to introduce students to the graduate recruitment process by providing them with the skills required to secure a work placement or summer internship. It also provides the opportunity to acquire, develop and apply these skills.   

This is an introductory module to the role operations management plays in business. The key principles of operations management will be explained. This will be done via a journey through the organisation from customer demand to suppliers’ delivery to the company. Plenty of practical examples will be used and students will have the opportunity to understand the operational challenges in practice. Besides the subject knowledge students will participate in a number of seminars to better understand how different functions of operations could affect the performance of an organisation.

This module aims to introduce students to the academic and professional skills they will require throughout their university career and beyond. Students will examine the tools and techniques necessary to examine and evaluate both qualitative and quantitative data and gain an understanding of how these are relevant in the modern business environment. The module will also provide an opportunity to develop key professional skills needed in the corporate environment.

Business strategies and behaviour are part and parcel of dynamic interactions between a wide range of actors in the world economy. This module aims at producing the basic knowledge and skills for understanding that interaction, taking into consideration firms but clearly examining also other types of actors such as states, international organisations, labour and social movements. It does so by asking three sets of interrelated questions. Firstly, why do businesses internationalise their operations? What, and in relation to whom, can they gain from doing so? Secondly, how do transnational corporations operate across borders? How do these operations contribute to patterns of international development? Are these patterns smooth and harmonious (simple globalisation) or uneven? Thirdly, what is the current (and future) context in which transnational enterprise takes place? Recently, the 2007-09 global economic and financial crisis, the 4th Industrial Revolution, the climate change crisis and the global health crisis have transformed the dynamics of the world economy in a number of ways, and the module aims at enhancing knowledge of this new context of business. The module will also consider key phenomena ranging from the role of the BRIC economies in the future international economic order to gender. Throughout the module, we will consider political (power) and ethical issues, as they are fundamental to understanding the world economy, past, present and future.

This module is designed to challenge students to think about the nature of modern business behaviour, its role and contribution to society, and the ways in which such behaviour can be understood, especially from moral and ethical perspectives. Over a series of formal lectures, students are introduced to a range of key critical thinkers from ethics, philosophy, economics and management studies. Our explorations are also constantly related to real-life examples. The module is taught via formal lectures and seminars and is assessed by an unseen online open book examination and an individual assignment.         

This module gives an overview of some very basic economic principles as it applies to the firm and its environment. It equips the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and evaluate internal and external factors that influence the strategic decisions made by the firms. This includes the analysis of the nature and behaviour of firms in international markets. It is designed for non-economists such as Business Studies students . Explanations are sometimes based on very basic diagrams and students are expected to have GCSE level maths.

Business Analytics comprises the use of quantitative techniques, mathematical and computer-based models, and statistical analysis in combination with data and information technologies to support making better decisions in business environments and for gaining improved insight into business operations. The module introduces the fundamental concepts and tools of Business Analytics and an understanding of using data in combination with analytical techniques to support making better decisions in business environments. The module is designed around the use of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive techniques with relevance to practical applications.

This module aims to develop students’ academic skills, by providing them with an awareness of the main methodological approaches, tools and techniques (both qualitative and quantitative) that are necessary to use to produce a credible piece of research. The module will also offer students an opportunity to gain some valuable problem-solving skills, and some practical experience of conducting interviews and of analysing quantitative data using, for example, Excel, and Nvivo, with a view to further develop their employability skills. Student who intend to undertake a final year independent project (whether in the form of dissertation or consultancy style project) will particularly benefit from the methodological training and academic guidance provided in this module.

Work and employment relations are continually changing and this can generate stakeholder tensions. The aim of this module is to examine current and emerging developments in Employment Relations (ER), because of their implications for individuals, organisations and society. These developments in ER are debated in the context of the UK, but insight into other national contexts is drawn upon to extend student knowledge and learning.

This module provides an overview of what workforce equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are and their relevance and usefulness in improving the understanding and management of people at work. Today’s workplace is changing due to a number of factors including an ageing population and increases in the number of women and ethnic minorities. As a result, there is a need to effectively understand and manage EDI in organisations in order to create an inclusive workplace that meets organisational outcomes. A number of issues that managers of a diverse workforce face are explored. In particular, issues such as gender, age, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation and intersectional identities are discussed. Two key approaches towards EDI are reviewed: the social justice case and the business benefits case. The module also explores a range of EDI related concepts and topics such as social identity, stereotyping and discrimination. It also considers the protected rights of employees covered by UK legislation as well as international legislative drives and policies.
Successful students will develop their understanding of the field of EDI and their own personal position within it. They will also inform their practice as future managers from both research and practitioner perspectives.
The module will be delivered through lectures and seminars It will be assessed by completion of, an individual piece of reflection and an individual report.

The aim of this module is to provide students with basic financial concepts in the areas of projected financial statements, time value of money and risk-return, and offer preliminary knowledge on market efficiency along with some elementary theoretical and empirical components related to these topics. Furthermore, the module covers fundamental discussions on internal and external financing policies, capital structure, dividend policy, mergers and acquisitions, etc.

​ This module will introduce students to the many forms of enterprise and entrepreneurship that exist. Entrepreneurship is often presented only in a limited format, with a key ‘heroic’ entrepreneur taking risks and achieving business growth usually measured by monetary gain. While this classical approach tends to glorify entrepreneurship in certain ways, ignoring how difficult it is to build a business for profit, it also marginalises many other forms of enterprise. Better ways of ensuring the enterprise is a success can be founded in sustainable forms of entrepreneurship. In this module students will gain new knowledge about what these others types of enterprise are, how they are formed and why they are pursued. For instance, social enterprise tends to focus on a pursuit of a social mission first and foremost, with social entrepreneurs being diverse in their motivations. Collective forms of enterprise may seek to redistribute profits amongst a community of members, such as through a cooperative organisation while entrepreneurship in low income communities may well be a catalyst to other forms of capital building, such as social and human capital. Students will be able to learn that engagement in enterprise is based on a wider set of motivations than merely individual monetary gain and that successful entrepreneurship can be defined in many ways. The module will act as a good foundation for the third-year model, Social Enterprise.

This module delivers an outlook of issues of international finance, such as parity conditions, currency exposures/management and international capital markets; especially focusing on the financial management of multinationals. The groundwork is based on fundamentals of finance which provides an introduction to the core principles of finance, valuation and financial decision-making, within the domestic setting and then expands to the international setting.

The module aims to introduce a range of operations management theories to students and considers their application to contemporary business environments. The module covers:

Operations strategy – operational impacts of strategic decisions;

Operations design – optimising operations for competitive advantage;

Tools and techniques – from theory to application in contemporary contexts;

Manufacturing and service environments – challenges for operations management;

Coordinating operations – supply chain management.

This module focuses upon ways in which services marketing is distinct from tangible goods marketing, highlighting a range of concepts and frameworks to highlight such distinctions.

The core roles of government in relation to business are identified and evaluated and significant changes discussed. The module also explores the nature of the relationship between government and business, for example in terms of neo-corporatist structures and the role of business as an actor in the governmental process. These issues are also placed firmly within a wide-ranging international context and examples are drawn from a wide variety of countries. The module is assessed through an assignment and an unseen exam. Successful students will acquire an appreciation of the interactions between government and business, develop a strong critical awareness and be able to apply the general debates to a wide range of specific examples.

Identity and culture are two of the most important phenomena in organisations. They help explain why organisations look and feel the way they do. They also help us understand why people in organisations often ignore and/or resist rational models and techniques. Students on this module are encouraged to investigate culture and identity in contemporary films, fictional narratives and social media, as well as in the academic literature.

In a globalised world, companies of all kinds are no longer limited to producing and selling their goods and services in domestic markets. They explore global markets and operate across national borders. What challenges do companies face as they operate in multiple nation-states? How are they different from the domestic companies? How can multinational companies (MNCs) be managed effectively in order to stay competitive in the global market? This module aims to produce the knowledge and skills for students to address these questions. The module is structured into three parts. The first part discusses globalisation and MNCs, providing an overview of the changing landscape of the global economy. The second part focuses on the challenges that faced by MNCs with an analysis on the complex and often conflicting external environmental factors that shape the strategy and management of MNCs. The third part discusses how MNCs manage these challenges, exploring different strategies and practices that managers could consider in managing operation, talents and knowledge across borders.

This module introduces students to the theoretical perspectives, roles and practical activities associated with Leadership and Performance Management in contemporary organisations

This module seeks to highlight the role of, and need for, market research in supporting marketing decision-making. It involves a range of teaching strategies built around online learning activities (e.g., videos) and case studies. Additional material will be in the form of web-based reading and research, selected texts, journal articles and contemporary magazine and press articles. It is assessed through two pieces of coursework. The coursework involves a market research proposal and the completion of a group project which is designed to put market research techniques into practice.

Many people must be able to sell effectively; selling ideas, selling business plans to partners or investors, influencing stakeholders, gaining commitment from others, identifying the needs of others, building professional relationships and trust.

Therefore, the module will focus on developing sales and negotiations skills in practical tasks and will be assessed in realistic sales situations as either buyers or sellers. The two are inextricably linked.

This module aims to provide students with knowledge and understanding of what is expected of a manager and what is meant by managerial ‘effectiveness’. To do this, you need to be able to identify the role of a manager and those factors which influence managers’ effectiveness – and these lie not only within yourself but also in your working environment. They include your job, your organisation, and the people you work with. We will explore what managers do and what is meant by managerial ‘effectiveness’ and is an area that will make a valuable contribution to organizational practice.

Innovation and entrepreneurship draw together key themes relating to the development of new products, new processes and new organisations in the business environment. Innovation is strategic when it is consistent with a corporation’s mission, vision and values and is created to enhancing the strategic positioning and/or competitiveness of organisations. This module deals with the principles underpinning innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of a global business environment.
In this module students will gain a deep understanding of the role of strategic innovation activities in various organisational settings as a tool to developing a longer-term entrepreneurial culture. It will focus on comparing methods of best practice for entrepreneurial innovation developments and how these are utilised in practice using case studies and simulated examples.
The module draws on both theory and practice from a range of sub-disciplines and areas of study, including examples of innovation within large public and private sector organisations as well as smaller technology-based organisations both local and international.
Whilst the module provides theoretical insight into innovation and entrepreneurship, students will also be encouraged to identify best practices in the management of innovation and entrepreneurship in organisations.

The Experiential Learning Project provides an early opportunity for Year 2 Business and Management students to apply the academic knowledge gained from the first year of their course to a significant ‘real-world’ management problem. The module begins with team formation activities and a grounding in the theory and practice of Experiential Learning – a Professional imperative. Groups of 3-6 then engage with a ‘live’ project/task/problem posed by an organisation, consult with a manager from that organisation to agree deliverables and timelines, and then work for 6-8 weeks on delivering a suitable report/solution. The module concludes with a reflective element; embedding the new learning from the project experience, and each student’s enhanced skill set, back into their ongoing programme of study.

A module to introduce students to the impact the law of England and Wales on business. Contract law, tort, employment law, discrimination and intellectual property are the main areas of focus.

The module introduces students to the practical aspects of entrepreneurship and new firm formation in a live action centred manner. It is highly interactive and exposes students to the challenges faced by many new start-up firms, seeking to ensure students understand the ethical and social value aspects of entrepreneurship.

The module aims to introduce students to the practical application of leadership theory. Students will employ critical reflection to gain a better understanding of how they can develop and grow as a leader within an organisational context. Themes covered will include; leadership traits, leadership behaviours, leadership styles, contemporary theories of leadership, leader-follower relationship and leadership development.

The module introduces students to core theories and current issues and developments concerning knowledge management with the aim of fostering innovation. Students will learn how to analyse and critically evaluate the subject matter and apply it to diverse organisational environments.   

The module gives an overview of the subject from the perspective of principles and practice. The first part of the module provides an overview of perspectives and explains the centrality of strategic purpose. The second part is about strategic analysis and covers strategic objectives, and the analysis of the external and internal environments. The third part covers business, corporate, and global levels of strategy. Finally, the module explains implementation: covering strategic actions and performance management.

In recent years, interest in entrepreneurship has increased considerably in academic and policy circles alike. Since the 1970s, it has been widely recognised that entrepreneurship contributes to economic growth and that the majority of new jobs are generated by small firms. Moreover, for some years now, there has been a wide range of publicly funded business support initiatives aimed at enhancing entrepreneurship and enterprise creation. Since the onset of the recession in 2008, the challenge is to create new business opportunities, in the UK, Europe, and beyond which are able to survive and thrive in the emerging business ecosystem. In this context, the role of education, especially in universities, in ‘nurturing’ entrepreneurs through providing the necessary skills and training for students, is increasingly viewed as an important element in the development of new graduate start-ups that have the potential to become high-growth firms. In this module, building upon material studied earlier in the programme, focus will be directed towards questions such as how and why ‘entrepreneurship and enterprise’ have become such a popular phrase for individuals, organisations, communities and governments alike. The module will seek to explore this by examining the various historical, economic, political and social assumptions that surround the nature of entrepreneurship and enterprise, drawing focus towards advancing our understanding and appreciation of the human story behind entrepreneurial and enterprising activity. and It will also seek to advance students’ awareness of entrepreneurial practice by considering in greater detail the many individual stories (from emerging, growing and mature business start-ups) in order to appreciate the factors and challenges involved in “the practice of being entrepreneurial / entrepreneur”. In the module students will also have the opportunity to evaluate their personal orientations to entrepreneurship, building upon material studied earlier in the programme, by reflexively shaping their appreciation of what it is like being self-employed, working in the family business, being an owner-manager, being an entrepreneur/intrapreneur.

Behavioural finance attempts to explain several widely cited market phenomena (including e.g. excess volatility, overreaction, bubbles and crises) by drawing on concepts and principles from psychology and their applications in investors’ behaviour. The module provides a thorough introduction to this area, with theoretical analyses being enhanced through the use of short videos, experiments and quantitative finance both during lectures and seminars. Its assessment relies 100% on a final exam.

The module aims to provide students with an understanding of contemporary human resource management issues. It will relate models and frameworks from the human resource management literature to contemporary issues and challenges affecting UK organisations and multinational companies.

The module covers the history and development of corporate governance, and the key principles and systems that underpin corporate governance today. It also provides the opportunity to assess the practical application of corporate governance systems across major international organisations based on UK regulation.

The purpose of this module is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the theory and practice of management in a critical context. The module draws on a broad range of critical social science theory that questions received wisdom on management and the view that management is a purely ‘neutral’ technical-rational practice. The module challenges this view by looking at issues of performativity, and the ideology and politics of work organization and management practice from a range of critical perspectives. It traces the history and development of management as power, control and domination in organizations from its origins through industrialization to its current post-industrial/ postmodern setting.

The dissertation module offers the opportunity to conduct an extended study on a theme relevant to Business Studies students. It will develop and enhance your ability to:

Utilise bibliographical software;

Produce systematic literature reviews;

Analyse and synthesise a body of knowledge;

Critically evaluate contrasting perspectives on all aspects of business.

Introductory workshops will offer initial instruction on completing the dissertation and each student will be allocated a supervisor. As with any dissertation, much emphasis is placed on independent study.

Technology and especially the Internet is an essential tool for the modern business providing important connections to their customers and suppliers. However, it isn’t simply a case of deploying these technologies and hoping for benefit, you need to appreciate the possibilities they open up and align these possibilities to your organisational strategy. This module will open up the world of technology and its impact on business. The first half of the module will introduce the kind of technologies you are likely to meet in business and how they are being used currently. The module will then go on to explore concrete examples of e-business to examine how the student may exploit this opportunity in the future.

The module provides a context for business subjects already studied (eg marketing) and incorporates additional subjects, for example project management, quality management, law and planning. It also provides an analysis of the market in which the sector operates. The emphasis is on practical skills and the module draws on relevant theory. Visiting speakers relate theory to practice. There is an assignment that focuses on event skills and a formal exam.

According to the advisory firm Deloitte, their football finance unit generates more media enquiries than all other industry areas combined. With the increasing globalisation of the sport, and the impact of commercial and media deals having a large impact on clubs both on and off the field of play, a knowledge of finance for anyone with an interest in the sport is beneficial. This module aims to: utilise financial statements produced by football clubs and organisations review and apply financial reporting standards that have a significant impact on the financial statements analyse financial results using standard and industry specific ratios discuss and apply methods of valuing clubs using historic financial data and different valuation models. This will use financial modelling techniques and spreadsheet analysis.

This module gives students an up-to-date coverage of global strategy and hands-on experience putting theory into practice. It sets new approaches such as institutional analysis alongside more traditional approaches based in economics and management. It also gives considerable attention to competition in and from emerging economies. At the end of the module, students are able to critically analyse the challenges and opportunities that a multinational enterprise (MNE) faces and the context in which these organizations make decisions. Assessment is through an individual report submitted at the end of the module.

This module focuses on developing the core skills needed for a professional career in HRM. These include developing HRM strategy, formulating business focused reports on HR issues, enhancing employee engagement, learning and development, performance and reward management. These skills will be built through weekly workshops with input from members of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

This module provides a detailed coverage of the nature and determinants of the pattern of world trade and financial, capital and labour flows. The module also aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of why conflicts arise between nations due to international economic activity and what policy options are most appropriate for countries both individually and cooperatively to adopt. Throughout the module emphasis is placed upon the role of theory in enhancing understanding of the key issues in international economic relations.

An understanding of International marketing is crucial in today’s increasingly international marketplace. Marketing activities must be planned, co-ordinated and integrated whilst recognising the need to understand the diversity of cultures when devising a strategy for market entry. Graduates will often interact with international clients and therefore, this module aims to address the importance of having an international marketing understanding. It examines how a firm internationalises the marketing function, looking in detail at: methods of international market entry and development; the development of an international marketing strategy; the implementation and control of international marketing strategies and an awareness of international ethical issues.

This module will provide an advanced, albeit non-technical, critical understanding for students with a variety of academic backgrounds of a number of current issues faced by both academics and practitioners in the area of finance for development. These will include, for example, trying to answer the question of whether foreign aid works, the impact of multinational firms upon the economy of host countries, the evolving roles of the IMF and World Bank and whether microcredit really provides a “silver bullet” solution to poverty. The module will also cover the main principles of Islamic Finance. This a very strongly research-led module based on the “flipped classroom” approach, whereby students access learning material before the class and the class is used for discussion. In-class discussions will be based on “real” data and documents used by practitioners involving active learning. Finally, the final module will have a developmental form of assessment in the form of a research-based proposal for a new textbook that will allow students to apply the knowledge they have acquired in the module.

The aim of the module is to build on the basic management accounting methods seen in ACFI 107 through coverage of a range of additional/more advanced techniques that aid costing, decision-making, planning and control. The module will also cover some of the contemporary developments within management accounting and performance measurement which have had a fundamental impact on the way many organisations are operated and managed.

​The module builds on previous marketing related modules but as the title implies encourages students to think strategically about marketing in practical terms and in a theoretical context.  Students will be assessed by individual assignment where they are required to implement a strategic marketing plan for a real life company. 

This module provides students with the necessary toolkit, analytical skills and groundwork required to strategically manage new and existing projects, within the current uncertain business environment. The module seeks to provide participants with a broad understanding of the key project management elements such as: project scheduling, resource budgeting, quality assurance, risk management, and mitigation that provide measurement of institutional project performance. It addresses the principal techniques used to identify, assess, measure, control and manage projects and associated risks.

All decisions involving uncertainty run the risk of failure. This module examines why people and organizations sometimes make unwise decisions and how to make better decisions.

The module introduces students to social enterprise. Through lectures, field visits to practicing social enterprise and working on a practical project students will learn about the scope of the work undertaken by social enterprise including their legal and financial structure, their need for a social mission and the policy environment in which they exist.

The management of sustainable supply chains is key to the operations of modern organisations. The need to be competitive, reach new markets, source new goods and raw materials have all been key contributors to the development of supply chains as a function. It has become clear that competitive advantage and customer satisfaction can be gained if all organisations in the chain work together to improve service and reduce cost. Modern day supply chain management also has a focus on sustainability, as the supply chain is a key area when improvements can be made. The module provides the student with comprehensive understanding of key principles and techniques of supply chain management including topics such as inventory management, materials and capacity management, supply chain partnerships and IT. There is a growing pressure from society to improve the sustainability of supply chains in order to help reduce the environmental impact of business so sustainability will be a core focus throughout the module.

The aim of this module is to develop and enhance students’ critical understanding of the key issues surrounding the contemporary football sector. Students will develop a critical understanding of how economics, finance, marketing and other business and management disciplines can be used to analyse features of the football business sector. Furthermore, various concepts and theories from the aforementioned disciplines will be used to analyse critically decision-making within the sector. Where appropriate alternative outcomes will be considered that might improve efficiency and effectiveness within the sector.

The module provides an analysis of the charity sector in the United Kingdom focusing on fundraising skills including bid writing; event organisation, volunteer management; corporate giving; strategic plans; community fundraising; and lotteries. Contexts such as personal giving, social media and taxation are also considered. Visiting speakers from the sector relate the theory to their charities. Assessment is through an assignment and also a time constrained exam

The Corporate Communications module seeks to raise awareness of the importance of language and communication in business and management contexts. Students will develop a deep understanding of internal and external communications and how integrated communications serve to benefit organisations. Within the module students need to be prepared to develop a number of transferable skills. Importantly, students will need to undertake both independent research and apply communication, marketing and sociolinguistic theory to the business environment. Assessment is via an individual written report and the production of a group presentation.