Business Administration BA (Hons) module details

Core modules

Global Strategic Management

This module equips students with a critical and comprehensive understanding of the nature and meaning of corporate strategy. Using this knowledge, students will be able to assess the strategic position of corporations operating in complex global markets. In the early stages of the module, the concepts and tools necessary for critical strategic analysis are introduced and discussed. Students are then encouraged to apply these concepts and tools to analyse specific strategic issues and challenges that affect contemporary business operations. In addition to this, the module outlines key contemporary strategic issues such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, and knowledge management. A strong focus is placed throughout on the management of change, organisational learning, and strategy development and implementation. Overall, this final year module is designed around active engagement and focuses strongly on experiential and formative learning. Students are given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences throughout the module by means of a series of cases, application of strategic management tools, concepts and theories, and other exercises.

Assessment: podcast and report 40%, online exam 60%

Contemporary Business Issues

This module is designed to critically evaluate how current issues in both Economics and Politics affect business management and performance. There is a strong initial emphasis upon analysing the causes of major world events and examining the various scenarios that these events confront business managers with. The topics covered would include:

The economic effects of commodity/stock markets
The Growth and Decline of Economies and the Cyclical Nature of Recession
Financial Institutions: The Influence of the Banking Sector on the Economy
The Role of Government in Business, e.g. Regulations, Monetary and Fiscal Policies
The Fate of the Euro and the European Debt Crisis
The advantages and disadvantages of European Union membership

Assessment: presentation 40%, essay 2,000 words 60%

Customer Management

Revenue comes from customers. Good customer management is essential, and it is now being recognised that there is a very strong link between customer management performance and overall business performance. Doing this means understanding which customers are profitable and which are not, and then acquiring, retaining and developing the right customers in the most efficient way.

This module will (a) assess organisational competence and weaknesses in customer management performance; (b) make recommendations on how an organisation can improve its CM performance and profitability; (c) appreciate the impact of customer acquisition, retention, development and cost to serve on business profitability; and, (d) understand the importance of customer data in management decision making.

Assessment: coursework 1 50%, coursework 2 50%

Finance option stream modules

Forensic Accounting

A module designed to examine the areas of accounting fraud, cyber crime and legal valuations within a context of litigation where the accountant acts as an expert witness or primary investigator liaising closely with lawyers and other legal advisors.

Three themes will underpin the module; Fraud; Cyber Crime. The Accountant as an 'Expert Witness'. Students will study all themes but could concentrate on one for assessment purposes with the agreement of the module leader.

Assessment: academic essay 1,000 words 40%, unseen exam 60 minutes 60%

International Developments in Accounting

This module will look at the ever changing area of financial accounting and corporate reporting. It will consider the different approaches to developing accounting rules and regulations used across the world as well as technological and reporting developments which have been implemented recently or are currently in discussion.

It will also consider the impact of globalisation and the internationalisation of the accounting market on the stakeholders of a business.

Assessment: national review 1,250 words 50%, group project 1,000 words 50%

Accounting and Finance Project

A dedicated academic approach to a traditional Honours level project in Accounting or Finance. Students will lead the module in terms of project design and preparation whilst supervisors will be available to advise and guide research. Students will select from a predefined list of topic areas based on the expertise of the supervisors. By December students must have demonstrated the ability to research a specified accounting or finance area, having maintained contact with the supervisor during the research process by meeting prescribed deadline for the production of assessment components (as shown below). By the first week of the Summer Term (usually) two bound copies of a 10,000 to 14,000 word completed project (exclusive of appendices) must be submitted based on the research proposal. Students must achieve an overall pass but do not need to pass each element. Replacement of completed project to be submitted by the summer reassessment deadlines without any additional supervisory input.

Assessment: literature review 2,000 words 20%, final project 80%

Strategy and Management option stream modules

Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics

The almost daily reports of corporate wrongdoing have raised serious concerns about the role and responsibilities of business. In particular, it has brought into sharp focus the processes and practices within corporations and how (un/ethical) decisions are made. Recognising that managers shape, and are shaped by, organisational processes this module focuses on responsibility and ethics at both the organisational and managerial level. It will equip students with a sound grasp of key concepts in corporate social responsibility and their application within business practice. It will also explore ethical issues that corporate decision-makers face and the causes and consequences of (un)ethical decision-making.

Assessment: essay 50%, exam 50%

Creative Management and Marketing

This module aims to introduce students to 'new ways of seeing' their external and internal business environments through creative perspectives. It uses experiential learning such as cross - cultural negotiations, to encourage students to apply contemporary concepts of managing relationships in global industry networks.

The module uses both creative management and creative marketing philosophies to illuminate the processes behind groundbreaking innovations that transform industries. It also examines new approaches to customer relationship management from a network perspective, such as the growing reliance by organisations on crowdsourcing.

Assessment: report 50%, essay 50%

Strategy and Management Dissertation

When a student undertakes a dissertation he/she is offered the opportunity to pursue the independent study of a topic of his/her choice. It is a small scale piece of research that can be completed in the amount of time that a student would spend in and out of class on a regular 30 credit module. To a very large extent a student controls the learning process and the time management of the dissertation process, with some supervisor support.

Upon completion of the dissertation a student will be able to:

Critically review Academic Literature;
Select and implement a methodological approach;
Systematically search, sift, collect and evaluate data;
Write in an analytical and critical way;
Present convincing, well referenced arguments;
Produce a well presented document to a deadline.

The dissertation process has two parts. The first part involves the completion of a Literature Review: the second part the completion of the whole dissertation.

A Literature Review requires a student to undertake a critical assessment or critical discussion of relevant published information about a particular topic or subject area.

Assessment: literature review 2,000 words 20%, dissertation 80%

Marketing option stream modules

Global Marketing Strategies

This module builds on the International Marketing Module, so it is assumed that the student has at least a basic understanding of the subject. The module provides a more focussed look at the incentives and drives for firms to operate globally, as well as reviewing global marketing strategies of firms.

The coursework elements allow for the formative development of the students' thinking, reasoning and analytical skills, through various tutorial activities. These skills will feed into the summative elements of the module's assessment programme. The group presentations allow the students, among other things, to demonstrate their abilities to investigate a situation and to offer solutions, based on analysis of relevant data and application of theory.

Students are performing as global marketing executives in determining, producing and defending the development of a global strategy. Skills of analysis, problem solving and decision making are emphasised throughout the module.

Ongoing feedback is given at each stage of the process and thus skills are both practiced and improved through the module. This assessment format allows the students to demonstrate their abilities to investigate a situation and to offer solutions to real global marketing issues.

Assessment: coursework 1,000 words 40%, report 1,500 words 60%

Customer Management

Assessment: coursework 1 50%, coursework 2 50%

Marketing Dissertation

The Marketing Dissertation is designed to give students the opportunity to pursue a topic of their individual interest, from any area of marketing and retail; from brand to e-marketing, consumer behaviour to services marketing. Students frequently expand on a subject that has been of interest to them in previous marketing modules, link the study to issues that intrigued them from their work placements, or explore a topic that has not been studied in a formal module. With the guidance of a few lectures and support from an assigned supervisor, the dissertation should demonstrate the application of academic theory to actual marketing situations. Although supervised, the module requires the student to be able to work independently and set their own goals in exchange for the opportunity to explore a topic that excites and interests them personally. It is for all the above reasons why having a dissertation is still regarded as a badge of academic excellence and is highly regarded by industry.

Assessment: literature review essay 2,000 words 15%, dissertation 85%

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

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