Business Management and Administration (Top-Up) BA (Level 6 only)

This module is delivered in the context of the modern business environment, therefore, contemporary case studies and reports on companies and industries are integral to learning on the module.

Topics include:

• The macro, industry and market environments,
• The internationalisation process,
• Strategic mergers, acquisitions and alliances,
• Innovation and knowledge management,
• Writing and delivering strategy,
• Undertaking analysis on organisations and their strategic successes/failures.

As well as the subject knowledge and understanding set out in the module content, this module is designed to bring together and build on prior levels 4 and 5 knowledge, and current learning in the functional areas of business and/or tourism and events management (or suitable equivalent).

The seminars and assessments, both formative and summative, are designed to enhance the students' abilities in critical evaluation of sources and academic texts.  The module is designed to enhance critical faculties in balanced judgements within a context of imperfect information, risk and uncertainty, using both deductive logic and inductive lateral thinking while recognising the constraints of both. 

Indicative Content: 

• Leadership versus Management
• Theories/Approaches to Leadership (eg Trait, Situational, Contingency, Transformational)
• Leadership dilemmas: conflict management, power, influence and trust 
• Responsible and ethical leadership
• Leadership and management development
• Group leadership
• Leading in the 21st Century (e.g. cross-cultural contexts, communication technology)
• Nature and process of change
• Planned versus emergent change
• Impact of technology on change (eg BPR)
• Resistance to change
• Managing change
• Approaches for leading and embedding change
• Leadership and change management skills (eg EI, project and event management)

The module focusses on the nature and significance of leadership in organisations,  evaluating contemporary and future contexts in the light of developments in theoretical approaches to leadership and change , providing critical insight into the challenges inherent in successfully leading change and the role of the future leader in doing so.

This module will use a series of lectures, seminars and workshops to explore key themes and topics relating to self, team and organisational development.

These themes and topics will include, but are not limited to:

• Developing Self:
  
  • Emotional intelligence and strengths assessment
  • Skills and and personal development audit and plan
  • Networking, communication and presentation skills
  • Problem solving and decision making 
  • Selling skills and developing a personal brand
• Developing Teams:
  • Leadership skills and approaches
  • Team working and management
  • Project planning
  • Receiving and delivering feedback
  • Mentoring and coaching skills
  • Ensuring equality and embracing diversity in teams 
• Developing organisations:
  • Skills needs analysis
  • Job design
  • Recruitment process
  • Competency framework
  • Application processes
  • Induction and employee engagement
  • Equal opportunities

This module aims to: 

• Support students to evaluate management and leadership abilities and relationships in their personal and professional life
• develop students self-reflection and emotional intelligence to leverage their strengths
• support students in evaluating future career options and aspirations
• develop professional skills, competencies and attributes
• build upon students' knowledge of business, applying it to human resource practice
• develop students’ strategic thinking and knowledge of human resource management practices and ethics
• support an ongoing process of personal transformation through self-reflection

Students will ideally have studied some finance or accounting prior to undertaking this module, for example BU4002, BU4010 or BU5016

• The international financial environment: The nature, concept and financial structure of Multinational corporation
  (MNCs), the economic environment and the influence of the international flow of funds
• The background of international financial markets
• Currency Derivatives and Hedging (Hedging techniques for foreign currency risk and interest rate risk)
• Exchange rate determinants and behaviour
• Exchange rate risk measurement and management
• Long term asset and liability management - Foreign Direct Investment / country risk analysis/Long term financing - multinational capital budgeting, cost of capital and capital structure
• Short term asset and liability management –financing international trade, short term financing , international cash management

The purpose of this module is to :

• critically evaluate the international financial environment of a multinational corporation, including financial institutions, financial markets and exchange rate systems.
• critically examine and evaluate the principal concepts in the theory and practice of international financial management
• analyse, apply and evaluate financial strategies through application of relevant analytical tools to examine and assess major issues and developments in international financial management
• provide a critical understanding of the principles of risk exposures and the management of its international financial operations

• The drive for internationalisation/globalisation 
• Standardisation versus adaptation- the globalisation versus localisation debate
• International Marketing research
• Understanding international cultures and their importance to a global marketing strategy
• International Consumer Behaviour
• International Communications
• Analysis of foreign market potential - distribution systems and entry strategies
• International Marketing Mix
• Contemporary issues in International Marketing (e.g. ethical and societal)

• To enable students to appraise and evaluate the special issues and problems faced by an organisation seeking to enter overseas markets
• To ensure that students appreciate the cultural issues that effect an international marketing programme
• To enable students to understand and develop appropriate strategies available to organisations when considering marketing on an international level