Business Management BA (Hons)

You will learn the key aspects of the regulations, ethics and professional body requirements that define the ‘rules’ for the financial sector. You will draw from a range of historical case studies to see how regulation within the financial system has transformed. You will be encouraged to discuss and critique the latest regulation changes using academic literature to back up your arguments. You will explore the main financial instruments that are issued and traded including: money market instruments; bonds; equities; foreign exchange; and Insurance. You will learn about these instruments in the context of risk taking and the worldwide markets in which they are traded as well as the principal institutions that use these instruments. To apply the knowledge acquired in this module, you will be using real-time financial information. Therefore, throughout the module you will be required to keep up to date with the latest developments within the financial markets and sector commercial awareness to enable you to contribute to this module.

The module will introduce you to the subject of taxation. You will learn about the underlying principles and technical areas of taxation as they affect individuals and businesses.

You will study the following five taxes:

• Income tax

Topics include: the tax computation, adjustment to profit, capital allowances, basis of assessment, employment income, treatment of pension contributions, property income, trading losses, and partnerships

• Corporation tax

Topics include: calculation of the corporation tax liability and the treatment of losses

• Value added tax

Topics include: the scope of VAT, registration and deregistration, the tax point, a VAT invoice, output tax and input tax computational issues, types of supplies and VAT schemes

• Capital gains tax

Topics include: calculation of gains and losses, part disposals, chattels and wasting assets, shares and securities, principal private residence and reliefs

• Inheritance tax

Topics include: chargeable lifetime transfers, exempt transfers and potentially exempt transfers, lifetime tax and tax payable upon death

You will also study National Insurance Contribution liabilities for both the self-employed and employees; compliance matters in respect of each of the five taxes above; tax avoidance v tax evasion. Professional ethics and ethical tax behaviour. The moral duty of corporations (and individuals) to pay taxes and societal implications.

Your learning journey in this module will consist of a combination of tutor-led and learner-led session activities.
Tutor-led research-informed seminar sessions will facilitate learner-led activities to extend your knowledge of the graduate labour market. Topic areas will include an evaluation of graduate labour market statistics, challenges and opportunities for Business and HRM graduates, theoretical perspectives and models of employability.
Learner-led activities will further develop your awareness of your own personal skills and attributes and identification of areas for further development with the context of your individual career plan for your graduate employment, enterprise or entrepreneurial activity, with an emphasis on positioning your graduate identity.

Designed specifically for non-Human Resources specialists the HRM Essentials module will take you on a journey through the modern organisation offering you the opportunity to understand how Human Resource Management contributes to the strategic direction of organisations in varying industries and sectors. Building on the level 4 module ‘People, Management and Organisations’, this module is relevant to all those whose careers will involve dealing with and managing people in organisations. Managers are often considered the key link in ensuring the successful implementation of HR processes, and likewise, the support of the HR function is required to ensure that managers operate fairly and consistently within best practice guidelines. Managers are likely to play a key part in several core HR processes in order to ensure that they have the right people in their teams who are able to perform effectively. Thereby an understanding of Human Resources underpins effective management practice. ‘HRM Essentials’ provides a practical overview of each of these core areas, providing a broad grounding in HR practice ranging from recruitment and selection to performance and reward, and learning and development to absence and wellbeing.

This module will not only provide you with the key theoretical arguments in Human Resource Management but will also encourage you to apply this learning to practice and reflect on your own personal skill development in implementing effective HR processes which will be invaluable to you in your future graduate management role.

Sustainable Development is the future of business and doing business responsibly is key to improving society as well as business success. This module builds upon your understanding of Business and Society developed from your previous study and will enable you to develop expertise in corporate social responsibility and business ethics as well as find out how to generate shared value. You will develop a current understanding of what makes a responsible business and the importance of acting responsibly and ethically, as well as the pitfalls involved in not doing so. You will learn about the tools and approaches organisations employ to develop responsible business strategy and the models which may be applied to develop a deeper understanding of the impacts, both negative and positive, that business can have on society at large. You will examine the way in which business report their activities and manage their internal and external profiles. In doing so you will develop awareness of the ethical issues involved from the perspective of the individual (manager /agent and stakeholder), of individual firms and of wider society, by combining a rigorous theoretical and a strong applied foundation on the topic. Finally, the module will equip you with the ability to critically examine business strategy and operations with a view to developing responsible business practices, key graduate employability/enterprise/entrepreneurial acumen that will enable you to lead organisations to ‘Take on Tomorrow’.

‘Resourcing and Development for Diversity’ considers how HR practices can be utilised to ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce. This goes beyond the ‘business case’ approach to recognise other perspectives, that increasing workforce diversity does not only ensures equitable access to services and employment but also enables profitability through access to diverse markets. You will examine this premise within the wider context of social, economic and demographic changes, alongside local, national and global concerns. Your learning will focus upon resourcing and development activities, specifically, how organisations can promote diversity through recruitment and retention, ensure inclusion in organisational life and provide accessible career paths with the aim of increasing representation at senior levels. The effectiveness of practices to support this endeavour, such as monitoring workforce demographics, mentoring, network and support groups and zero tolerance of discrimination and harassment, will be examined. You will explore the role of development for ensuring that organisational commitments to diversity and inclusion are reflected in practice. In doing so, you will analyse specific organisational cases, focusing on those characteristics protected by law, as well as developing an understanding of other visible and non-visible differences, such as background, culture and accent. Your understanding will be underpinned by a consideration of the historic development of particular norms and stereotypes, how these impact on practices and how they can be challenged. You will also reflect on the ethical framework required to support diversity and inclusion, including values of openness, listening to diverse perspectives and inclusive participation in decision-making. This learning will be invaluable to your future employment, enterprise/entrepreneurial activity.

HR Analytics and the Labour Market will introduce you to key theories in labour market analysis by understanding how equilibrium is achieved between the supply of and demand for labour through the dynamic interplay of wage structures and levels, employment levels and workforce utilisation. You will develop your knowledge of both macro and micro economic theory including the role of governments in labour market regulation, the comparative influence of trade unions, comparative analyses of the distribution of income and wealth and of global workforce mobility.

Within this context, you will develop your skills of critical and analytical thinking which are central to all graduate employability, enterprise and entrepreneurial activity and with specific relevance to HR and people management. Your learning will be research-informed, focusing on understanding the gathering, organisation, analysis and modelling of macro labour market data and firm level HR data such as attendance, turnover, salaries, productivity, and performance, to examine the contribution such analyses and models can make to the strategic management of organisations. You will also become familiar with Workforce Planning and other Management Information used inside organisations alongside labour market data from government and other sources.

This module therefore builds upon analysis undertaken at level 4. You will develop graduate skills in interpreting trends and potential causation in order to demonstrate impact, support evidence-based decision-making and inform strategy. The module therefore represents a shift from the ‘what’ of HR and people management, to the ‘how’ it can be done. You will also learn how to communicate data in meaningful and accessible ways in order to gain trust and management buy-in to HR proposals.

Employee reward systems are of fundamental importance to the employment relationship; providing an important source of influence over employee behaviour and, so, over organisational performance. Reward systems are also the principal cause of conflict between employers and employees, and by far the most expensive part of people management. As such, their management principally entails the management of risk.
You will build a reward system from scratch. By utilising the full range of contextual analysis and organisational mechanisms you will enable the system to properly balance the inherent risks over conflict and resources, with the intention of optimising the potential for employee performance. This will entail the development of strategic reward objectives and their implementation through the design of: job and pay structures; pay policies; and pay for performance approaches.
This research-rich learning will draw upon existing knowledge of motivation, whilst developing knowledge of the application and effectiveness of reward and performance management. Much of this knowledge will be technical and skill-based, though you will also develop an understanding of important tensions and contradictions implicit in this area of management. The management of reward concerns the allocation of valuable organisational resources, this inevitably requires the recognition and resolution of conflicts of interest. The management of performance is also riven with controversy, which you will learn to navigate effectively.
The centrality of reward and performance management highlights the value of this module for your future career.

In this research-based module you will experience a comprehensive coverage of research methods and analysis that will prepare you both for work placement or study abroad opportunities alongside preparation for your final-year “capstone” research module of either Dissertation, Management Enquiry or Consultancy Project and for your future employment, enterprise or entrepreneurial activity.

You will learn how to develop a research question, and linked to this, be able to choose an appropriate method of research, dovetailing both learning experiences to the development of a critical assessment of the academic literature. You will gain a basic understanding of research philosophy, whilst the coverage and importance given to research ethics will play an important part of your learning within the module and you will appreciate as part of your learning how this underpins research of quality and integrity. The role of Ethics in research will cover study design, participant selection, data collection, data handling and storage and presentation of research findings.

You will learn how to apply quantitative and qualitative methods. In the quantitative applications, you will learn about questionnaire design, sampling, presenting and summarising data, statistical inference and hypothesis testing. You will have the opportunity to use a range of appropriate software tools, including Excel and SPSS. In the qualitative part of the module, techniques covered will include interviewing and focus groups to collect data, supported by analysis methods including content analysis and thematic analysis. You will learn how to execute a critical and effective analysis of your research data for both approaches, as well as appreciating the importance of piloting.

The relationship between an employer and its employees is regulated by employment law, thereby providing a framework for HR Professionals and other managers making key people decisions. Both large and small-scale decisions made by employers such as recruitment, development, and changing, or implementing, policies, procedures and terms and conditions, all require a knowledge of employment law implications.
Through this module you will develop your introductory understanding of key areas of, and differing perspectives on, UK employment law with the aim of providing advice and protecting employers from discriminatory and unlawful practices. This practical knowledge is underpinned with an initial consideration of how employment law is created and how to source reliable information on employment law. You will focus upon how to apply employment law in practical and realistic employment scenarios. These case studies are drawn from ongoing issues for HR professionals including recruitment, pay, discipline, grievance, capability, as well as common areas of case law, such as discrimination. You will practically examine how organisational policies, procedures and employment practices can be adapted to take account of current and future developments in employment law. You will also develop understanding of the UK Employment Tribunal process and appeals against its judgments.
Upon completion of this module you will be equipped to demonstrate your knowledge, understanding and application of employment law which will be invaluable for you in your graduate human resources and/or management role.

The aim of this module is for you to develop a comprehensive understanding of the roles of ‘Marketing Planning’ and ‘Marketing Research’ in a successful organisation. Having already developed basic skills in research, this module will provide you with an understanding of how marketing planning and marketing research can assist managers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in their relentless pursuit of gaining competitive advantage.

First, the basics of marketing research are presented, enabling you to develop skills in applied qualitative and quantitative research. You will then learn the fundamentals of marketing planning, underpinned by the core components of the marketing mix and analysis frameworks and will then learn how to use marketing research in order to underpin marketing planning.

Upon completion of the module, you will be able to:

• Describe and explain the key theoretical terms and concepts of marketing research. You will furthermore receive first-hand experience of qualitative and quantitative marketing research in the interest of developing qualitative and quantitative marketing research skills.
• Describe and explain the key theoretical terms and concepts of marketing planning. In addition, you will have the appropriate skills to develop research-driven marketing plans.
• Make use of qualitative and quantitative research findings in the development of evidence-driven marketing strategy and marketing plans.

This module provides you with an understanding of the strategic marketing principles and tools used by retailers to satisfy both transactional and relational objectives.

You will consider the principles of retailing and how they translate into the practice of digital alternatives which have evolved in this vibrant sector, enabling retailers to engage and interact with customers across various platforms and touchpoints.

The following three themes will be covered within this module:

• The Principles of Retailing: Its role and importance to the economy and to customers and their decision-making process.
• The Retail Mix: An applied marketing mix (e.g. buying and selling, merchandising, service, store environment and image, digital alternatives).
• The Digital Revolution: How technology has impacted and evolved the retail function into a multichannel approach for ‘media meshing’ customers, requiring different approaches to the standard Retail Mix

On completion of this module you will be able to link theory to practice and analyse the options for different trading platforms for diverse types of product and service offerings and target markets. You will interpret and rationalise solutions to a range of business problems across alternative business retail models.

The module will encourage you to think about the relationships that companies have with their customers over a period of time, rather than view each customer purchase as an individual ‘transaction’. Given the increasing use of online business models and consumer savviness of how to move between suppliers, the importance of managing the customer experience has never been higher. With this in mind you will address the following:

• Customer Journey Mapping: You will also be introduced to the principles of managing the customer decision making journey and the company-customer touchpoints that occur prior, during and post-consumption.
• Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: You will consider how customer satisfaction is defined and measured in practice and reflect on the relationship between satisfaction and customer loyalty (incorporating the use of loyalty schemes). This will include appreciating relevant metrics such as net promoter scores.
• Customer Feedback and Complaint Handling: You will consider how organisations should respond to negative scenarios with a view to retaining customers and limiting reputational damage.
• Introduction to Database Marketing: As part of understanding customer relationships, you will be introduced to the principles of using a database to manage the customer relationship.

This module involves you developing a foundational knowledge of key marketing communication methods, content marketing and learning to appreciate the basics of the ‘conversation’ that surrounds brands and campaigns on various platforms (including online).

The taught component of the module will include the following broad topics but will naturally evolve to include the most current developments in this fast-changing field:

Marcomms methods (i.e. - the Marketing Communications Mix).
Different channels to engage customers (offline / online).
The digital platforms and channels as an increasingly important aspect of modern marketing.
The borderless nature of the modern marketing environment - the audience can be, and often is, global.
Messages, big ideas and stories - developing a basic understanding of what engages audiences (i.e. - the ‘content’ of marketing campaigns).
The ‘word on the street’ - considering the fundamental elements of the ‘buzz’, hype, or conversation around a brand or company’s marketing campaign.
Measurement behind the methods – the basics of tracking and measuring the effectiveness of marketing communications on various platforms.
Ethical limits of marketing communications – appreciating that some messages are inappropriate or unfair for some audiences.

You will learn the key theories and principles of logistics and supply chain management and the knowledge and skills of applying these in real business practices. The module is delivered to you using weekly lectures and seminars, the seminars principally concentrate on the development of your discipline-specific problem solving skills and associated “soft skills”, e.g. communication and presentation competencies.

Within this module, you will cover the following main topics:
• Logistics in manufacturing and service
• SCOR model
• Order management
• Demand management
• Inventory management
• Distribution strategy
• Sourcing management
• Supply chain coordination
• Supply chain network design
• Transportation management
• Global supply chain management
• The future of supply chain management

The module will lead you to the development of supply chain management competencies and confidence in handling complex problems relating to logistics, supply chain and their inter-relationship. In doing so, it will expose you to a wide range of quantitative or qualitative models and techniques that support the analysis relating these problems. You will therefore become knowledgeable about the theory and practice of logistics and supply chain management and skilful in the use of various related tools and techniques.

On completing the module, you will be able to apply the theories and principles to analyse logistics and supply chain problems in a variety of business applications. You will be capable of identifying the root causes of various supply chain problems and be capable of proposing relevant solutions.

Your learning on this module captures global contemporary operations and supply chain challenges and issues, its contribution to organisational strategies and the development of competency in related tools. You will develop as an active learner and your learning on this module is three-fold:

1. This module provides you with an underpinning knowledge about international operations management, your learning underpinned by investigating the ongoing developments in both related theory and practice set in the global context. You will learn strategic theories and gain knowledge associated with common operations and supply chain management themes during interactive weekly lectures and seminars. The key themes include:
• Introduction to operations management
• Process, product and service design
• Global supply chain management
• Operations planning
• Global operations sustainability
• Quality management
• Resource and capacity planning
• Global procurement management
• Lean management
• Global location management
• Global logistics management
• Global supply chain risk management

2. This module will seek to develop your practical problem solving skills related to the global operations and supply chain context by analysing contemporary issues through interactive case study analysis that are central to weekly seminars. You will have opportunity to analyse cases relevant to each theoretical theme above and be able discuss these with your fellow learners with facilitation by your seminar tutor.

3. This research-informed module also aims at developing your research skills. You will have opportunity to learn more about critical reading and writing of the peer reviewed academic journal articles that enable you to develop the necessary and significant skills required to execute your research–intensive assessment tasks in this module and other modules as you progress through your programme.

The Study Abroad Semester module is a semester long 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which include the option to study abroad in Semester 2 of Year 2. You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits.

The study abroad placement is an important element of your course structure and gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning.

When taken and passed the study abroad semester will be recognised in your transcript as a 60 credit Study Abroad Module. The learning and teaching on your study abroad placement will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded in the learning agreement signed by you, the host University, and the University.

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of and an introduction to the application of key strategic decision making aspects and their interface with cultural contexts. The module extends and develops your learnings from Level 4 (in Global Business Environment). The introduction to global forces shaping international business and the macro business environments at level 4- are taken forward to engage strategic frameworks that businesses may deploy to inform international business.

1. Key cultural paradigms in relation to international business
2. Cultural differences as the Big C in CAGE framework and its application
3. International market entry and growth
4. Introduction to IB strategy frameworks such as Porter’s national diamond, CAGE framework (extending the analytical perspective provided by the Big C, triple A framework and the Bartlett and Ghoshal continuums of choices. Porter’s five forces and generic strategies also put in context)
5. Communicating across cultures
6. Identify and evaluate the issues relating to the management of internationally mobile employees
7. International business protocol
8. Ethics and Responsible Business in context of growth, localised contexts of international markets and managing the value chain in international business

On this module you will consider the management issues in relation to growth and resourcing for international business management. It is designed from a real world relevant point of view, and examines practical situations, with topical cases being used in seminars to highlight issues.

This module develops many of the concepts you were introduced to on the level 4 core modules “Financial Decision Making” and “International Business Environment”. In particular you will study:

• Mergers and Acquisitions including valuation issues in an international M&A context.
• Alliances, Joint Ventures and IB Networks
• Organic growth : coordination, coopetition and concentration premises
• Choosing and designing an appropriate growth strategy
• Investing in growth (investment decisions) and raising international finance
• Financial goals and corporate governance
• Investment environment volatility and international business currency
• Working capital management
• Professional and business ethical behaviour in an international financial management context.

This module will complement your studies in “Global and International Business Context” and “Performance Management”. Both of which are co-requisites of this module.

Completion of the course will ensure that you have the required knowledge to progress your studies in international business management.

Some enterprises are ‘born global’ – they operate internationally from the start. Such companies stand out because of the way, speed and scale they gain presence, revenues and market share in several countries simultaneously. They differ not only in their strategic and operational ambition, but also in the way their founders learn, make decisions and use networks creating powerful alliances.

This module will help you gain knowledge and understanding of ‘born global’ firms, their key characteristics, how they are launched and developed. Using case studies, you will also learn about internationalization strategies and learning processes of born globals. You will use your learning to develop a launch plan for a born global startup in your chosen industry.

The topics you will study will draw from the following themes:
• Born global firms: definitions, examples, characteristics, types
• Born global firms: case studies
• International Entrepreneurship: speed, scale and patterns
• Strategies for international success
• Thinking differently: learning processes of born global and their founders
• Use of networks and alliances
• Dilemmas: rapid growth vs control trade-off
• Planning to launch a ‘born global’ startup

Successful entrepreneurship requires a broad understanding of management processes and techniques ranging from finance to strategy, HR and organisational behaviour. This module provides you with an overview of key management techniques and ideas which will be useful in your future entrepreneurial career. You will learn some basic concepts from a range of management disciplines with a focus on essential skills and their application in the entrepreneurial business.

Topics will include the following:

Foundations of strategic management
Entrepreneurial finance
HRM for new businesses
Organisational culture in the entrepreneurial business

This module aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand how the emergence of the digital economy has created opportunities and challenges for international business. The module is delivered through lectures and seminars.

The module will cover the following issues:

• The scale and scope of electronic commerce
• Digital infrastructures
• Digitalisation and international business
• International institutions and the digital economy
• Transnational businesses and national governance structures
• International digital platforms

Through this module you will gain skills enabling you to analyse the growth and developing of the international digital economy. On completing the module, you will appreciate the scale, scope and dynamism of the international digital economy.

Tourism and events are important social phenomena in contemporary times with significant impacts on societies around the globe. This module breaks the mould of approaching tourism and events as self-contained activities to develop a critical awareness of the relationships of tourism and events with culture, place and society. It takes fun, play and celebration seriously, placing tourism and events at the heart of modern life rather than as a peripheral feature added on after. It also reveals the ritual, performative and embodied dimensions of tourism and events experiences

The module provides an up-to-date overview of social sciences approaches to tourism and events drawing on ideas from sociology, geography anthropology and history. Some of the topics you will cover include the invention of tourism, events in modernity, authenticity and performativity, host and guest relationships, tourism art, the tourist gaze, embodiment, gender and sexuality, ritualization and tradition, transgressive and transformational events, tourism and its discontents, over tourism, youth cultures and night life economies

In this module you will develop a critical awareness of the main challenges and inequalities in tourism and events, supported by international case study examples and opportunities for critical debate. Special attention will be given to the social and environment tensions and frictions that tourism and events create as well as the various attempts to develop a more responsible approach to tourism and events. You will learn to develop a sustained reasoned argument where you research and assess paradigms, theories, principles, concepts and factual information, and apply such skills in explaining and solving questions.

This module will provide you with the knowledge and a critical understanding of the management of travel and tourism offerings both packaged and unpackaged. The module analyses the pivotal role of principals (accommodation, airlines and attractions), intermediaries, such as tour operators and destination management companies, in the creation and distribution of tourism commodities. You will develop an appreciation of the complex management and operational challenges faced by managers when planning, marketing and operating responsibly in host destinations.

The module commences with sector overview providing an understanding of the external environment, researching strategic opportunities for new products and developments. It addresses the key operational, consumer and host destination supplier management challenges, within the political and legal constraints of tourism management in a global context. The creation of products offerings is examined, with attention being paid to special interest tourism and the complex supply chain necessary in creating such products. The intricacies and relationships between these actors are analysed and you will develop a working insight into the business of suppliers and management organisations including contracting, digital enterprises and crisis management. Your studies will highlight the importance of cost-effective dissemination though e-mechanisms and traditional distribution agents. You will examine the key issues in management operations such as customer service, product innovation and the sharing economy within the associated legal and regulatory frameworks.