Business Awareness: Theory and Practice
| Module title | Business Awareness: Theory and Practice |
|---|---|
| Module code | BUS2001 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Mr Stephen Taylor (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 80 |
|---|
Module description
Summary:
This module is designed for students from outside the Business School who are looking for an introduction to business and management. The module is particularly suited to penultimate and final year students who are looking for greater business insight before entering the workplace.
Additional Information:
Internationalisation
The international dimensions of business is covered in this module, with a strong emphasis on the UK context.
Sustainability
We will focus on issues of how different types of institutions can build, manage and sustain their competitive advantage in various types of markets.
External Engagement
The focus of this module is not only to engage with core theories, concepts and empirical examples, but also to understand how institutions actually behave and perform in practice. Hence, a lot of material will be sourced from academic as well as from reputable business media references.
Employability
One of the aims of this module is to prepare students for graduate recruitment and they have the opportunity to develop appropriate skills throughout the module. This module helps students to be able to go into interviews and speak with authority about business environments, major trends and examples.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims to:
• Introduce students who have no prior academic study of business and management to the fundamental concepts of what a business is and what business does
• Enhance the employability of students taking the module
• Allow students to consider the impact of business on their own futures; as consumers, as employees and/or as entrepreneurs.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. understand major contemporary developments in the contemporary business environment
- 2. explain what business organisations do and how their activities are structured
- 3. improve the management of performance in different organisational settings
- 4. plan an effective programme of change management
- 5. advise and lead interventions designed to improve business ethics
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. illustrate what is involved in the activities of businesses
- 7. explain and interpret the theory and practice of management
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. apply critical thinking and problem-solving
- 9. write and verbally communicate proficiently
- 10. organise the material from the internet and the virtual learning environment (VLE)
- 11. apply independent and group study skills
Syllabus plan
• The contemporary trends in the global business environment and their future implications.
• The business of managing: managing and organising a business
• The principles of business ethics and corporate social responsibility
• Managing individual and team performance at work
• Managing change
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 114 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 36 | Lectures & Tutorials |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon's Den presentation | 15 minutes | 1-11 | Oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch based on the Dragons Den | 50 | 15 minutes | 1-11 | Oral and written feedback form |
| Exam | 50 | 90 minutes | 1-10 | Oral feedback plus summary on ELE |
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch based on the Dragon's Den (50%, 15 minutes) | Pitch based on the Dragon's Den (50%, 15 minutes) | 1-11 | Aug/Sep |
| Exam (50%, 90 minutes) | Exam (50%, 90 minutes) | 1-10 | Aug/Sep |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Smith, M (2011) Fundamentals of Management. Second Edition. McGraw Hill, London Wetherly, P & Otter, D (eds): The Business Environment: Themes and Issues. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Fourth Edition, 2018.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None. Please note this module is only available for students from outside the Business School. |
| Module co-requisites | None. |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/09/2009 |
| Last revision date | 14/07/2020 |
