Professional Skills and Relationship Management
| Module title | Professional Skills and Relationship Management |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEF1028DA |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
This module is designed to support the development of your existing skills to become a more effective financial service professional in your team and organisation. This module will focus on developing advanced computing and information skills as well as it will explore the strategies and skills essential for building and maintaining strong client relationships within the banking sector. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the techniques or methods needed to demonstrate, reflect on and critically analyse the impact of your activity and behaviours on your team and organisation. It will further emphasize understanding customer needs, delivering personalized financial solutions, and maintaining trust to enhance client satisfaction and loyalty. The module will draw from case studies and examples to consider the nature of commercial relationships and help to synthesise complex factors in order to develop a robust relationship management methodology.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective workplace performance and for efficient management of client relationships in the banking sector. The module focuses on developing key competencies such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, critical thinking, and digital literacy. The module also fosters critical thinking, digital and financial literacy, ethical awareness, and adaptability—skills that are vital for navigating the complexities of modern business practice and for building a strong platform for career development and professional growth in a dynamic and diverse global business environment. Students will learn how to apply relationship management techniques to support client retention, cross-selling, and long-term value creation in a highly regulated and competitive environment.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Explain the principles and significance of relationship management in the context of retail and corporate banking.
- 2. Apply customer relationship management tools and techniques to enhance client engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty.
- 3. Analyse the evolving nature of banking, regulations, and legislation to adapt relationship management strategies effectively.
- 4. Develop and implement customer retention, acquisition, and development strategies to develop long-term banking relationships.
- 5. Gather and organise the appropriate facts and evidence, evaluate information quickly and draw accurate conclusions in order to solve problems and implement effective decision making
- 6. Utilize digital tools and platforms relevant to contemporary business practices, including data management and presentation software.
- 7. Develop advanced spreadsheet modelling skills to analyse and interpret financial data effectively
- 8. Recognize and apply ethical and professional standards, understanding their impact on business practices and decision-making.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 9. Develop critical arguments both of self and of module-related theories that support and deepen learning.
- 10. Discuss, evaluate and practise managing relationships across multiple and diverse stakeholders, including an evaluation of the impact.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 11. Apply key relationship management skills, including communication, negotiation, and networking, to enhance client engagement
- 12. Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills suitable for professional business contexts.
Syllabus plan
Indicative topics:
- Spreadsheet analysis for financial research, advanced word processing, visualisation, PowerPoint applications and report presentation
- Business writing, digital literacy (productivity tools, online professionalism) and interpersonal communication
- Critical thinking and decision-making
- Role and importance of relationship management
- Relationship banking vs. transactional banking
- Customer Segmentation and Targeting: Retail vs. corporate client needs
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools and technologies used in banking
- Ethical considerations in client interactions
- Identifying and managing relationship-related risks
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 270 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 30 | Masterclasses (in-person and online) |
| Guided Independent Study | 270 | Research, reading contents on ELE, assessment preparation and web-based activities including external resources if applicable. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly exercise questions | 10-20 minutes | 1-12 | Online answer feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case analysis/presentation | 50 | Equivalent to 2000-word report or a 15-minute presentation | 1-12 | Marks and individual feedback |
| Coursework assignment | 50 | 3000-word report | 1-12 | Marks and individual feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case analysis/presentation | 50%, Equivalent to 2000-word report or a 15-minute presentation | 1-12 | In line with university regulations |
| Coursework assignment | 50%, 3000-word written assignment | 1-12 | In line with university regulations |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
?
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Recommended text:
- Cottrell, S. (2021) Skills for success: personal development and employability. Palgrave Macmillan
- Narayana, D., Ranjan, Sharad and Tyagi, Nupur (2023). Basic Computational Techniques for Data Analysis. An Exploration in MS Excel. Routledge.
- Goulding, S., & Abley, R. (2018). Relationship management in banking: principles and practice (Vol. 4). Kogan Page Publishers.
- Day, T. (2018) Success in Academic Writing. Palgrave Study Skills. Palgrave Macmillan.
Supplementary text:
- Cottrell, S (2017) Critical Thinking Skills; Developing Effective Analysis, argument and reflection. Palgrave Macmillan
- Prior, D. D., Buttle, F., & Maklan, S. (2024). Customer relationship management: Concepts, applications and technologies. Taylor & Francis.
- Paul, D., Cadle, J., & Thomas, P (2012) The Human Touch: Personal Skills for Professional Success. BCS: UK
ELE – Web-based and electronic resources will be posted and made available throughout the module
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 20/08/2025 |
