BSc Business (Cornwall)

BEP1010: Business and Society

This module is designed to help you to broaden your understanding of the relationships between business and society through a focus on responsibility. Throughout the module you will be engaging in case study work, debate and independent research. Your adaptability will be assessed through exercises that will challenge you to examine Business and Society from a variety of perspectives.

The aims of this module are to:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the relationships between business and society
• Explore emerging trends in the environment in which business operates
• Consider the responsibilities of different groups and individuals in contemporary society

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BEP1020: Business Practice and Analysis

Business Practice and Analysis introduces students to professional practice through applied, project-based learning and supported engagement with organisations. The module is designed to help you develop confidence, agency and clarity in relation to your skills, interests and future career direction.

The module focuses on the third sector and alternative not-for-profit organisations. You will explore how these organisations operate in practice, including their commercial and resourcing realities, and the graduate-level roles and projects that support their missions and objectives.

As part of the module, you will undertake an applied placement or project-based engagement of approximately 60 hours with a third sector or alternative not-for-profit organisation.

You will be supported to analyse the needs and context of organisations, and to design and justify a graduate-level role or project that reflects both organisational priorities and your own developing professional interests. These roles or projects may be bespoke, co-designed with organisations, or proposed by students in response to identified organisational needs.

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BEP1030: Operations Management: A Sustainable Perspective

Operations management is applicable in manufacturing and all aspects of the service sector, from small retailers and professionals to banks and insurance companies, hospitals and utilities. The module presents three main topics: the design of the product/service; the control of the product/service; and improving how the product/service is delivered with recognition of sustainability throughout. You will be expected to evaluate and analyse information under these topics to develop some understanding of the complexities of managing modern-day operations. The module will help you gain an insight into the importance of managing people, processes and systems to deliver sustainable value.

The aim is to introduce you to a broad range of operations management concepts, within the context of systems theory. In addition to introductory sessions which explore the characteristics of operations management and systems, three broad areas provide the framework for study:

• Design - including product/service, process, supply chain, layout & flow, and job design.
• Planning and control - including capacity, supply chain, lean and quality.
• Improvement - including performance measurement/improvement methods, process reliability, thematic change programmes/philosophies (e.g. TQM).

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BEP1040: Marketing in a Digital Age

This module will introduce you to aspects of traditional marketing management theory and its application to developments in the new media environment. It will analyse the communications methods and technological advances in developing campaigns, acquiring new customers, managing and maintaining crucial existing customer relationships. Drawing on examples from social media, digital advertising, media buying, analytics, branding and strategic communications, this module will enable you to examine and critique the many different techniques and tools now available to marketing professionals for managing customer relationships and maximising targeted exposure. Case studies will examine the possibilities of delivering value to organisations and their clients through digital communications and marketing. This module will feature a practical component where you will develop your own search optimisation campaign. By the end of this module you will be familiar with the technology and techniques strategically utilised by digital marketing practitioners to increase reach, sales and adoption of their services, ideas and products.

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BEP1070: Accounting

Financial literacy is an important skill in the business world. It helps you to understand how you can support the mission of any organisation and how you can add (or destroy) value. Whether you are an employee, a small business owner or in management of a larger business, understanding the principles of accounting helps you to understand the financial operations of the organisation.

The module incorporates the Colour Accounting Learning System™, an innovative way of presenting financial information using colour and diagrams. At the heart of the system is a diagram called the BaSIS Framework™ that is a holistic and graphical view of a balance sheet and income statement. It is highly creative and involves colour, movement, language, visualisation and breathtaking simplicity.

We examine the principles of accounting and financial statements and explore how to understand them.

The aim of this module is to provide you with a foundation in accounting literacy, which leads to financial literacy and ultimately to business acumen. You will be introduced to the recording of transactions, the content of financial statements, and the interpretation financial information.

The focus of the module is from the perspective of a user of financial information.

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BEP1080: Theory and Practice of Management

This module introduces you to the interplay between management theory and the digital reality of the modern workplace. You will learn how to structure complex business problems using foundational frameworks, and how to address them using applied data science and AI tools. Embedded within a context of responsible management, the module fosters critical debates on the role of technology in business, equipping you with the practical skills to develop evidence-based and sustainable business proposals.

The aim of this module is to bridge the gap between foundational management theory and the contemporary reality of AI-augmented decision-making. Operating within the context of Sustainable Futures, this module introduces you to the "art" of management (ethics, strategy, human behaviour) and mirrors it with the "science" of management (data interpretation, AI tools, and cooperation theory). Through a combination of lectures, case studies, and interactive activities, the module aims to develop your ability to think critically, solve problems, and adapt to the challenges of contemporary management practices following an evidence-driven approach.

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BEP1100: Understanding Work and Organisations

Organisations and organising refers to processes through which people are grouped in order to carry out and achieve common goals beyond the reach of individuals. In everyday life organisations are all around us and indeed, Peter Drucker who developed management as a discipline, stated that we live in a 'society of organisations'. We engage with organisations as customers, consumers, employees or through communities we live in or visit. Organisations and the wider labour market and environmental contexts in which they operate are therefore a fundamental part of the complex systems of society.

It is therefore important to develop some understanding and insight about how organisations interact with their environments, can be appropriately designed and effectively managed. This module does this through a combination of theoretical frameworks, practical, consultant-style activities with responsible AI use intergrated and part of the module's learning outcomes. It opens with an overview of the purpose and structure of organisations, activities within them - some ethical and some not - before mapping the relationship between organisations, their natural and labour market environments.

The module concludes with an attept to look into the future and discuss how changes in labour markers and organisational needs are likely to affect your career trajectories.

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BEP1120: Introduction to Economics

This module equips you with the tools and frameworks to analyse incentives and how changes in rules and environments shape behaviour. You will explore key economic concepts and learn to apply quantitative models that are relatively straightforward to use, to analyse economic phenomena. By emphasising real-world applications, the module will demonstrate how economic principles can be used to address business challenges and evaluate policy impacts. While the high-level ideas are applied within a business framework, they are relevant in many other situations and contexts.

This module presents an integrated approach to understanding the economic behaviour of economic actors, focusing on strategic decisions for economic organizations and the transactions they perform. The module aims to discuss a number of advanced topics in economic organization theory, institutional and organization economics, and theory of the firm of distinct relevance for management research.

In particular, this module aims to:

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BEP2020: Project Management

Managing projects is an everyday part of working and academic life. Learning the basic skills of how to organise your time, resources and effort (if you are running your own project) and those of a team, is essential for your future career.

This module is a mixture of a practical course and theory, which will equip you with the skills and knowledge you will need to run projects successfully. The module will be taught in a blended format, mixing online content, with practical tutorials and group work.

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BEP2030: Business Practice (Placement/Work Experience Project)

Gaining work related experience of a variety of work place situations is invaluable to you as you apply for jobs post-graduation. Research into the graduate recruitment market suggests that lack of previous work experience is likely to detriment entry to graduate employment. . BEP2030 builds on your previous learning and development and expands your professional capability and entrepreneurial awareness through a range of opportunities to engage with organisational practice and the work environment.

This module aims to continue your career and personal development journey, integrating practice and digital capability at a business engagement level. You will link theory and practice through a variety of experiential learning activities. You will develop transferable skills such as communication, networking, self-awareness and team working by working with a number of external businesses as well as collaborating with your peers. You will complete a placement or project and as part of this, have the opportunity to personalise your career development journey.

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BEP2040: Strategic Concepts for Business

Strategic thinking is important for all forms of organisation, and most managers are aware of the critical need to take a long-term view when developing strategy.

This module looks at how strategy is developed and enacted in practice across a variety of organisational contexts, from developing strategic business ideas, to strategy formulation and execution at multiple organisational levels, and with recognition of how a climate changing and digitally inter-linked economy demands decisions that will produce a value-creating strategy.

Students will engage with contemporary business strategy frameworks while critically examining their assumptions and limitations in complex and uncertain environments. Alongside established tools for analysing competitive positioning, capabilities and environments, the module introduces systems thinking, complexity and regenerative perspectives

The aim of the module is to equip students with the ability to strategise in complex, real-world conditions, integrating competitiveness, value creation, sustainability and systems awareness. Students will develop the capacity to analyse strategic issues from multiple perspectives and understand how strategic intent, vision and mission interact with wider economic, social and ecological systems. The module explicitly addresses the implications of the polycrisis for strategic management.

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BEP2050: Finance for Business

Finance is an essential part of running a business. Managers and entrepreneurs, whatever their specialism, require a working knowledge of finance to design and implement business plans, manage risk and monitor performance. This module will explore a range of key financial concepts to equip you with the knowledge that you need to understand the role of finance in business and how to use financial information to make effective business decisions.

This module will introduce you to the theory and practice of finance in business. You will be exposed to real financial issues and decisions that you may face as a company director, manager, entrepreneur or specialist professional (e.g., lawyer, accountant or management professional). This module will also build the foundations for further exploration of the wider worlds of corporate finance and investment management should you wish to do so in the future.

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BEP2060: Research Inquiry for Practice

The Research Inquiry for Practice is a compulsory module on the BSc Business programme. Its core aim is to prepare you for making decisions based on evidence from quantitative (number-based) and qualitative (word-based) data. The module will equip you with core research skills which will allow you to manage your dissertation research project as well as offer research-based advice to businesses in the present, information-driven world.

On completing the module, you will be able to design an appropriate research strategy for data collection, analyse both qualitative and quantitative data, as well as present it in the most impactful way. Finally, you will be familiar with selected software packages to analyse data.

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BEP2210: Circular Enterprise Economy

There is a mounting interest in rethinking and redesigning business strategies in the context of ever-increasing social-ecological crises. What has become apparent is that the assumption of an ever-expanding economy is not compatible with operating within the planetary boundaries, in a safe and just space for humanity. This calls into question the inherently intertwined relationship between infinite economic growth, business operations, and ever-expanding markets, from raw material extraction to post-consumption disposal and waste. What it is openly questioned is the capacity to sustain endless economic growth on a planet with finite resources, which is not only harmful to the natural ecosystems that support human life but to human life itself. Most notably, expansion, extraction, and pollution/intoxication have been carried out at the expense of human communities, not just natural ecosystems, but also future generations, particularly in the Global South.

Given this background, in this module, we will engage in learning activities that enable students to investigate business strategy in relation to sustainability and circularity as a theme that crosses subject boundaries. The module intends to form and frame a learning path for developing knowledge and understanding of transitioning to more socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and circular business models.

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BEP2001: Business Beyond Profit

This module offers you the opportunity to explore how businesses can balance their environmental and social goals with financial sustainability, applying academic learning in a real-world context. The module will introduce you to different forms of business that do not necessarily prioritise profit -this will include Third Sector organisations, Social Enterprises, non-profits and not-for-profit organisations.

You will receive structured guidance about how and why these different forms of business are established and using a variety of techniques you will gain a comprehensive understanding of business development for environmental and social purposes. Invited guest speakers will share their insights and expertise of different aspects, challenges and considerations of developing and managing a 'business beyond profit'.

This module aims to enable you to understand the role, significance and importance of businesses who have considerations and commitments beyond profit, and the principles on which such organisations function. Introductory sessions will provide definitions, frameworks and boundaries, and through collaborative and problem-based approaches you will explore the following key areas:

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BEP2110: Workplace Wellbeing

Hybrid working, physical and mental ill-health, work-life balance, toxic workplace environments, leadership and culture are all critical factors which organisations must consider in order to create positive work spaces . In parallel, an aging population in the UK, rising demand for human capital, techological advancements, and significant talent gaps which are forecast for Western economies are additional incentives for improving the wellbeing, engagement and productivity of workers.

This makes it necessary to develop broader understanding both of policies and practices which support positive work spaces, as well as the actions which detriment them.

This module will start from the assumption of redefining wellbeing - as a state of being that is shaped by engagement and other workplace factors as much as by physical and psychological health, hence making wellbeing central to business strategy, which opens an important new avenue to increasing organisational effectiveness, boosting workforce productivity, driving business performance and realising core strategic goals.

In this module we examine the political, social and philosophical dimensions behind modern business approaches to employee wellbeing and responsible business practice, and the extent to which a biopsychosocial approach is a critical factor in developing strategies to address the challenges of the future .

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BEP2190: Understanding Financial Statements

Financial accounting is that branch of accounting that focuses on producing information for external users of financial reports, including shareholders and lenders . The information produced by the financial reporting system is crucial for the efficient operation of world financial markets. This information manifests itself in the form of the annual report, issued by all companies (the financial statements forming part of the annual report).

The module begins by examining financial reporting in context (the landscape of accounting; key characteristics of businesses; how businesses create value and the purpose of financial statements). This is followed by a review of the mechanics of the accounting system using the Colour Accounting Learning System. Next is a discussion of financial reporting standards (a brief history of accounting standards; an overview of the IASB and IFRS Accounting Standards and the regulatory environment in which financial reporting operates).

Following on from the introduction above, the main focus of the module is then an understanding of the main components of a set of financial statements:

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BEP3172: Future 17: Sustainable Development Goals Challenge

Future17 is designed to develop the skills needed to collaboratively tackle 21st Century global challenges and to work with professionals to create pathways towards innovative solutions to real-world issues that relate to one or more of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Future17 enables students to collaborate with learners from a consortium of global partner universities in international, interdisciplinary and multicultural teams to tackle challenges through projects defined by third-party organisations (businesses, charities, NGOs etc.). Students will first undertake an online induction programme that will develop skills for collaborative, challenge-based and inter-cultural learning, which promotes forms of Design Thinking for tackling global challenges. They will then work with academic and third-party mentors to diagnose a sustainable development challenge and develop an approach for developing one or more solutions. They will be assessed on the basis of a 1500 project report and presentation to a panel including representatives of the third-party organisation that set the challenge and academic staff from the partner universities along with other student groups at a showcase event.

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BIO2425: Introduction to Ecological Consultancy

Ecological consultants advise clients on wildlife and conservation issues. This is therefore a fantastic career path for students with an interest in wildlife and the outdoors. In this module, you will be given an overview of the key techniques and processes that are involved in a career in terrestrial ecological consultancy. You will learn about protected species legislation in the UK and gain an understanding of the ecology and survey methodology of key protected species (including bats, otters, badgers, reptiles, dormice, water voles and great crested newts). The module will also cover habitat surveys and desk studies, and provide an opportunity to develop UK field identification skills.

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CGE2440: Geographical Information Science and Systems

How can spatial information be used to effectively manage the natural environment? In this module you will learn how to use geographical information software to analyse environmental data. In a major piece of coursework you will use Cornwall as a natural laboratory to investigate where to situate a nature reserve for conservation of the nationally rare silver studded blue butterfly.

This module aims to develop your understanding of the theoretical and practical skills required to create and manage complex spatial datasets for environmental purposes. The ability to use and understand GIS is a highly employable skillset. In addition, through weekly computer practicals, you will further enhance your professional skills in problem solving (linking theory to practice, being able to respond to novel and unfamiliar problems), time management and decision making.

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ECE2001: Oceans and Human Health

Around 80% of people live in close proximity to the sea globally. Coasts, seas and the global Ocean provide a wealth of ecosystem services, from dietary protein to recreation, but also pose many dangers, from flooding to harmful algal blooms. Our seas are under increasing threat from overexploitation, climate change and pollution. This has important direct and indirect consequences for human health and wellbeing now and in the future. You will examine the wellbeing, resilience, and sustainability of coastal human populations and ecosystems in the face of rapid global environmental change. You will cover a range of pressing marine environmental issues (e.g. plastic pollution, sea level rise and ocean acidification) integrating insights from fields as diverse as Geography, Biology, Social Sciences, Public Health and Medicine.

Delivered in Penryn, this module is part of the Medical Science Program. However, the module is highly interdisciplinary in focus, and is open to students enrolled in different programs, for example Marine Biology or Environmental Sciences.

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LAW2016C: Environmental Regulation and Redress

If you are concerned about environmental destruction and ensuring accountability on a global basis, then learning to articulate your argument and back it up with a sound grasp of the law might help you to make a real difference! The module will help you establish a working knowledge of how the law can be used as a mechanism to reconcile competing values in the protection of the environment and seeks to develop an understanding of the legal avenues available to mitigate environmental harm. As an environmentally aware individual, how can you use the law to prevent harm and what can you do if you feel that another individual or business has committed an environmental wrong? How can legal tools be used to redress and repair environmental harm? As you progress through the module, you will discover answers to these and other questions.

You will look at the role of national and international law in setting environmental standards. You will critically reflect on the extent to which the law across the world, including indigenous laws and cultural norms, might be used to embed pro-environmental and sustainable behaviour.

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POC2018: National and Community Identity

Identity politics is a topic which infuses all levels of political debate, from big questions around ethnicity and race, to smaller, and more subtle questions, such as what can I absorb into my identity? This latter puzzle carries enormous implications that reverberate throughout both domestic and global politics. In this module you will explore how identities function both within communities and groups, but also regarding an individuals sense of self, and what problems and possibilities this opens.

The first part of the module develops a range of theoretical tools, which later are applied to specific and topical case studies, encouraging students to think critically around some 'taken for granted' issues.

Whilst prior studies of politics would be an advantage (particularly around political analysis, international studies and policy), interdisciplinary students would also find this a satisfying topic within which to engage.

This module explores the politics of identity, through the concepts of memory, belonging, otherness and difference.

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POC2108: Political Geographies: Local to Global

Our political identities, communities, debates, and activities both take place and make place . The conditions we live in, and our sense of alternatives, are shaped by the specifics of the places in which we are located. And how we navigate these conditions and pursue these alternatives - how we engage in politics - give material and symbolic shape to the world we inhabit. Drawing on critical feminist and decolonial contributions, this module engages the politics of how we position ourselves in the world, in our research and in everyday life. This module begins by introducing debates about the language of local and global space, place and politics. Similarly, it introduces interdisciplinary 'methods' by examining the politics of knowledge: how we define, feel, understand, and communicate politics, space and place, not only through writing but also through aesthetics and images, sensory encounters, and outdoor activities. The module then examines the dominant modern political geography of the state, from which we get specific versions of individual, local, regional and international space. Finally, we will use current political issues - such as (but not bound to) decolonization movements, urban development battles, refugee claims, climate emergency and Indigenous sovereignty claims - to assess how contemporary political life might generate different forms of space and place. We will read across disciplines of politics and IR, geography and geopolitics, and environmental, feminist, Indigenous, and postcolonial political geographies. By the end of the module, you will be able to describe and critically engage different accounts of political space and place, and the forms of political subjectivity, political community, and political analysis that emerge from these accounts.

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POC3103: The Resource Paradox: Blessing or Curse?

To meet global targets of decarbonisation and reach Net 0, there will need to be a significant expansion of mining. In this interdisciplinary module you will look at some of the social, economic and political ramifications of resource extraction around the world, with a focus on critical minerals. This module seeks to situate extraction within a broader nexus of security and development to go beyond dichotomous discussion about if these industries promote or impede 'development' and instead question how varied practices around the world challenge and complicate our understanding of what development is, how it happens and what it means in the first place. Natural resources drive the economies and technologies of the developed world but they also have a huge impact on developing societies. The challenges associated with extractive industries have different manifestations and complexities in different locations, and across local, national and global scales. The international community is deeply implicated in the complex political crises that can emerge not only because it drives extractive industries but also because of the global governance mechanisms through which a wide range of actors engage in local contexts.

No specialist knowledge, skills or experience are required to take this module. It is suitable for specialist and non-specialist students. The module is suitable for students studying Politics, Geography, FCH and History.

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BEP3002: Business School Industrial Experience (Penryn)

Summary:

This module allows you to undertake and to learn from an extended work placement during the third year of a four year With Industrial Experience 'WIE' programme. To progress to this module, you will have completed BEP2180 in your 2nd year and BEP1130 in 1st year (or be on BSc Business Studies With Industrial Experience programme), and will have secured a suitable placement which has been approved by the Business School.

Having developed the careers management skills necessary for a competitive graduate labour market, this is an invaluable opportunity to put the theory learned into practice in the workplace and to focus on your professional skills development.

Throughout your 'industry' year, you will receive guidance from an academic 'WIE tutor' and the Careers team, who will support and encourage you to fully maximise the developmental opportunities provided by your work experiences. Your personal development will also be supported through the completion of an assessed placement 'WIE PORTFOLIO', submitted in stages as you advance through your placement year.

Additional Information:

Internationalisation

You can undertake a work placement in the UK or elsewhere in the world. Overseas placements will be considered on a case-by case basis.

External Engagement

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BEP3100A: Year Abroad (Study and Work Placement)

This module is for undergraduate Business School students to study and work abroad in their 3rd of 4 years on the 'With Year Abroad' programme. With this module you can spend one semester studying at a European or non-European partner institution and 6 months' work placement abroad in a country of your choice.

An important element of international business is for you to understand the political, economic, and cultural differences between countries. By studying at another university and undergoing a work placement abroad as part of your degree programme, you will learn to think globally and come to understand how the world is interconnected through business. Adding an international component to your business degree, which may or not include learning of a foreign language, will make you more competitive in today's multicultural, global business environment. You will also have access to a range of modules, potentially in areas not offered at Exeter, taught in a different learning culture and therefore broadening your overall academic experience.

The module introduces you to the experience of academic study outside the UK, and, for some of you, a different language. It aims to challenge preconceptions and assumptions about higher education learning by exposing you to a different approach to academic study.

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BEP3100B: Year Abroad (Study)

This module is for undergraduate Business School students to study abroad in their 3rd of 4 years on the 'With Year Abroad' programme. With this module you can spend an academic year at one of the Business School's European partner institutions, a partner institution outside of Europe, or combine one semester study at a European and one semester at a non-European partner institution.

An important element of international business is for you to understand the political, economic, and cultural differences between countries. By studying at another university as part of your degree programme, you will learn to think globally and come to understand how the world is interconnected through business. Adding an international component to your business degree, which may or may not include learning of a foreign language, will make you more competitive in today's multicultural, global business environment. You will also have access to a range of modules, potentially in areas not offered at Exeter, taught in a different learning culture and therefore broadening your overall academic experience.

The module introduces you to the experience of academic study outside the UK, and, for some of you, a different language. It aims to challenge preconceptions and assumptions about higher education learning by exposing you to a different approach to academic study.

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BEP3100C: Year Abroad (Work Placement)

This module is for undergraduate Business School students to work abroad in their 3rd of 4 years on the 'With Year Abroad' programme. To progress to this module, you would have completed BSD2005 and would have found a suitable placement abroad for a minimum of 24 weeks and a maximum of 33 weeks.

An important element of international business is for you to understand the political, economic, and cultural differences between countries. By undergoing a work placement abroad as part of your degree programme, you will learn to think globally and come to understand how the world is interconnected through business. Adding an international component to your business degree, which may or may not include learning a foreign language, will make you more competitive in today's multicultural, global business environment.

The module assessment is designed to give you the opportunity to present and evaluate the knowledge and skills that you have developed and gained while on your year abroad work placement.

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BEP3010: Social and Technological Innovation

'Innovation' is one of the buzz words of current management thinking, but what does it mean? We are living in an age where everyone is looking for the 'next big thing', that's what innovation is, it is about having an idea, making it work and doing things differently. This module will examine different ways in which social and technological innovations have revolutionised how we do business and in turn how society operates. We will look at the theory behind innovation and apply it to current business case studies enabling you to analyse how certain businesses and organisations have used innovative practices to do things differently, for the benefit of society, the environment and in the process - their own competitive advantage.

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BEP3020: Practice-Based Consultancy Management

This module introduces you to the world of professional consultancy, with a particular focus on sustainability and contemporary business challenges. You’ll explore what consultants do, how the consulting profession works and why organisations increasingly turn to consultants to navigate complex issues.

Through real cases, research tasks, and a live or simulated consulting project, you will learn how to analyse business problems, work effectively with clients, and apply consultancy tools in practice. You’ll develop skills in problem‑solving, communication, professional relationship‑building, and project management—key capabilities for anyone considering consultancy or advisory roles.

You will also examine how consultancy theory translates into real‑world consulting work, gaining insight into client expectations, project protocols, risks and the barriers that affect implementation. Throughout the module, you’ll be encouraged to reflect on your experience, evaluate your impact, and learn how consultants adapt and make sound decisions when information is incomplete or situations are uncertain.

By the end of the module, you will have planned and delivered a consulting project to a defined brief and timeline, communicated your findings professionally and reflected critically on your development as an emerging consultant.

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BEP3030: Globalisation and Internationalisation

The aims of this module are to:

• Provide an understanding of the economic, social, political and technological factors that influence and shape businesses operating in the global economy
• Explore managerial processes within the international business environment
• Examine the ethical issues associated with global sourcing of labour, materials and production processes
• Critically analyse a global economy from an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible perspective
• Critically examine key managerial issues for companies operating internationally - including managing across cultures, business structures and strategies, entering global markets, multinational purchasing and supply, and international human resource management

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BEP3040: Local - Global Innovation (Cornwall Research Seminar Series)

We are facing critical sustainability challenges rooted in complex interrelations between social, economic, and ecological systems. As a result of globalisation, these challenges often have a transnational aspect and require global coordination. In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): a global agenda that is meant to provide a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet called. Nevertheless, achieving sustainable development and finding solutions to these global challenges, calls for local action.

This module will explore when and how local communities can be drivers for transformational change and tangibly impact global development goals

The objectives of this module are twofold. First, through encounters with practitioners, students will engage with real-life local innovation projects that seek to contribute to sustainable development. Second, students will analyse key theoretical perspectives that conceptualise sustainability, place-based action, and processes of change from the bottom up. The module invites critical questions, such as: How are global ideas translated and enacted in local contexts? How are innovation projects embedded in their social, economic, and cultural environments? How do actors mobilise local identities, and what implications does this have for legitimacy and responsibility? What role does radical imagination play in prefiguring local realities and pathways for change?

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BEP3050: Future-Facing Dissertation/Project

You will undertake your own in-depth study into a relevant topic related to your degree subject which interests you. Studying independently will provide the benefit of having the opportunity to plan and manage an individual research project, investigating a topic at a level not covered in the taught modules, successfully concluding in an extended written dissertation.

The dissertation will reflect the interdisciplinary and future-focus nature of the BSc Business programme and could also be linked to a work placement experience. Developing either a thematic dissertation or work related dissertation, or a 'hybrid' of the two could advance your employability. You will also develop your research and comprehension skills, and be able to articulate your selected specialism.

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BEP3003: Sustainability Accounting and Reporting

This module offers a comprehensive overview of the most current developments in environmental and sustainability accounting. You will learn about different accounting and reporting tools f or aiding organisations with the attainment of sustainable development goals. You will learn to recognise the potential and limitations of different methods, with a focus on integrated thinking or the concurrent management of and reporting on economic, environmental and social factors relevant for an organisation's value generation. Through practical exercises, you will familiarise yourselves with the valuation risk assessment and proactive management of environmental and social capitals including related accounting and reporting techniques. Through case studies, you will discuss worldwide examples including businesses, cities and countries.

This module aims to introduce students to multi-capital accounting, management and reporting techniques with a focus on theory and practice. The module covers:

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BEP3011: Business and Climate Change

This module is specifically designed for flexible learning and engagement with local communities . This module offers the opportunity for multidisciplinary study on a very wicked and complex topic that many businesses , policymakers and communiti es are very concerned about : Climate Change. In the lectures and classes, we will discuss the paradoxical role of business and climate change, addressing the following questions: How does climate change affect business? How can businesses develop climate change and net-zero strategies? How can business es potentially benefit from climate change? How do carbon markets work, and what are their limits and potential? Why do we find it so difficult to adopt less carbon - intensive lifestyles? What is the role of technology? What are the ethical issues that climate change raises? What are the responsibilities of business? How does business (and society at large) adapt to climate change? What does 'net-zero' mean? This module will address such questions, exploring the relationship between business and one of the, if not THE, most important question s of our time. As climate change requires immediate changes in behaviour and systems, w e will also apply our new-gained knowledge in practical settings . Students will form group s to work with local businesses, policymakers , and communities to bring about meaningful climate change action.

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BEP3070: Crisis: Change and Creativity in Organisations

This module examines how organisations cope with crises and manage profound change. The complex cultural, political and ethical issues faced by change agents will be examined in detail. Consideration will be given to how managers can be better prepared for the unpredictability, unintended outcomes and possible harmful consequences of change. The linear versus complexity mindsets will be examined from a critical perspective. The module aims to provide an understanding of both particular approaches and techniques for managing change, and the limitations of these approaches/techniques when applied in practice. Particular attention is given to the role of the consultant in the change management process. This module is concerned with the development of transferable skills - you will act as facilitators on real organisational change problems, thus enabling the students to operate as change agents.

The module incorporates a practical, creative thinking, organization-based case study assignment where students will be tasked with designing a change programme to tackle current complex challenges facing organisations.

The creation of sustainable and resilient organizations that enhance business, society and the environment is a key concern of this module.

This module aims to examine how organizations cope with crises and manage the impact of change.

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BEP3090: Business Field Trip

The 21st century has so far combined labour market flexibility, knowledge work, digital networking, globalisation and innovation to create a dynamic context, which businesses have to navigate in order to survive. However, to fully appreciate and gain an understanding of the challenges which contemporary organisations face, it is important that students engage in learning outside of the lecture theatre.

Building on existing knowledge of competitive business environments, the Business Field Trip module will allow students to scrutinise aspects of strategic human resource management, economic behaviour, marketing, enterprise and planning in real time. Students will also have the opportunity to visit a number of national and international institutions. The module aims to integrate and focus prior learning through the practical experience of a business field trip, which will also allow students to network, carry-out primary research and meet fellow students while maintaining a strong employability focus by building on existing skills and knowledge.

The BEP3090 is an elective module with a value of 15 credits and will be assessed though a combination of presentations and assignments. It is research-led, and will enable you to critique organisational contexts, while linking theory to practice and enabling you to partake in international learning, research and experiences in line with the Business School's overarching strategic aims.

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BEP3110: Marketing Strategy

This module will be of interest to those who wish to gain an understanding of how to take a strategic approach in marketing. Students will become familiar with techniques for analysing the internal and external environment so as to evaluate strategic choices for competitive advantage. Students will learn how to interpret marketing knowledge and analysis to critically evaluate current marketing plans, and formulate a coherent marketing strategy. Case studies are used to enhance your ' knowledge and skills of the real-life application of marketing management and strategy.

The module is suitable for both business and non-business students.

The aim of this module is to provide you with a relevant and comprehensive understanding of theory and concepts of strategic marketing in a global marketplace . You will learn how to interpret marketing knowledge and analysis to critically evaluate current marketing plans, and formulate a coherent marketing strategy. The analytical skills developed on this module are designed to provide you with a critical awareness of the importance of strategically managing the customer relationship process.

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BIO3037: Ecology of Environmental Change

The Earth's ecosystems are under unprecedented pressure from human activities and climate change. These impacts threaten biodiversity and the essential services our ecosystems provide.

Through this module you will get a science-based insight into the state of the Earth's ecosystems, the pressures put on them by the continued expansion of human activities and the prospects for sustainability. The module provides you with a good preparation for future citizenship along with training in data analysis for environmental science. Topics covered include the impact of climate change on ecosystems like coral reefs and the arctic, conservation of tropical forests and marine life, the improving the sustainability of agriculture and the food system, and making the science of ecology and conservation more equitable.

The aim of this module is to provide you with a better understanding of human impacts on the global environment. You will have the opportunity to evaluate the fundamental science that allows humans to understand their environment.

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CGE3437B: Climate Change and Society

The study of the human dimensions of climate change has been growing in momentum through research which attempts to describe and evaluate perceptions of climate change, understand more about risk and assess the construction of policy. Nevertheless, the work of social scientists in respect of climate change is clearly felt to be incomplete, judging by recent calls that important work still needs to be done to understand how individuals and communities respond to climate change based on ‘their needs, values, cultures, capacities, institutional forms and environmental features’. This module is of direct applied relevance to students interested in working in policy, government or consultancy.

This module explores how as a society we imagine, understand, communicate and respond to climate change. It explores climate change as the object of study of social scientists and humanities scholars, looking in particular at the unique contribution of human geography to this work. It explores some of the reasons why this global environmental problem has proved difficult to address, looking at key themes of adaptation, behaviour change, mitigation, attribution, scepticism and protest.

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