Within this module you’ll explore the fields of management and strategy, noting how strategic analysis and formulation contribute to an organisations performance. You’ll explore practically relevant ideas and frameworks that facilitate strategy design and implementation, dealing with the craft of strategy, identifying and choosing superior competitive position, how to analyse strategic situations and how to create the organisational context to make the chosen strategy work. Practical and problemoriented, this module places emphasis on the application of concepts and exploration of frameworks to assist you in analuysing and gaining insight into competitive situations and strategic dilemmas.

You’ll investigate and critically evaluate historical and contemporary approaches to leadership theory, focusing especially on leadership at junior to middle management level. Classical theories of leadership will be examined including traits theory, behavioural theories and contingency theories. Some contemporary theories will include issues such as emotional intelligence, psychodynamics and leader-led relations. There will be a strong emphasis on applying the theory to your own personal leadership with a view to enhancing leadership performance in preparation for middle management roles within the organisation. Management of change will be another key emphasis, including organisational politics & power, change theories and the implementation of the change process. Issues for consideration will include the organisational context of change, resistance to change and practical management of the change process.

Corporate finance is concerned with the financing and investment decisions made by management of companies in pursuit of corporate goals. This module will give you a conceptual and analytical framework for looking at organisations and how they operate in capital and financial markets. It aims to provide real-world perspectives and emphasise how the principles of corporate finance learnings are applied in practice. We’ll begin by considering the availability of financial information that may be relevant for informed investment decision making. We will explore the choice and source of funding and consider how this can impact firm value. The course continues with a practitioner’s view of several key topics in corporate finance including the evaluation and impact of mergers and acquisitions on the value of the corporations involved.

You’ll work through the main theories and principles of marketing for the marketing manager or business leader, understanding how those theories and principles can be applied in practice to a range of business contexts; from business-to-consumer, business-to-business, charities, arts, to tourism and service-based industries. You’ll focus particularly on global business challenges; competition and defining value; a digitally based economy; and societal marketing (corporate social responsibility, sustainability, morals and ethics) whilst also understanding the legal framework that impacts upon marketers and marketing practice such as consumer and data protection laws. This module will challenge you to examine marketing problems that have faced brands and organisations to critically analyse their approach and suggest new alternatives. You’ll gain a firm grasp of the scope of marketing in general business management and leadership roles as well as a clear understanding of the specialist areas of study and work as you plan your lifelong career in this very broad industry.

In this module, you’ll cover both theoretical and practical areas of international financial markets, with a special focus on investment analysis and portfolio management. There is an international approach and you’ll study the subject from an international perspective, alongside students of diverse backgrounds and learning from academics with international
reputations. You’ll learn modern finance and investment theory alongside practical skills and knowledge of the finance and investment industry, with a strong focus on employability and activities designed to develop your transferable skills.  You will be guided to carry out independent research and critically evaluate key theoretical concepts and practical applications in finance and investment.

This major project module allows students to engage in a substantial piece of individual primary and/or secondary research focussed on a topic relevant to their business degree award and specialist subject area under the supervision and guidance of a member of academic staff. This module requires students to develop their chosen topic into a specific project under the guidance of their supervisor. Supervisors will discuss with students contemporary research problems and issues based on their research and practice, and students will be required to conduct literature reviews, evaluate and critically appraise a range of information, investigate and adopt suitable theoretical frameworks, research methodologies and methods, and process and analyse data to produce a coherent and justified solution to the problem(s) identified. Throughout the module your supervisor will support you in terms of content and skills development so that you can work semi-autonomously on your individual research project. This is achieved through regular supervisory meetings throughout the year, which will allow for individual discussion of the tasks that will have to be completed in order to develop the project smoothly. Students will receive formative and constructive feedback from their supervisors in order progress their research to a conclusion. Attendance at meetings and engagement with the proposed tasks are essential to successful completion of the project.