Research Methods for Management Studies
These modules cover the following:
Part I: Introduction qualitative analysis
This part of the module will be concerned with the collection and analysis of qualitative data.
Part II: Introduction quantitative analysis
Survey design and measurement, introduction to statistics; hypothesis testing, t-tests, ANOVA, regression analysis.
Part III: Introduction to management research
Relating to literature review, asking research questions and objectives, formulating research hypotheses, discussion of findings; quantitative and qualitative research in the dissertation relating to its application.
Strategy and Leadership
The module will include:
- The meaning, nature and evolution of the field of strategy
- External and internal environmental analysis
- Strategies for competitive advantage
- Strategy and organisation
- The meaning, nature and evolution of the field of leadership
- Leadership and strategic change
- Leadership and sustainable strategic management
Management Dissertation
The module aims to allow you to synthesise, apply, and extend the knowledge you have gained in the taught component of the programme by engaging in primary data collection. Through investigating a current research topic and gathering original data, you will develop a deeper theoretical and practical understanding of contemporary issues in your area, while also enhancing your research, communication, and data analysis skills.
Business Project
The Business Project requires students, working as groups, to undertake research in a topic which is relevant to business, management, marketing, finance, accounting, or information system. You must choose their research topic that is relevant to your named degree programme. The specific topic is subject to a formal approval process.
The module is intended for you to apply knowledge, concepts, skills, and techniques, acquired during the taught stage of your programme to real-world, business scenarios. You will be presented with real-word business problems for which you are required to review relevant literature, conduct research, analyse data, and formulate viable solutions.
* Option of a Business Project subject to availability and a student selection process.
Business to Business Marketing
The content of this module will serve as an introduction to the main theoretical and managerial concepts and issues in the area of business-to-business marketing and will focus on aspects of strategic marketing relationships between companies and other stakeholders. Possible topics may include:
- What is a market? A service ecosystem approach to understanding markets
- Organisational buying behaviour and market structures
- How do markets work? Creating and shaping new markets and maintaining market dynamics
- Market relations and sustainable competitive advantage
- Forming business networks: business network partnership attraction
- Business-to-Business marketing strategies
- Innovation in business networks
- Managing business networks: communication, coordination and learning in business networks
- Strategic market relations in the digital world
- Branding and building loyalty: value co-creation in network partnerships
Human Resource Management
The intricacies of managing the human resources within the business context are developed in this module. It examines processes, practices, and procedures associated with HRM management and administration that an employer/manager needs to be familiar with, and analyses the current best practice in the HR function.
Launching an Entrepreneurial Business
This module aims to give you a theoretical understanding and practical experience of launching a new entrepreneurial venture. In so doing, this capstone module enables you to comprehend the role of, and conflicts and interdependencies between, different business and management disciplines; thus, it provides you with an insight into how decision-making in each area can impact on the overall performance of the firm. The module also aims to foster reflexive practice to facilitate lifelong learning.
Managing for Sustainability
Sustainable companies are those that are managed in socially, economically, and ecologically responsible ways. Today's managers are expected to understand the impact of management decisions and practices on the environment and society.
This module considers how sustainability principles are applied in organisations, and how to manage for sustainability. Through use of multiple learning approaches, the module enables you to practically interact with real businesses to address some sustainability challenges faced by the organisation.
The module introduces the you to frameworks and theories use to critically assess sustainability, and to integrate sustainability into the business strategy.
The module enables you to develop an understanding of the practical dilemmas facing businesses as they seek to respond to multiple, and often, conflicting stakeholders expectations. You will be expected to critically reflect upon your practical experiences and capture these using a learning journal.
Sustainable Tourism Management
This module is concerned with providing an understanding of the theoretical and practical issues relating to environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability in tourism. A day-long compulsory field trip forms an integral part of the teaching of this module.
Topics covered may include:
- tourism management for natural resources
- ecotourism and nature-based tourism
- ethics
- socio-cultural sustainability
- stakeholder engagement
- community wellbeing
- economics of sustainable tourism
- social impact of tourism
Sales Management and Negotiations
The purpose of this course is to help you better understand the theory and processes of entrepreneurial sales and negotiation to develop the skills to sell and negotiate successfully in a variety of business settings.
Readings, exercises, and examples relate to the broad spectrum of negotiations that business professionals face with colleagues, employers, employees, clients, competitors, and others. These include a range of substantive issues such as purchase and sale transactions, contract negotiations, salary negotiations, workplace disputes, inter-organisational relationships, multiparty private/public negotiations, and negotiations regarding organizational change. Sales theory and exercises build the basic understanding required to plan and successfully execute a sales revenue stream for entrepreneurial organisations.
Digital Business Transformation and Consultancy
The aim of this module is to enable you to analyse business strategy and performance, while developing an applied understanding of the role of technology, data, and analytics in driving decision-making across all functional areas of a business.
You will gain insight into real-world business processes from an SAP solutions perspective, alongside developing the consultative behaviours and soft skills necessary to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams. Emphasis is placed on the ability to communicate findings and proposals clearly and persuasively, to non-specialist stakeholders, in the context of digital transformation and enterprise-wide data strategy.