MA Business and Management

The purpose of this module is to provide an understanding of the importance of the marketing concept within any organisation. The module outlines both the philosophical underpinning supporting contemporary marketing theory and its application in different organisational contexts. Key marketing tools (segmentation and the marketing mix) are analysed and applied through the context of the management of the marketing process.

The nature of contemporary marketing theory and practice is developed alongside the concept of market orientation. The importance of marketing research, strategic analysis, and alignment with organisational strategy through branding is developed.

The module focuses upon the identification and application of key marketing management tools (segmentation, targeting, positioning,) and their impact on the delineation of markets and key stakeholder groups. Tactical marketing concepts are analysed and evaluated within a relational, services and social marketing conceptualisation.

The discipline of marketing planning is developed around the creation of an integrated strategic framework.

The main aim of this module is to equip students with the knowledge and skills that would be expected from a finance manager responsible for the finance function of a business, in relation to investment, financing, and dividend policy decisions. Management Accounting builds on the insights about costs and their drivers to provide the competencies needed to analyse, plan and manage costs to support the implementation of the organisation’s strategy in a variety of business contexts.

This module explores the contribution of entrepreneurship and of individual entrepreneurs to future organisational growth and sustainability. It defines the different roles of the entrepreneur in different organisational contexts – small, medium, and international entrepreneurs – and identifies the necessary requirements associated with the creation and management of an entrepreneurial culture.

This module allows students to develop an understanding of sustainability-related challenges facing society, organisations, and the economy to explore the implications of these for contemporary practices. Students will engage in debates concerning the relationship between business and issues such as climate change; the environment; humankind’s relationship to nature; inequality; social problems; and the challenge of sustainability in capitalist economies that privilege economic growth.

Whatever their specialism, managers increasingly need to be managers of people and lead teams. It is also increasingly being recognised that organisational performance can be enhanced, and competitive advantage gained through strategic management and the development of people.

In this module students will explore the importance of specific HR practices to enhance employee engagement as well as explore how people learn to gain a better understanding of what makes a good leader. They will be applying theoretical concepts and frameworks to a variety of organisational contexts that interest them.

The main aim of this module is to help the student to apply relevant knowledge, and skills, and exercise professional judgement in carrying out the role of the accountant relating to governance, internal control, compliance and the management of risk within an organization, in the context of an overall ethical framework. This module will allow students to acquire essential and core technical skills and knowledge through the introduction of ethics, corporate governance and risk will have been introduced in a subject-specific context such as identification and evaluation of risk, responses to strategic risk and internal controls.

Digital marketing is an increasingly powerful tool for growing businesses and increasing revenue and market presence. We assume that Millennials and Generation Z have social media and digital marketing channels/apps/etc. woven through their lives. But this does not automatically correlate to organisations and businesses understanding how to successfully navigate and make the most of the rapidly expanding and complex opportunities for digital marketing.

This module provides students with an introduction to the principles and practices of research in the social sciences, offering them a solid foundation upon which to design, propose and implement a research project. It introduces a range of practical, qualitative and quantitative methodologies and methods from which they can select the most appropriate for your 60-credit ‘capstone’ module (dissertation, consultancy project, extended project, etc.).

The dissertation/consultancy project is an essential requirement of the MA in Business and Management. It offers students the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained across their taught modules in an extended scholarly research project that justifies the ‘Master’s’ award.