Business Management with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

The Project Management module provides you with a foundation in project management principles and practices, integrating theoretical knowledge and practical application. The module covers both traditional and agile methodologies, preparing you with a skill set applicable across various industries.

You will engage in a blended learning experience, combining interactive lectures, seminars and online resources. Key topics include project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure, with a focus on risk management, stakeholder communication, and team leadership. The module provides hands-on experience with real-world scenarios. Assessment comprises a mix of group work, presentations and individual reflections. This will allow you to analyse complex project scenarios, apply appropriate methodologies, and make informed decisions in uncertain environments.

This module progresses on from the Level 4 module Introduction to Data Analytics and AI. Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the business world and personal lives, and ‘Big Data’ is everywhere. This module will demonstrate how organisations apply analytical tools and techniques by harvesting and leveraging data to gain a competitive edge. Machine Learning (ML) is an analytical technique that delivers practical value for both organisations plus consumers and is embedded within modern products and services. Business processes, workflows and systems have been revolutionised via automation achieved from machine learning algorithms. You will be exposed to best practice approaches for building, training and evaluating machine learning algorithms such as neural networks, agent-based modelling, reinforcement learning and logistic regression.

You will also build your data literacy by developing the highly in-demand skill of programming, tailored for business analysts. The problem-solving experience gained from adopting AI tools and techniques for solving real-world problems will minimise human error. Additionally, unnecessary human intervention will be eliminated to facilitate more precise data-driven decision making using logical and evidence-based approaches.

This module examines the critical role of leadership in the global business context. It explores diverse leadership styles and key attributes for global leaders. The module also delves into prominent cultural models, analysing how cultural factors shape leadership perceptions and behaviours across borders. Additionally, the module provides strategies for navigating the complexities of multinational organisations, leading high-performing global teams, and aligning business objectives with the dynamic, interconnected global marketplace. Through case studies and practical applications, this module equips you with the knowledge and skills to become effective leaders in the evolving global business landscape.

The assignment will be presented as a structured case study analysis, in which you are expected to demonstrate critical thinking, application of theoretical concepts, and in their evaluation.

The Sales and Negotiation module aims to provide you with a thorough understanding of sales and negotiation principles and practices within a business context. It is designed to support you to gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in selling techniques, negotiation strategies, and the psychology of persuasion.

The module focuses on the significance of sales in business success, the impact of effective negotiation on achieving desirable outcomes, and the ethical considerations inherent in both processes. The module will also explore the role of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and how sales processes are managed.

You will be engaged via interactive sessions, case studies and simulations, you will also utilise various negotiation tools, applying these in diverse business scenarios. The module also emphasises critical reflection and professional development, preparing you for careers in sales, negotiation, and broader business management roles.

The aim of this module is to allow you to understand the role of suppliers in the development and delivery of events along with how the various stakeholders in events including suppliers, venues and event managers can work together to deliver sustainable events. The module takes you through the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and how they can be used to guide event managers throughout the full project cycle of an event from client brief, event delivery to post event review. At each stage of the event project cycle, the role of suppliers, managing supply chains and sustainability within the supply chain will be investigated to give you confidence in your knowledge to create sustainable events for the future.

The module is delivered through a combination of workshops, simulations and discussions in which you will be expected to contribute. Case studies from around the world and presentations will also be used in each session and where possible, guest lectures from within the event supply chain, guest ambassadors and experiential event professionals will be used. The module Moodle page will be a valuable source of information for supporting you through the module and your assessment.

In this module, you will develop a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial process, focusing on the evaluation of the feasibility of new business ventures. You will explore how businesses are formed, structured, and strategically developed to achieve long-term sustainability.

Through the application of a range of tools, techniques and theories, underpinned by contemporary academic research in business model innovation and market analysis, you will identify and assess potential market gaps, enabling you to formulate innovative and feasible business ideas. This will allow you to assess the viability of business concepts in various contexts, including new ventures and spinouts.

The Introduction to Consultancy module provides you with a comprehensive foundation in the principles and practices of management consulting. This module is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and professional mindset required to enhance your employability and navigate the complex and dynamic world of consultancy.

You will explore the diverse landscape of consultancy services, gaining valuable industry insights that strengthen your career prospects. You will learn to differentiate between strategy, management, technology, HR, and other consulting services, developing a thorough understanding of the sector's breadth and potential career pathways.

A key focus of the module is developing your practical understanding of business landscapes through hands-on experience. You will learn to analyse real-world business scenarios, evaluate market conditions, and understand how organisations operate within their competitive environments. This practical approach helps you develop the analytical capabilities that employers actively seek, enabling you to provide valuable insights and solutions to business challenges.

In this module, you will explore the intricate relationship between legal frameworks and business operations, focusing on how laws shape, constrain, and enable business activities. This module delves into the critical areas of business law, including contract law, corporate governance, employment law, and intellectual property. As businesses operate in increasingly complex environments, a comprehensive understanding of these legal areas is essential for navigating risks and ensuring compliance.

You will examine how legal principles affect businesses directly and indirectly, from the structuring of contracts to the governance of corporations. The module also considers the broader implications of legal decisions on stakeholder relationships, ethical practices, and corporate responsibility. Given the nature of modern business, you will also investigate how business law and regulations impact business strategies and operations.

In the face of ever-evolving customer expectations, organisations increasingly rely on contemporary digital tools - including Artificial Intelligence (AI) - to remain competitive in the marketplace. As a result, modern marketing now blends advanced technologies and information systems with traditional strategies and techniques to deliver impactful results.

The MarTech and Automation module delves into how Marketing Technology (MarTech) can be effectively applied throughout the customer journey, from initial market research and customer engagement through to conversion and customer retention.

You will begin by exploring the strategic importance of MarTech and AI in transforming organisational marketing practices. Building on this foundation, the module then examines the practical application of these tools across various stages of the customer journey, highlighting how automation can optimise marketing efforts. Finally, you will develop expertise in web analytics, gaining the ability to interpret data, generate actionable insights, and inform strategic decision-making.

The module will allow you to demonstrate your ability to evaluate a business issue relevant to your discipline of study and utilize the theory from your study to date to generate recommendations at either a theoretical or practical level. It will allow you to demonstrate your analytic and time management skills in a practical way.

The module interprets Business and Management research broadly. Fields include, but are not limited to: accounting; banking; business analytics; business and industrial economics; business ethics; business history; consumer behaviour; corporate governance; corporate social responsibility; critical management studies; employment relations; entrepreneurship; finance; human resource management; information systems management; innovation management; international business; leadership; management education; management science; marketing; operations management; organisational psychology; organisational studies; project management; public policy; public sector management; risk management; service management; small firms; strategic management; supply chain management; sustainability; technology management; third sector management; and any other field or sub-field aligned to business and management.

From droughts to floods, wildfires, complex security challenges also linked to AI, displacement crisis, gang violence, poverty, health crisis, terror threats, businesses and populations have become more vulnerable. Managing and mitigating risks and various threats is a skill that is valued globally.

Embedded within the United Nations Sustainable Goals and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the module will equip learners with the tools to help them to cope with uncertainty, adverse situations, analyse a crisis, prepare a crisis response and help them to develop best practice reflecting on past events. The OECD also highlights the importance of building resilience as a leader whilst responding to novel or classic crisis.

This module will provide you with a critical understanding of the concepts, frameworks and approaches for the effective management of strategic change and its leadership.

Consideration will also be given to the complexity of business operations, the rapid pace of technological innovation, and globalisation of businesses. You will explore drivers and challenges of strategic change in an organisational context as well as approaches for successful implementation of various change interventions.

During the module you will analyse the leadership actions and capabilities that are required in the process of transforming organisations in a turbulent environment. You will evaluate the various leadership theories most appropriate for a given situation. You will appreciate strategic change management in contemporary organisations and equip them with the skills and knowledge required of leaders in complex, unpredictable and fast-changing international business environment. In addition, the module will invite guest lecturers to share their experiences.

This module introduces you to a range of advanced strategic management tools and technique to analyse and understand business situations with national and international relevance. In addition, an understanding of competitive behaviour will be informed by a variety of perspectives concerning the sources of competitive advantage, sustainable competitive advantage from both theoretical and industry viewpoints. These include developments in the macro environment, industry structure, strategic positioning, the acquisition and development of resources and capabilities, plus the challenges of industry evolution.

The module emphasises the importance of application of techniques and concepts to specific situations, often with case studies and live businesses that have gone through significant change and survived (or not). The module will be delivered with a combination of face-to-face, case studies and blended learning, and a significant element of preparation and contribution from you. You will be using our virtual learning environment to facilitate peer and individual learning, pulling together skills and knowledge from modules from Level 4 and 5. Additionally this module will invite guest speakers from internationally recognised businesses to share their experiences.

In the modern age, organisations are increasingly facing pressure to act more responsibly, driven by a growing awareness amongst consumers, investors and governments about the impact of business operations on society and the environment. In this evolving landscape, organisations are now expected to act as agents of positive change, looking beyond profit-driven motives and operating in a way that is transparent, ethical and sustainable.

Whilst marketing has contributed to many of the issues faced by today’s society, the Sustainable Marketing module offers an alternative perspective of marketing and the critical role that it has to play in facilitating a sustainable future. During this module, you will explore some of the key drivers of the sustainability agenda, as reflected in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and develop an understanding of how marketing can develop strategies to support this agenda whilst still meeting the commercial needs of the business.

Supply Chain Management is concerned with the flow of resources and information between all the companies that add value to a product, from raw material suppliers to end users. To gain a comprehensive grasp of a supply chain, the module incorporates challenges from marketing (distribution channels), logistics, and operations management. The module takes a strategic approach, focussing on relatively long-term decisions such as investing in productive resources, configuring processes, designing products, and developing partnerships with suppliers and distribution channels. You will focus on a variety of essential strategies that are tied to actual scenarios, as well as supporting practice work and assessment-specific topics. You will complete assessment that will culminate on your findings and problem analysis. These critical, analytical, practical, and interpretative abilities can be directly applied to your professional life. In general, you will be globally and culturally aware and informed in terms of employability skills and experienced through authentic assessment approach.

The module is designed to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge to effectively navigate complex negotiations and resolve conflicts in various settings. Practical experiences through simulations and case studies will allow you to gain transferable skills, useful not only in your personal lives, but also when negotiating with different stakeholder groups and various employability settings. Through practical application you will learn how to build trust, communicate effectively whilst exploring the challenges and opportunities of different negotiation strategies in different business contexts. The module will enable you to create better outcomes based on ethical decision making, help to navigate around difficult conversations, develop your ability to influence and persuade as well as create impact over time, develop your persuasive techniques as well as your listening skills.

This module builds on the previous modules (Introduction to Data Analytics and AI and Data Analytics and AI in Practice). The module offers hands-on experience of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solution development for addressing a particular business challenge. The module is designed for those of you willing to understand the process of AI solution development with detail analysis of its cost-benefit analysis and impact on the organisation. The module is ideal for those of you pursuing careers in data science, business analytics, or AI development, and it equips you with essential skills that are highly in demand in today’s as well as the future employment market.

This module will expose you to the process of AI solution development using AI development framework and ecosystem that include Microsoft Azure AI, Google AI and others. You will learn AI problem formulation and solution development through real-life business-related problems. The process of ML model development, training and fine-tuning will be experimented by you through a semester long individual project. The module will also expose you to the cost benefit analysis of AI adoption in a business including the impact analysis of implementing AI solution in an organisation.

Following from the discovery (L4) and practice (L5) phases of your journey into developing enterprise skills, this module focuses of the application phase (L6), where you are encouraged to learn and apply different techniques to launch a technology startup.

You will learn to recognise interesting opportunities and convert the opportunities to attractive business propositions. You will validate and test the digital business ideas and transform it into a viable business model. You will develop a business plan for a tech-startup and will pitch your working business propositions to academics with a final pitch being delivered to the university’s STEAMHOUSE investor panel.

The module will encourage you to network, learn and make use of the incubation support offered by the university.