100% online MBA Entrepreneurship

This module focuses on the transfer of a range of business concepts, theories and research methods into applied practices for creating and starting a new business venture. Many people express a strong desire to own and manage their own business, and to be independent with control over their own destiny. Equally, many people have very good business ideas, which regrettably, are never pursued because of the lack of knowledge, skills and understanding of the processes and practices involved in how to start a new business. This module explores concepts of adopting a business idea and turning the idea into reality by applying tools and techniques for assessing the feasibility and market potential of the idea. This includes applied business research, analysis and evaluation, managing the procurement and negotiation of start-up resources and the presentation of the idea for business investment and financial support. You will transfer your business idea into a pro-active business plan; a plan that could be used in the future to start and launch a new business.

In this module you will gain a broader view of the financing landscape for entrepreneurial firms. It prepares you to get involved with entrepreneurial firms in your career in a variety of capacities, as founders, managers, advisors or investors. The module will explore entrepreneurial firms, financial bootstrapping, business angels, venture capital and some recent trends in entrepreneurial finance, such as crowd funding in its different forms – including donation, rewards, lending, and equity.

The rate of change in organisations is accelerating and the nature of that change is in itself changing, increasingly shifting from incremental to transformational change. This changing landscape requires organisations and individuals capable of harnessing enterprise, creativity and innovation. Enterprise usually arises out of proactive individuals, capable of acting as change catalysts, to initiate and champion change, building a network of support and developing the climate for change to happen. This module is intended to develop your skills and knowledge to engage in change leadership within an organisation.

This module introduces people management and effective leadership practice within the organisation. In particular, it analyses themes that relate to the changing landscape of people management including: the strategic organisational context of attracting and selecting people for work; training; performance management; and the employment relationships. It also deals with the actual way in which effective business leaders emerge within organisations and how they use people management practices and their distinct qualities, such as cross-cultural awareness to motivate and reward diverse employees. It provides you with the opportunity to optimise your potential and be involved in the day-to-day decision-making processes within organisations that advocate change as a route to achieving competitive advantage.

On successful completion, you will be able to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and focused awareness of the internal and the wider business context in which to manage and lead effectively within and across teams.

Managers in all sectors are required to take account of the financial impact of their decisions. Whether they are being required to approve the purchase of new plant and machinery, increase or decrease the workforce, increase marketing efforts, or authorise the new strategic and budget plans, one of the key aspects of the decision is the financial impact. Managers therefore need to understand financial reports, be able to question the information provided in them and make decisions based upon the information provided by them.

This module seeks to enable you to make well-informed decisions based upon a sound knowledge of financial reports, systems, and developments in the accounting and financial environment.

This module introduces practical techniques for identifying emerging trends in the business environment, both in a national and international context. It encourages the use of conceptual frameworks and practical tools and techniques to improve the quality of strategic decision-making, and develops the insights and competencies needed to present strategies and business plans in a persuasive manner.

This module provides you with a firm foundation in the principles of operations and supply chain management. It introduces you to a broad range of operations management challenges facing managers working in modern organisations and equips you with the knowledge and tools to resolve them. The module explores the information needs of organisations and systems to support operations management processes. The focus of the module is on how firms can achieve competitive success through improving the processes involved in delivering products and services.

Organisations face several challenges and opportunities which they must respond to through marketing decisions. This module develops your understanding of the marketing decisions that organisations face. Through the application of marketing theory, models, and tools you will gain an understanding of the importance of the organisational environment and the impact this has for analysis, planning and control in a marketing management context.

Climate change, resource depletion and population growth, and the role of business in society are amongst the most highly debated subjects today and create a profound challenge to the status quo for all organisations. But these issues also create opportunities for innovation and change, and the business case for acting sustainably is becoming increasingly persuasive. In this module, you will explore the range of meta-challenges facing business, understand the social and the business case for acting sustainably, and discuss how sustainability can be managed.

On successful completion of the module, you will have a critical understanding of the sustainability challenges and opportunities, and how businesses can manage these.

This module supports you to develop the research competencies appropriate for a taught master’s course and relevant for future careers in professional, business management roles. To achieve this, you will be required to develop a proposal for a piece of self-directed research.

In this module you are required to produce a piece of self-directed, original work on your chosen subject area, at an advanced level, based on independent research. This should demonstrate critical thinking an understanding of the philosophy and core principles of research (empirical or non-empirical) and show competence in the design, execution and reporting of a research project in a business and management context. You will develop an ability to carry out subsequent research independently and to commission, manage and evaluate the research activities of others. Effective leaders, managers, citizens, and employees need to be capable of basing their decision-making on information and knowledge derived from research. Therefore, the skills acquired producing the project will contribute to your effectiveness throughout your career.