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.

Making a sound corporate financial decision in an international environment is a complex activity. Poor financial decisions and strategies can lead to organisations not maximising shareholder value. This module enables you to understand the international financial system and apply the various international financial strategies available to international corporate managers across global businesses.

Small businesses often encounter financial difficulties in maintaining their operations and/or in satisfying their development aspiration. Given the fact that small businesses form the backbone of most economies, this module aims to explore the approaches small firms can follow to secure finance to survive and succeed in the hyper-competitive market. Different options of financial support are investigated including venture capital, angel finance and bank finance, as well as trade credit, financial bootstrapping, and small firm loan guarantee schemes. The principal-agent problem and the notion of asymmetric information are discussed, in parallel to the debate on financing special enterprises, such as firms led by women or ethnic minority entrepreneurs. Beyond these, government initiatives and policy agenda are also examined to evaluate the impact of institutional intervention on small business economy.

The ability to understand, analyse and question financial information is essential to current managers whether they have a financial or general management role. This module enables you to read, analyse and question the information that is provided by the financial accounting system. The areas covered by this module include both the financial and management accounting information which operational managers will need to contend with in the course of their career.

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.