Recommended Study Sequence

This unit is a survey of the marketing process, introducing students to the marketing concept, strategic and marketing planning, marketing research, consumer and customer behaviour, issues of market segmentation, targeting and positioning as well as all the elements of the marketing mix (product/service, pricing, distribution and marketing communication strategies).

The development of business skills in the form of the application of information collection, analysis and evaluation, logical reasoning skills, and communication skills relevant to business and economic issues.

This unit provides an opportunity for students to engage with the dynamics of the management of organisations. Students will be introduced to the connection between the way work and systems are organised and managed and their impact on individuals and societies. This is achieved by using case based opportunities to examine real life contexts. This is an essential unit for business students that can be taken by any student needing a broad initial understanding of management.

This unit introduces students to the nature of international business operations in the world economy with a focus on the Asian region. The first part of the unit covers the growth in the proportion of international business in world trade; the emergence of different types of organisations involved in international trade, including multinational corporations; the nature of international business strategy, planning and operations, including the growing role of electronic commerce; how international business differs from domestic business; and the interaction of international business with its environment, including ethical issues. The second part of the unit introduces some of the main features of the socio-economic environment of the countries of Asia, including social, cultural, political, legal and economic factors that affect business operations.

This unit provides exposure to financial and management accounting information from a user of accounting information viewpoint. The unit aims to provide breadth of awareness and knowledge in relevant fields of accounting essential to decision making for managers.

Managing People at Work provides an introductory framework for the study of employment relations. The unit is approached from a stakeholder perspective, emphasising the way that management, labour and the state, along with other key stakeholders, act, both separately and together, to structure the employment relationship. In doing so, the unit integrates industrial relations and human resource management theory and practice, illustrating the links between the two disciplines. The content of the unit is structured so as to provide an initial introduction to the disciplines of industrial relations, human resource management, and employment relations, and to the key stakeholders in the employment relationship. Building on this framework, a theoretical and empirical analysis of employment relations processes is provided, with particular emphasis given to recent changes in the role and perspectives of stakeholders.

This unit is an introduction to economic concepts and contemporary economic issues. It introduces students to basic concepts such as markets and their operation, the behaviour of firms, the efficiency and potential failings of free markets, the role of government, key macroeconomic variables and problems such as unemployment. It illuminates these concepts via application to contemporary economic issues and debates over different theoretical perspectives. This unit also exposes students to recent developments in economics via presentations by specialist guest lecturers.

This Level 1 unit introduces the basic concepts and techniques of statistics that are particularly relevant to problem solving in business. It also provides a sound base for more advanced study in statistics and forecasting in subsequent sessions. Topics include: presentation of data; descriptive statistics; the role of uncertainty in business decision making; hypothesis testing; and basic forecasting.

Introduction to Economic Methods will cover basic concepts in Mathematics and Statistics to help their understanding of subjects like accounting, management, marketing, finance, and economics. In addition, the analytical techniques, concepts and models that will be discussed in this unit will play a foundation role in a Business degree. Topics include: Differential calculus and its application in business and economics; collection, analysis and interpretation of data using simple descriptive and inferential statistical methods; probability distributions, point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, and an introduction to regression analysis.

This is an introductory law unit designed to introduce the fundamentals of law in a commercial context. The unit introduces students to the basic principles of law and the legal system as well as examining some of the major areas of law that impact on commercial dealings. This unit examines the structure of the legal system, the way law is made and legal problem solving. The main areas of law covered include contracts, torts, consumer protection and agency

The Internet and WWW have recast the role of e-business systems in organizations and the management of these systems. Many organizations use web-based technologies to bring about fundamental changes in the way they interact with their suppliers and customers. It is becoming increasingly important to digitally enable the core business processes of their organization. A vital factor for successful e-business organizations is their ability to manage their core business processes and information resources. This unit covers e-business planning, strategies for managing information, knowledge and business networks in e-business, and strategic management for e-business systems including their connection to enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, supply chain management systems (SCM) as well as customer relationship management systems (CRM).

This unit covers concepts of international human resource management (HRM). It examines the internationalisation of firms, a range of comparative systems and structures of employment relations internationally, global stakeholders, human rights, and strategic management of global organisations. It incudes analysis of issues including recruitment, training, management of expatriates, pay, and the impact of society, politics, economics and culture of host countries on human resource strategies.

In an environment where operating internationally is becoming the norm rather than the exception, firms are faced with ever increasing complexity when formulating their business strategy. This requires an understanding of how firms become and remain international, the basic modes of international involvement, the practice of multinational management and how firms can establish a balance between the sometimes conflicting demands of headquarters, the subsidiary and the governments of all the countries where the multinational enterprise operates. This unit will cover these issues and will deal with both large and small companies that must be global to survive.

This unit examines the interface between business, society and the state, and sensitises students to the impact of broad social, political and economic forces on the relationships between these three spheres. The unit also considers the role of different ideological models such as Keynesianism, neo-liberalism and mixed market, in shaping the relationships between business and government. It also examines the impact of increasing internationalisation and globalisation on business, society and the state.

This unit aims to provide students with tools to undertake and critically evaluate simple international marketing research projects. It covers basic marketing research concepts and statistical techniques with emphasis on the impact of the international environment in conducting both primary and secondary data research.

The unit is designed to provide students with an overview of the economic, political and institutional environment in which international business is conducted. Particular attention is given to the historical development of the international monetary system, the transnational corporation and the impact of globalization upon international financial transactions and international business practices.

21st century businesses are looking more and more similar in the way they are designed and operated. Yet to be successful and to gain comparative advantage it is imperative that these businesses manage their workforces differently. Critical to this different way of managing is culture. Culture is the cornerstone that makes people similar, yet different. Taking a multidisciplinary and “hands on” approach, this unit examines the impacts of culture on business practices and management styles.

Marketing internationally has become a necessity for many firms that wish to survive and grow in today's dynamic and increasingly linked world economy. Globalisation in its many forms is a powerful driver of change. ‘International Marketing’ is concerned with understanding and successfully managing the different international economic, cultural, political and legal environments as they affect the marketing activities of companies. This unit will examine the role of marketing research, international finance, overseas market entry and expansion strategies and the marketing mix in international markets. This unit provides students with a sound theoretical basis and, particularly, a practical understanding of how companies operate in international markets.

This unit investigates the different forms and representations of “intelligence”, such as Business Intelligence (BI), Knowledge Management (KM), and Competitive Intelligence (CI) and the strategic use of these for organisational competitive advantage. This is viewed in the context of decision making and the decision making process.

Diversity in the workplace has come to refer to those groups most likely to be affected by the homogeneous and normative assumptions of traditional employment systems. While race, gender and religion are the most recognised forms of diversity it has also come to refer to the needs of other groups such as the disabled, the aged and those disadvantaged because of family obligations. The management of diversity is concerned with addressing the needs of such groups in ways that are equitable and organisationally sustainable. This has become increasingly important in a pluralistic society.

This is a capstone unit in International Business. The aim of the unit is to give students a real-life action learning project in which they undertake an international business strategic planning and analysis exercise for a client organisation. This project usually involves students working in small teams for a client organisation under the direct supervision of the lecturer.

Internationalisation has become a strategic necessity for many firms wishing to survive and grow in today's increasingly competitive domestic economy. Globalisation in its many forms is a powerful driver of change. 'Export Strategy & Applications' will give students the practical skills needed to manage the day to day international trading activities of any company. This unit examines how and why exporting firms select and plan their entry into foreign markets, the management of intermediaries in the distribution channel, ways of promoting goods and services overseas, and the methods of trade finance, insurance and logistics that companies use on a daily basis as they pursue success internationally. This unit provides students with those essential skills sought by any employer company operating in international markets.

International Management provides an overview of issues confronting managers working in a complex globalised environment. Areas such as global and regional integration, the role of ethics and social responsibility, as well as the changing political, legal and technological environment require consideration by management in multinational organisations. The role of culture and human resource management is another significant area of failure by global managers. Finally global strategic issues such as managing political risk and government relations will be analysed to allow a deeper level of understanding of the complexities of managing in an internationally competitive marketplace.