Year one core modules

• Economics for Business and Management

  The first part of this module focuses mainly on the internal environment of the individual business and the ways in which this can influence its operations. The business and economic principles which underpin the determination of price and output, of size and location of business activity and other business decisions are outlined in this module. Wherever possible business examples and up-to-date case study materials will be used to illustrate the application of these principles to real-world business decision making.

• Introduction to Accounting and Finance

  The module firstly aims to give students a sound grasp of the basics of financial reporting (context, purposes, regulatory framework). It introduces the principal concepts of financial accounting. The preparation of principal financial statements will also be explored. This module is also designed to introduce students to key management accounting skills necessary to support decision-making. It will emphasise the acquisition and application of skills and knowledge necessary to inform managers responsible for planning, decision-making and control and will provide the underpinning skills and knowledge required for more advanced study.

• Marketing Essentials

  It is important that students in the First Year gain knowledge of the integrated nature of business, and of how the various parts fit together to build a sound business knowledge, before they specialize in Years Two and Three. Students should understand that Marketing is a key functional area of business and management which, together with Human Resource Management, Accounting and Finance, and other activities involving resource allocation, candetermine the success or failure of an organisation.

• Analysis of Business

  The module begins by reviewing various techniques for collecting and presenting data. Some important measures and techniques for making sense of raw data are then introduced which are widely used by businesses when analysing both their internal and external environments. This module builds on the introduction to spreadsheet packages previously encountered within the core Learning and Skills Development in Business module or its equivalent.

• Introduction to People, Organisations and Management

  The organisational context: This module allows students to explore the organisational context and will furnish students with tools to analyse the organisational environment and the degree of dynamism and complexity in which organisations operate. Students will be encouraged to examine organisational responses to environmental turbulence. The development and impact of organisational culture will also be assessed.

• International Business In Focus

  The main aims of this module are to provide students with an insight into the factors which affect general business behaviour in a constantly changing global environment. The module will discuss the nature of structural change in an economy and the factors which have accelerated such change e.g. productivity issues and the importance of management performance. The reasons for the growth of firms will be investigated and how such corporate growth often leads to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and multinational activity.

• Personal Development and Careers

  This module aims to equip the student to function effectively as an independent self-learner within the higher education learning environment, with specific reference to the area of business and management. Students will be introduced to the learning context and the responsibilities of the individual learner. They will be encouraged to develop practical skills identified as being central to undergraduate business degree programmes.

Year two core modules

• International Business

  The module introduces students to the important area of international business. It begins by identifying some important patterns and trends in international business activity. The factors influencing the firm's decision as to the degree of internationalisation and the methods adopted are considered, as is the theoretical and institutional framework within which international business must operate.

• Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management

  This module will provide an introduction to the behaviours, skills and knowledge surrounding entrepreneurship. The core to this module will involve developing an understanding of the key elements of designing and running the entrepreneurial organisation, such as managing people and other stakeholders, raising finance and managing money, creating profile and generating awareness, selling, and taking either products or services to market.

• Effective Team and Performance Management

  This module introduces students to the important role of teams in organisations and their impact upon individual, team and organisational performance. Through experiential learning activities students will develop an understanding of group dynamics and how they as individuals can manage their own personal influence as a member of a team and how they can impact the contribution and behaviour of others in a group or team context. This module is designed to help students understand the value of building strong inter-personal and relationship skills, working with others one-to-one and in group and team environments. The module places a particular emphasis on engaging with and facilitating via others interpersonal effectiveness, problem solving, maintaining team cohesion and personal reflective practice. The module will focus upon the relationship between team task and team purpose. The module aims to provide students with a personal understanding of the underlying processes that cause good and bad relationships and successful and unsuccessful team dynamics.

• Systems and Operations Management

  The module will give students the opportunity to understand the role of systems and operations management and its integration into efficient and effective running of business. It takes a practical approach which will give the students a good understanding of good business practice within the global organisation. The soft systems approach of SSM to systems development will be used to analyse and define business requirements. People and management issues will be reviewed with emphasis on communication, teamwork and effective leadership.

Year three core modules

• Undergraduate Major Project

  The Major Project module allows students to engage in a substantial piece of individual research and/or product development work on a selected topic within the broad business and management field, as appropriate to their interests and background. The project topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff.

• Strategic Management Analysis

  The module is designed to provide students with a holistic view of organisation's strategic position and thus the ability to appreciate the importance of strategic decisions at all levels of the business organisation. Its primary aim is to provide a vehicle for considering issues which cut across the functional boundaries of business organisations and which require multi-disciplinary skills in the solution.

• Organisational Transformation in Practice

  This module provides the opportunity for students to engage with the leadership and organisational challenges of major transformational change in organisations, communities and societies. This is presented through case examples to illustrate the nature of the attitude, values and behavioural change issues required for successful employee engagement in an organisation's change agenda.

• Sustainable Management Futures

  This module is a core module on all of AIBS Pathways. It is a capstone module that takes a futures perspective on management, organisations and the changing nature of business and enterprise models. It is both a forward looking and integrative module that aims to bring together our students understanding of the evolving context of sustainable management. The module takes a dimensions based view of the notion of sustainable management futures by introducing the 'people, planet and profit lenses' for understanding sustainable management. Our aim is to introduce students to the idea and value of developing a 'futures mindset' from a number of perspectives including ethical and entrepreneurial; tolerant and innovative; and responsible and responsive.

Year two optional modules

• Accounting for Decision Makers
• International Environmental Management and Sustainability
• International Information and E-Business Strategies
• International Operational and Logistical Strategies

Year three optional modules

• International Business Strategies in Action
• International Intercultural Management
• International Marketing Strategies
• EU Economy: Issues and Policies
• Chinese Economy: Issues and Policies