School of Management, Modules 2016-17
Contents
Module Overview List
2
BA (Hons) Management Studies Core Modules
5
BA (Hons) Management Studies Second Year Option Modules
15
BA (Hons) Management Studies Third Year Option Modules
24
BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance First Year Core Modules
44
BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance Second Year Core Modules
48
BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance Second Year Option Modules
50
School of Management
Core and Options Modules 2016-17
Please note that modules with [A&F] beside them are from the BSc (Hons) Accounting
and Finance programme. If you would like to study these modules, you should be
comfortable with quantitative methods and the use of mathematics.
Modules with [HRM] beside them are from the new Major in Human Resource
Management programme which will be taught for the first time this academic year.
All other modules are from the BA (Hons) in Management Studies programme.
First Year Modules (Semester One) [20 Credits]
MN1000 Foundations of Management
MN1009 Foundations of Knowledge (Part I) [Full year students only.]
MN1014 Economics for Management
MN1016 Financial Accounting [A&F]
MN1017 Foundations of Economics [A&F]
First Year Modules (Semester Two) [20 Credits]
MN1009 Foundations of Knowledge (Part II) [Full year students only.]
MN1002 Introduction to Marketing
MN1010 Introduction to Accountancy
MN1012 Management and Labour [HRM]
MN1013 Work and Society [HRM]
MN1018 Management Accounting [A&F]
MN1019 Foundations of Finance [A&F]
First Year Modules (Semester Two) [10 Credits]
MN1020 Introduction to Accounting Theory [A&F]
Second Year Core Modules (Semester 1) [20 Credits]
MN2101 Financial Management
MN2104 Organisational Behaviour
MN2120 The Business Environment
MN2134 Corporate Finance [A&F]
MN2135 Foundations of Financial Reports Analysis [A&F]
MN2136 Corporate Governance [A&F]
No Second Year Options Modules Run in Semester 1
Second Year Core Modules (Semester 2) [20 Credits]
MN2121 Consumer Research
MN2103 Research Methods
MN2138 Accounting, Decision Making and Control [A&F]
MN2122 Managing Research and Dissertation Preparation [Note this is not credit bearing
but students are welcome to attend]
Second Year Options (Semester 2) [10 Credits]
MN2110 Operations Management
MN2112 International Marketing Communications
MN2114 International Finance
MN2116 Corporate Social Responsibility
MN2117 Stock Market Analysis
MN2118 Global Branding (theory and practice)
MN2125 Crisis Management
MN2131 Human Resource Management
MN2133 Managing Diversity
MN2137 Financial Markets Products: Futures and Forwards [A&F]
MN2139 Accounting Theory [A&F]
MN2140 Macro-Finance [A&F]
MN2141 Accounting for Small and Medium Enterprises [A&F]
MN2142 Public Accounting [A&F]
Third Year Core Modules (Semester 1) [20 Credits]
MN3100 Strategy
MN3101/3 Dissertation [40 credits, runs Semester 1 & 2]
Third Year Options (Semester 1) [10 Credits]
MN3112 Derivative Pricing 1
MN3113 Derivative Pricing 2
MN3121 Survey Research for Management Studies
MN3122 Analysing Quantitative Data
MN3123 Doing Qualitative Research 1
MN3124 Doing Qualitative Research 2
MN3126 Cyber‐Psychology
MN3133 The Management and Shaping of Innovation
Third Year Core Modules (Semester 2) [20 Credits]
MN3102 Critical Analysis for Management
MN3101/3 Dissertation
Third Year Option Modules (Semester 2) [10 Credits]
MN3104 International Business
MN3106 Consumer Culture
MN3107 Corporate Finance
MN3109 Business Ethics
MN3110 Managing Knowledge in Organisations
MN3127 Organisations in Economic Context
MN3130 Cultural Producers of Taste
MN3131 Ecology and Sustainability
MN3134 Design, Technology and Entrepreneurship
MN3135 Advanced Management Accounting [A&F]
MN3136 Social Studies of Finance [A&F]
MN3138 Behavioural Finance and Investment Strategies [A&F]
MN3139 Technology in Financial Markets [A&F]
MN3140 Finance for Small and Medium Enterprises [A&F]
MN3141 Performance Measurement in Financial Institutions [A&F]
MN3142 Advanced Financial Accounting; Regulation, Auditing [A&F]
MN3143 Accounting for non-profit Organisations [A&F]
NB: Due to staff changes, some modules may be withdrawn or others may be additionally
offered at short notice. However, we will endeavour not to alter this list as far as possible.
Please note that as the Major in HRM and the third year BSc Accounting and Finance
options modules are running for the first time in 2016-17 we do not as yet have module
descriptions for these to include in this guide.
Upon occasion assessment schedules for individual modules may change due to changes in
curriculum planning which are ongoing at Leicester.
BA (HONS) MANAGEMENT STUDIES CORE MODULES
MN1000: FOUNDATIONS OF MANAGEMENT
This module will introduce you to key concepts and theories essential to undertaking
management studies. It does so in ULSM’s typically critical approach and, therefore, draws
upon a range of perspectives from across the social sciences and the humanities.
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The aim of this course is to provide you with a broad introduction to management, business
and organisation. It will draw upon a variety of disciplines including sociology, economics,
politics and history so as to place management in a wider context. The course will encourage
you to think critically and to reflect upon many of your taken-for-granted assumptions about
management and the world of work.
At the end of this module the student will:




Have further developed their skills at reading, debate and the presentation of academic
argument;
Understand the economic, organizational and social contexts of research activity;
Be able to address how the nature of work has both shaped and been shaped by wider
social forces;
Have an understanding of how historical context impacts upon our understanding of work
in the present.
MN1002 INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Marketing constitutes a dynamic and emerging academic discipline and body of thought
whose realm of inquiry expands from individuals’ desires, choices and social behaviours to
everyday business practices. This module will introduce students to key concepts of marketing
and encourage them to critically relate these to contemporary practice. Taking into account
the dominance and expansion of globalized and consumer-oriented socio-economic systems
and markets, this module seeks to elaborate on how marketing ideas and practices influence,
shape and define consumers’ thoughts, preferences and lives in general. By the end of the
semester and with sustained engagement with the required readings and case studies, the
student should be able to achieve a firm basis in the conceptual underpinnings of the field of
marketing. In addition, students will learn a variety of practical skills as researchers and
practitioners. Overall, this module aims to encourage students to:


Comprehend and understand key concepts, theories and models of marketing via
lectures, videos and seminars.
Encourage an appreciation and genuine interest in the foundational concepts within
marketing.

Reflect on the concepts, theories and models discussed throughout the course relating
these to contemporary business practice, through the use of ‘real life’ case studies that
mirror the business world that students will face after the university.
Develop a key understanding on the historical evolution of marketing /consumer
behaviour theories, concepts and practices.
Question the nature of marketing practice and its impact on wider society. Students
will be expected to formulate coherent, structured arguments relating to the benefits
and costs of the phenomenon called consumerism.


At the end of this module students will be able to:





Discuss and critically question the historical development of marketing theory and
practice.
Examine the various principles of marketing and apply them in a range of
management situations.
Examine marketing issues from a variety of viewpoints, by developing structured,
independent arguments related to the evaluation of marketing activities.
Demonstrate personal responsibility in undertaking a piece of research drawing
upon appropriate academic sources.
Develop analytic skills which are a necessary part of becoming an effective
marketing practitioner.
MN1009 FOUNDATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Many people believe that we now live in a knowledge economy. Information, ideas and how
they are produced, manipulated and communicated, are central to much of what we do in our
lives. A software start-up, the database in a hospital or school, the film and music industries,
a car manufacturer’s R&D department – all are aspects of the knowledge economy.
Universities are also part of the knowledge economy. A university deals in knowledge.
Academics working for universities produce new knowledge through their research, while
students register with universities to earn qualifications indicating that they possess existing
knowledge.
In this module we will explore the foundations of both new and existing knowledge. In doing
so we aim to help prepare you to make your way in this knowledge economy. For we believe
that a university education should be about more than simply obtaining the qualification that
indicates your possession of existing knowledge. Our aim is help you equip yourselves with
the skills necessary produce, manipulate and communicate information and ideas. Such skills
will not only help you make sense of the fast-changing world we live in – they are also
fundamental to something called employability.
The module is structured around the following four foundations of knowledge.
First, we will look at the production of knowledge claims. These are the fundamental currency
of university life – and thus a currency that will be important to you over the next three years.
Understanding how knowledge claims are generated, evidenced, promoted and defended is
key to understanding what a university is all about. As we will see, knowledge claims rely
implicitly and explicitly upon agreed standards and conventions that require us to demonstrate
relevant knowledge in particular ways. We will look at what these conventions and standards
are, how they have developed, how they work and what problems they create for academics
and students. But knowledge claims are also a foundation of action in many spheres outside
and beyond the university – think aspirant entrepreneur pitching an idea to a venture capitalist
or the Dragon’s Den judges; think NGO pitching a policy change to government; think
advertising consultant pitching a product. In this part of the module, we will explore the wide
range of ways in which knowledge claims are made and pitched. Three guest lectures from
senior members of the School of Management will help us demonstrate this.
Second, we will explore the relationship between knowledge and persuasion by focusing our
attention on rhetoric. We will see that the concept of ‘truth’ is not very useful for understanding
science and academic work because it cannot be adequately separated from the procedures
and conventions by which it is established (most philosophy of science has given up on the
idea of ‘truth’ entirely). What is essential instead is to understand how scholarly arguments
are constructed – the way spoken and written language is used the ways in which evidence is
presented and deconstructed, taken apart and criticized. To do so we will explore how rhetoric
(persuasive language) is used in both spoken and written academic contexts. We will consider
the different ways in which language is used pragmatically to convince, cajole and capture the
belief of the audience.
Third, we will address the political, economic and institutional context within which learning,
education and knowledge production takes place. As we will see, this context has a structuring
effect not just on the kinds of knowledge that are produced and promoted but also on how we
understand education and its purpose. Higher education in the UK is currently undergoing
substantial change. As such, it is all the more vital that we understand how institutional
practices shape our educational experiences by valorising particular forms of learning and
particular types of knowledge. To this end, we will discuss whether the stated intentions of
universities fully determine what takes place in them. This will led us to a discussion of
alternative conceptions and practices of education and to a discussion of how we can gain
control over the depth, breadth and purpose of our education.
Fourth, we will consider philosophy as a core foundation of knowledge. More specifically, we
will consider key features of the branch of philosophy known as ‘epistemology’. Roughly
speaking, epistemology means the theory, study or even science of knowledge. Doing
epistemology means asking any of the following questions: What do we mean by knowledge?
How do we know when we have knowledge? What do we need to do in order to get
knowledge? What is it that we lose when we lose knowledge? Is it possible for there to be
different kinds of knowledge? What, above all, is knowledge? While introducing some of the
crucial ways in which such difficult questions have been asked and answered, our main
concern here will be to apply epistemological insight to a whole host of everyday issues. We
will, therefore, learn how to do epistemology and in so doing, to form a critical perspective
upon the way in which knowledge claims are made and contested.
The module runs over both semesters. It is compulsory for students enrolled in BA
Management Studies, BA Management Studies (Finance), BA Management Studies
(Marketing) and BA Management Studies (Organization Studies).
MN1014 ECONOMICS FOR MANAGEMENT
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Once upon a time... in fact, little more than a century ago... there was no such discipline as
‘economics’. Those thinkers who were concerned with understanding society and its workings
were engaged in political economy. Political economy encompassed questions of power,
politics, production, distribution, exchange, culture, morality and so on. Essentially, all aspects
of society. If we go back in time a little further (another two hundred years or so), there was
no political economy, either. And there were no political economists. In fact, before the
eighteenth century, there was no discrete entity called ‘the economy’. By contrast, today we
tend to take the existence of ‘the economy’ for granted — while the logic of markets and
competition seems to be extending into more and more aspects of our lives. So what is
economics? Do we agree with Lionel (Lord) Robbins, who 80 years ago suggested:
‘Economics is a science which studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and
scarce means which have alternative uses’? Robbins’s definition remains the most popular,
adopted by the authors of many best-selling textbooks, who suggest economics is simply ‘the
study of how society manages its scarce resources’.1But perhaps economics is — or should
be — something broader, ‘a study of wealth; and more important … part of the study of man’
(Alfred Marshall, against whom Robbins wrote). Or perhaps economics is distinguished less
by its subject matter than by its method: rational choice theory, which states that individuals
are assumed to be rational, self-interested and have a stable set of internally consistent
preferences. Finally, why study economics? One reason is that of Joan Robinson, a
contemporary of Keynes at Cambridge:
The purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to
economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists.
We will consider these questions — and many others — in this module. We will explore the
sweeping global economic (and social and political) changes that have taken place over the
past three or four decades. We will examine the nature of markets and their increasing role in
people’s lives (markets in education and carbon, for example), along with related issues, such
as globalisation and ‘financialisation’. We will also look at alternatives to markets as institution
for organising economic activity — in particular, the state and commons. As part of this we will
explore the various meanings of ‘value’, ‘values’ and ‘wealth’ — and how these understandings
relate to the question of economic growth. We will look at questions arising from the recent
and ongoing financial crisis — the nature of debt, the risks of sovereign debt crisis, austerity
policies vis-à-vis economic ‘stimulus’ and the prospects for the global economy and, more
generally, for human well-being over the twenty-first century.
This is a 20-credit-point module. In order to successfully complete the module I expect you to
study for (approximately) 150 hours. This study comprises: 20 hours of lectures (2 hours per
week for 10 weeks), 8 hours of seminars (fortnightly during term time) and (approximately)
122 hours of private study.
MN1010 INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTANCY
MODULE AIMS
The module provides an introduction to use and analysis of typical accounting information.
The module also introduces students to some academic criticism of accounting information
and models.
Learning Outcomes:
1
N. Gregory Mankiw and Mark P. Taylor, Economics (South-Western, 2010): 3
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
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Analyse the different uses and users of accounting information
Prepare financial statements and calculate accounting information for internal
purposes
Evaluate and interpret a company’s financial performance
Discuss the role of accounting within organisations and society
Critically appraise the limitations of accounting information
MN2104 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Aim
The aim of this module is to introduce students to a range of key areas that are central to the
contemporary understanding of organizational behaviour
Intended learning outcomes:
Discipline specific knowledge and skills:
1. to analyse and discuss key areas of organizational behaviour
2. to give examples that illustrate central issues of organizational behaviour
3. to evaluate the points of view of key authors in the area of of organizational behaviour
Transferable skills:
1. Oral communication
2. Written communication
3. Information handling
4. IT (i.e. use of internet)
5. Life-long learning
MN2120/MN2123 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this module is to introduce the business environment that modern business
organisations operate in and examine how it is changing.
This module introduces the principal frameworks and concepts used to understand the
importance and influence of macro level environmental factors that affect management
decisions. The particular elements of the environment that are examined include: the changing
macro and micro economic environment; the social and cultural environment; the
technological environment and the natural environment.
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
On completion of the module students will be able to:
· Carry out a structured approach to the analysis of macro environmental influences on
managerial decisions;
· Identify problems and suggest solutions appropriate to these problems related to the
business environment;
· Carry out a critical evaluation of the literature relating to the business environment.
Transferable Skills
The module contributes to the development of the following skills:
· Clearly communicate ideas and arguments to an academic and professionally informed
audience;
· Undertake independent and self-directed study;
· Undertake critical reviews of academic and professional literatures;
· Work effectively in a group setting.
MN2101 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
This module will provide you with some of the essential building blocks in contemporary
finance. The module has two main aims. A first aim consists in having you appreciate new
financial concepts. A second aim consists in making you use the concepts in simple problem
settings. The module should provide you with a sound base for pursuing more advanced
courses in finance.
At the end of the module students will:
 Be aware of financial institutions and markets
 Be aware of the role of time value of money (present value/future value/annuity/perpetuity
and higher compounding
 Be aware of the concepts underlying risk and return
 Be aware of interest rates and bond valuation
 Be aware of stock valuation
 Be aware of capital budgeting techniques (time permitting)
MN2103 RESEARCH METHODS
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The course explores a range of research methods used in business and management
research and their origins in social science research practice. These include generic
approaches to qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The course will describe the
process of conducting research, from developing problem oriented literature reviews,
formalising research questions to designing studies and analysing data. A key aim of the
module is to prepare you for dissertation work in the third year, to understand the basis upon
which social scientific knowledge is synthesised and to enable you to critique ‘popular’
knowledge.
Module Objectives
At the end of this module students will have been introduced to the following issues pertinent
to research:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Commonly used research practices within business and management research
The social science practice that underscores business and management research
How to make philosophically and ethically informed methodological choices
The necessary preparation for a research proposal suitable for a third year dissertation
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
1) Describe and discuss commonly used research process in business and management
research
2) Recognise the basis of business and management research within the broader field of
social science research
3) Distinguish different forms of data and demonstrate their usages to different research
problems
4) Demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues and ethical frameworks in research and
produce academically informed strategies to address them
5) Synthesise academic issues through the construction of problem orientated literature
reviews
6) Compose research questions that are operationalisable in an undergraduate research
context
7) Evaluate academic research evidence and methodology
8) Construct academically rigorous arguments based on empirical data and methodological
insight
Key Transferable Skills
At the end of this module students will have developed the following skills:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Proposal writing – be able to write an outline for a potential piece of research
Learning resources – access a range of learning resources (books, journals, ejournals, and internet resources)
Management of Information – collect appropriate data from a range of sources and
undertake simple research tasks with external guidance
Autonomy – take responsibility for your own learning within the framework of support
offered by academic staff.
Communication – communicate clearly and effectively in written and oral formats.
MN2121 CONSUMER RESEARCH
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Practices and theory in marketing (and to a certain extent management) are pervaded by the
need to gain an in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour. The study of consumer
behaviour encompasses the processes through which individuals or groups exercise choices,
purchase, use, consume and dispose of products, services, experiences and/or ideas. In this
module, you will be introduced to three perspectives in consumer research, namely the (1)
classical perspective (cognitive-behavioural), (2) historical/ cultural and (3) political/critical
theory perspectives. These research paradigms evince different assumptions concerning the
way in which we come to define ‘consumers’, how their ‘behaviour’ can be understood, how
their consumption choices reflect their everyday life and in what way are the consumers
engaged with the marketplace.
As a multidisciplinary subject, the module introduces you to key theories from a range of
disciplines (principally marketing, psychology, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, human
geography, economics and philosophy).
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
 recognize the act of consumption is dependent upon a variety of historical, social, political,
economic and cultural processes
 describe and reflect on the theorisation of consumer behaviour in relation to practical concerns
 compare and contrasts a variety of perspectives upon consumer behaviour with one another
 evaluate competing research paradigms for analysing consumer behaviour
 appreciate the ethics of consumption practices and research
MN2122: MANAGING RESEARCH
This module introduces you to the process of researching an academic piece of work, such as
your third year dissertation will be. It does so by familiarising you with a broad range of
research conducted within the School of Management. A selection of academics from across
the disciplines of management will introduce the realities of their research. They will discuss
the rationale for their research, their research approach, arguments within the literature upon
which they draw, the messiness of research, and how the story was told once the data has
been analysed.
This is a new module, which is running for only the second year. It has been inaugurated in
response to student demand, particularly by third years at the end of their degree who in
retrospect felt that they had not had sufficient time to consider the preparation of a research
project in their second year. This module is designed to complement your research methods
module by providing inspiration and space in which to think about what you would like to
research and how you will actually go about doing it.
In short – the usefulness of this module may only become apparent retrospectively. You are,
therefore, asked to attend consistently and to keep an open mind as to the future usefulness of
the ideas presented and discussions had.
MN3100 STRATEGY
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
For many, strategy appears to be the very pinnacle of the hierarchy of management subjects.
However, there is little agreement on what strategy is: how it is are made, who should make it
and for what purpose. This is the backdrop that sets the concerns and problematics that this
course deals with. We examine a number of different theories of business strategy and their
origins and consider the prescriptions and shortcomings associated with each of them. We
conclude that following any set of golden rules will almost certainly result in failure. What is
required is perhaps an ability to think strategically so that organisational participants can utilise
the various decisional and strategic sciences and arts as and when the situation makes their
use appropriate. But even this sort of careful, nuanced decision making and strategising is not
without its own associated risks and costs. Therefore, in the course we examine not only a
number of theories of strategies and their origins, but also attempt to apply them to novel
situations and thus try to critique them in the hope of constructing alternatives that are both
more theoretically and practically nuanced.
This module introduces the theory and practical aspects of managing organisations and
particularly the formulations and implications of strategic management decisions. The overall
aim of the module is to introduce students to the role of the manager and how the ideas behind
“strategic thinking” have evolved. In particular, the module aims to:
1. To introduce students to a range of different frameworks for conceptualising and enacting
strategy.
2. To allow students to understand the origins of these frameworks.
3. To enable students to apply these frameworks to a range of situations, whilst reflecting upon
their appropriateness to these sites of application.
4. To enable students to critique the various frameworks and derive more theoretically and
practically nuanced alternatives.
5. To enable students to think strategically whilst remaining aware of the costs and benefits of
so doing.
On successful completion of this course you will have demonstrated:
1. An ability to outline and understand a variety of frameworks for conceptualising and enacting
strategy.
2. An ability to identify the origins of these frameworks
3. An ability to apply these frameworks, cognisant of their relative strengths and weaknesses
in different contexts of application.
4. An ability to critique the various frameworks and derive more theoretically and practically
nuanced alternatives.
5. An ability to think strategically with awareness of the consequences of so doing.
MN3102 CRITICAL ANALYSIS FOR MANAGEMENT
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The twentieth century saw the emergence of large-scale organisations as a central feature of
human society in many countries. In the twenty-first century we are seeing the continuing
dominance of these institutions and the spread of influence of organisational forms and the
values which underlie them throughout more and more of the world. We are born, learn, work,
play and even die in organisations. One aim of this course is to examine the implications of this
‘organisational society’: to not only look at organisations themselves but to understand how they
influence both how we relate to ourselves and other people, and how they contribute to the
shaping of the societies and cultures we live in.
The concept of ‘management’ has been closely associated with the rise of organisations,
although today we see the idea spreading to more walks of life: e.g. self-management, time
management, managing the home, managing our emotions. Management is often portrayed as
a neutral, objective activity – sometimes one which can be easily achieved through ‘10 steps’
or using a particular model. Yet in many conventional management textbooks the complexities
of managing and of organisational life are largely obscured. Instead, we are presented with an
account in which management is a positive thing, and the organizations that it produces are
unquestioned. The second aim of this course is to look in detail at some of these ‘hidden’
aspects, which yet are central to the ‘real’ lived experience of all of us in organisations.
Objectives:
1. To examine key concepts from organisational theory and practice, and how they apply to the
role of management.
2. To address some of the contemporary issues and problems in the field of management
studies.
3. To relate these concepts and debates to specific cases.
4. To contribute to the development of students’ skills, in particular a) critical thinking, b) verbal
communication, c) written communication d) presentation
BA (Hons) Management Studies 2nd year Option module summaries for the academic
year 2016/2017
MN2110 Operations Management
Specialist route: Organisation
Aims
The aim of this module is to introduce the fundamental principles, philosophies and techniques
of operations management. Operations management is viewed as central to the
‘transformation process’ within an organisation (i.e. the conversion of inputs, such as labour
and materials, into outputs, such as goods and services). Operations management is seen as
equally relevant to both manufacturing and service provision organisations, whether in the
public or private sector. The module will review the scope of operations management
activities, and their impact on organisational performance.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

demonstrate the scope of operations management activities

critique the link between operations management and strategy

reflect on the key issues and challenges facing operations management

be familiar and critique the range of philosophies and techniques that pervade
operations management

apply these philosophies and techniques in case-studies.
Assessment
Your are to produce a written management report of 2,500 words which addresses the
following tasks:

Describe and explain the operations processes of your chosen organisation.

Evaluate the appropriateness of the operations processes in terms of their
contributions to productivity, quality and overall effectiveness.

Draw conclusions as a result of your explanation and evaluation.

Discuss if the operations of the organisation can be improved. If you see
opportunities for improvement, recommend some of the policies and strategies
that could be applied to secure such improvement. If you do not see any areas for
improving the operation, argue a convincing case from an operations management
point of view for maintaining the status-quo.
MN2112 International Marketing
Module leader
Dr Amanda Earley
E-mail: me162@le.ac.uk
Room: FJ 008
Specialist route: Marketing
Aims: This module aims to introduce students to conventional as well as contemporary
concepts, theories and models in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). In particular,
students are encouraged to consider the importance of cross-cultural issues in international
marketing communications and to adopt a critical approach in thinking about marketing
practices. You shall learn how marketers employ and co-ordinate various communication tools
to create a consistent and integrated message that will resonate with their target audience.
You will also explore the theoretical underpinnings that inform the practical development and
execution of global marketing campaigns. An appreciation for the linguistic and symbolic
aspects of global campaigns will be discussed, alongside controversies that such marketing
practice elicits. The module also considers the way in which traditional and new media are
utilized in a creative manner by marketers to achieve communication goals.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

Understand principles of marketing communication and be able to apply them in a
range of marketing situations.

Appreciate the potential tensions, cross-cultural issues and controversies arise in
intercultural communication.

Strategically plan, develop and execute an integrated marketing communication
plan.

Critically assess the value of models and theories of marketing communications.

Appreciate the impact of marketing communication upon brands and corporate
identity.

Comprehend the role of traditional and new media channels in marketing
communication.
Assessment
The module is assessed through a single closed-book examination (100%). The examination
will last 1 hour and 30 minutes. You will be asked to choose 2 out of 5 questions to be
answered in essay style. All questions carry equal marks. Further information will be provided
during the course, particularly during the seminar sessions.
MN2114 International Finance
Module leader
Dr Nikiforos Panourgias
E-mail: np220@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 206
Specialist route: Finance
Aims
The main aims of the module are to:

combine International Finance theory with practical understanding of financial
principles and trends

examine how real world practice has been shaped by theoretical and historical
developments

explore issues around the global business environment and international financial
transactions
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

interpret financial and macroeconomic data in light of the existing theories

recognise the implications of international developments for companies,
governments, and investors

review a variety of determinants of foreign exchange rates, as well as appreciate
the nature of foreign exchange risk

critically analyse the contemporary global financial architecture and differentiate
between historical international monetary systems

delineate the role that the supra-national finance institutions, speculators,
multinational corporations, commercial and central banks play in the system and
evaluate how the interaction between them impacts on the stability of various
exchange rate regimes

competently apply the theories of International Finance to analyse real-life
examples and situations.
Assessment
The module is assessed on the basis of an individual essay of 2000 words (100%).
MN2116 Corporate Social Responsibility
Module leader
Prof Catherine Casey
E-mail c.casey@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 403
Specialist route: Organisation
Aims
Demands for environmental sustainability, employee equality, social fairness, and a variety of
extra-fiduciary responsibilities are routinely made of the modern corporation. Modern
managers, not only those employed within the areas of marketing communications and public
relations, regularly come to realise that the interests of stakeholders now must be satisfied
alongside the interests of shareholders. Within this course we consider why this is, and what
might be done about it. The relatively recent uptake on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
has been anything but inevitable and uncontroversial. On the contrary, it remains one of the
most controversial aspects of contemporary management theory and practice. Indeed, the
very question of whether CSR should be undertaken at all remains a live one, not least of all
in light of the recent financial crisis.
Throughout the course we will review a variety of arguments for and against CSR, frame them
with recourse to the more general question of why CSR has become so popular now, and
then question the future directions CSR might take. The first half of the course considers
contemporary debates on the relationship between Corporate Social Performance (CSP) and
Corporate Financial Performance (CFP), and their various ethical, economic and political
underpinnings. The second half of the course puts these debates into broader perspective for
the sake of developing a practical orientation towards them.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

Outline, develop upon and critically engage with a variety of arguments for and
against Corporate Social Responsibility

Describe and analyse how the arguments for and against Corporate Social
Responsibility translate into a variety of practical concerns

Discuss some of the ethical, economic, political and historical phenomena that
have placed Corporate Social Responsibility upon the contemporary management
agenda

Analyse the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and political
philosophy

Demonstrate written and oral communication skills; independent study skills;
researching skills; team working & organizational skills.
Assessment
The module is assessed on the basis of a 3,000 word.
MN2117 Stock Market Analysis & Equity Valuation
Module leader
Dr Tomasz Piotr Wisniewski
E-mail: t.wisniewski@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 608
Specialist route: Finance
Aims
The main aims of the module are to:

examine the theory and practice of stock market investments

introduce a variety of models focusing on the relationship between risk and
required rates of returns

explore the main theoretical frameworks within which financial securities can be
priced

reflect on the informational efficiency of the stock markets and consider the
empirical evidence on the profitability of various investment strategies
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

differentiate between fundamental and technical analysis

measure and analyse the risk and return characteristics of investments

calculate the risk-adjusted discount rates using the Capital Asset Pricing Model
and Multifactor Models

identify the factors that influence the prices of financial securities

competently apply a range of standard pricing models and appreciate the
importance of underlying assumptions

recognise the role that business cycle and industry grouping play in the process
of stock valuation

critically analyse the Efficient Market Hypothesis and review the findings of
Behavioural Finance research

use Excel to solve financial problems
Assessment
The module is assessed on the basis of an individual essay (100%).
MN2118 Global Brands
Module leader
Dr Jennifer Smith Maguire
E-mail: jbs7@le.ac.uk
Room: FJB 020
Specialist route: Marketing
Aims
The aim of this module is to give students a broad understanding of branding and global
brands, and their significance for our daily lives as consumers and for the societies in which
we operate. Lectures will cover the core concepts related to brands and branding; the
relationships between brands and culture and consumption; and multiple dimensions related
to globalization and global brands. The module material is drawn from multiple disciplines
including sociology, cultural studies and anthropology as well as critical marketing and
consumer culture theory, in order to cover both applied/strategic and critical/theoretical
approaches to the study of brands. Practical skills emphasized throughout the module include
close reading and critical analysis of texts through independent study and peer-to-peer
discussion.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this semester, students should be able to:
•
•
•
•
•
define ‘brands’ and ‘global brands’ and identify related concepts;
discuss the means of communication relevant to global brands (e.g. PR and
marketing communications);
identify the cultural dimensions of brands and branding;
identify the impact of global brands upon economies and countries;
demonstrate awareness of the particular opportunities and challenges for
global brands, including with regard to nations, and to emerging markets (e.g.
China).
Assessment
The module is assessed by exam (100%).
MN2125 Crisis/Management
Module leader
Dr Kenneth Weir
E-mail: khw11@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 529E
Specialist route: Finance
Aims
The main aims of the module are to:
a) To survey the various crises currently facing global society: economic/financial,
environmental/bio-crisis, energy, food.
b) To place these various crises in historical context (comparing them with, for example,
the Great Depression and the economic, environmental and energy crises of the
1970s).
c) To explore the relationship amongst these various crises and the particular challenges
that face economic and social actors (including managers, policy-makers and 'ordinary'
citizens) in managing these crises.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

An awareness of the various crises currently facing global society.

An ability to place these various crises in historical context.

An ability to explore the relationship amongst these various crises and the particular
challenges that face economic and social actors (including managers, policy-makers
and 'ordinary' citizens) in managing these crises.
Assessment
The module is assessed through a 2,500-word assignment.
MN2131 HRM
Module leader
Dr Jo Grady
E-mail: j.grady@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 512.
Specialist route: Organisation
Aims: The course aims to explore and analyse some of the fundamental changes presently
affecting the world of work in this country and elsewhere, and to evaluate their implications
for established institutions and patterns of industrial/employee relations and the employment
relationship itself. It also seeks to provide an appreciation of the different and often competing
perspectives which are necessary for any understanding of contemporary organisational
politics. There is much controversy and debate at the moment concerning employee relations
and it is intended to consider some of the more interesting of these. We will proceed by
emphasising differences between viewpoints and the importance of perspective. For, example,
there is an account of the development of employee relations according to which present
changes are part of a sequence of developments: this features greater and greater trust being
extended to employees and a correspondingly greater involvement by employees in their
organisations. This point of view of gradual improvement can be contrasted with a view which
asserts that current developments are either (a) more sophisticated devices of control and/or
(b) not what they seem and/or (c) unlikely to persist. Of course, reality is more complex than
this simple dichotomy, but this sort of debate concerning how to interpret current events and
developments will be sustained throughout the module.
Specifically the course has the following objectives:

To explore and assess some of the major changes affecting the world of work in
Britain and elsewhere.

To develop an appreciation and understanding of what these mean for the
institutions and processes of industrial/employee relations.

To critically examine the (changing?) nature of the employment relationship in the
light of restructuring and ongoing change.

To review and assess some of the arguments advanced to explain the nature,
pace and extent of change.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

Define HRM in the context of the internal and external labour market; identify and
critique the key issues, theories and practices of HRM, and locate the study of
HRM within a broader knowledge and understanding of management theory and
practice.

Understand the key roles of the actors involved in the regulation of the labour
market at national and international levels and appreciate the impact of individual
and collective rights on the regulation of the employment relationship.

Appreciate the social and psychological impact of work as a source of meaning,
character formation, status and social solidarity and community.

Apply this understanding to the analysis of case-studies.
Assessment
100% Coursework – in the form of a 2500 word essay. Essay questions will be given out during
lecture 5.
MN2133 Managing Diversity
Module leader
Dr Daniela Rudloff
E-mail: dr135@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 216
Specialist route: Organisation
Aims
The course aims to develop competence in the analysis of issues relating to equal
opportunities and the human resource challenges of managing a diverse workforce. In doing
so it looks at the framework of equal opportunities both external & internal to the organisation
and issues of policy and procedure in managing equal opportunities.
As part of this module you will consider the following themes:

The changing nature of the workforce, the dimensions of workforce
specific issues around gender, ethnicity and disability

Equal opportunity/managing diversity policy and practice – different approaches
and confusions in definitions

Managing the recruitment & selection process fairly
diversity,
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary issues and key debates around equality
and diversity

Be able to discuss the concepts of equality vs. diversity from sociological,
psychological, historical and legal perspectives

Demonstrate awareness of the legal requirements and their implications in
practice

Assess the relevance of debates and theories in managing diversity for
organisational practice.
Assessment
The module is assessed by a 1500 word essay (80%) and a shared group presentation (20%).
BA (Hons) 3nd year Option module summaries for the academic year 2016/2017
Term 1
MN3112 Derivative Pricing 1
Module leader
Prof Emmanuel Haven
E-mail: eh76@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 312
Specialist route: Finance
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
This course emphasizes option pricing. The relationship between call and put option prices
will be discussed. The pricing of options will be discussed. We consider the binomial option
pricing model and the Black-Scholes model.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module students will:





Understand the concepts of European and American put/call options
Understand the concept of intrinsic value of an option
Understand European and American put-call parity
Understand how to price a simple option with the binomial option pricing model
Understand how to use the Black-Scholes option pricing formula
Assessment
This module is assessed through an examination (100%). This is a closed book 1 hour exam.
MN3113 Derivative Pricing 2
Module leader
Prof Emmanuel Haven
E-mail: eh76@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 312
Specialist route: Finance
Prerequisites: You can not take MN3113 (Derivative Pricing II) if you have not taken MN3112
(Derivative Pricing I) prior to this course. MN3112 runs in the first part of the term.
Aims
This course delves into some of the theoretical underpinnings of financial option pricing. We
study first the concept of risk neutrality. We define what a martingale is. We then study the
non-arbitrage theorem (discrete state version). We round off the course with derivations of
both the binomial option pricing model and the Black-Scholes model.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module students will:






Understand the concept of risk neutrality
Understand what a martingale is
Understand the non-arbitrage theorem
Understand the derivation of the Binomial option pricing model
Understand the derivation of the Black-Scholes option pricing model
Consider extensions of the basic Black-Scholes option pricing model
Assessment
This module is assessed through an examination (100%). This is a closed book 1 hour exam.
MN3121 Survey Research for Management Studies
Module leader
TBD
Specialist route: Marketing
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
This module, Survey Research for Management Studies, will help students to gain an
appreciation of the theoretical and practical considerations necessary to effectively conduct
survey based research for both academic purposes (such as the dissertation) and to evaluate
the use of survey research in applied, professional management contexts.
It will lay important foundations for students wishing to further their studies at Master’s level in
the future. It will also be of value for students considering a career in the mar-keting research
industry, and for any professional role which involves commissioning, carrying out and/or
reading survey based research, i.e. almost all professional roles in management.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course you will have demonstrated:











An understanding of the underlying rationale and justification for survey research in
management
An understanding of research design, measurement and sampling strategies
An understanding of questionnaire design and survey administration
An understanding of survey administration techniques
An understanding of critical issues in the presentation of survey research design in
academic and professional research contexts
An ability to formulate and critically assess sampling strategies
An ability to plan and design survey instruments
An ability to select and evaluate survey designs
An awareness of research ethics issues for academic management research, including
gaining research ethics approval for university research
An awareness of ethical issues in professional survey research
A critical awareness of current survey research practice in marketing and management
Assessment
The module is assessed through a 2,000-word assignment.
MN3122 Analysing Quantitative Data for Management and Research
Module leader
TBD
Specialist route: Marketing
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims: This module, Analysing Quantitative Data for Management Studies, will help students
to gain an appreciation of the theoretical and practical considerations necessary to effectively
analyse quantitative survey data for both academic purposes (such as the dissertation) and to
evaluate the use of quantitative analysis in applied, professional management contexts. It will
lay important foundations for students wishing to further their studies at Master’s level in the
future. It will also be of value for students considering a career in the marketing research
industry, and for any professional role which involves commissioning, carrying out and/or
reading survey based research, i.e. almost all professional roles in management.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course you will have demonstrated:













An understanding of the underlying rationale and justification for analysing quantitative
survey data in management
An understanding of the importance of constructing a quantitative analysis BEFORE
data is collected, and as part of the survey research design
An understanding of that a variable’s scale of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval
and ratio) is crucial for choosing appropriate statistical analysis.
An understanding that sample statistics are different from inferential statistics
An ability to conduct, interpret and report sample and inferential statistics to respond
to real world research problems
An ability to select appropriate quantitative analysis methods to respond to research
objectives
An understanding of statistical and substantive significance
An understanding and ability to apply univariate, bivariate and multivariate methods of
analysis appropriately
An understanding that statistical methods with two or more variables either seek to
establish statistically significance difference or (inter)dependence (relationships /
association), i.e. statistical tests either compare groups to see if they are different or
searches for relationships between variables.
An ability to construct a data matrix and use quantitative analysis methods using SPSS
software
An ability to use SPSS to generate charts and graphs and identify bad practice within
published graphical data
An ability to condense large amounts of numerical data into written
A critical awareness of current practice in quantitative analysis in marketing and
management
Assessment
A report responding to a project briefing where you will use your analysis skills to understand
and report on data given to you in an SPSS data set. Word limit 2,000 words.
MN3123 Doing Qualitative Research 1: Collecting Qualitative Data
Module leader
Dr Fabian Frenzel
E-mail: ff48@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 329
Specialist route: Organisation
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
The aim of this module is to provide an understanding of data collection practices in qualitative
management and organisational research. It will provide you with guided study on: different
approaches to qualitative data collection; methods of primary and secondary data collection,
including interviews, focus groups, direct and participant observation and collecting textual,
visual and electronic materials. The course will also explore key issues in qualitative research
such as access, sampling, and choice and rationale of methods, researcher-participant
relationships, researcher role and reflexivity and ethical concerns. A key objective of the
module is to prepare you for your dissertation work by enhancing your understanding and
awareness of collecting qualitative data in an informed and rigorous way.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you should be able to:






demonstrate a good understanding of the nature of qualitative research, different
research orientations including feminist research and critical research and different
research collection approaches and methods (see below).
show a good grasp of the key issues and challenges for qualitative data collection and
know how to address them in your own work
create appropriate qualitative research design and to identify and justify an appropriate
approach and method choices.
demonstrate an awareness of key qualitative data collection approaches including:
o case study research
o ethnographic research
o action research
o grounded theory
o textual approaches
o visual approaches
demonstrate an awareness of qualitative data collection methods and show how to
design and apply them including:
o qualitative interviewing and focus groups
o participant and non-participant observation
o textual methods
o visual methods
reflect upon ethical and political issues in qualitative research and develop strategies
for addressing them. Learn how to apply for Ethics approval.
Assessment
100% of module mark = coursework. The assessment draws on your experience and reflection
in a small-scale data collection exercise. This exercise cannot be used as part of the main
data collection for your dissertation. It is acceptable to treat this exercise as part of your pilot
study if you wish but you must discuss this with your dissertation supervisor to avoid risk of
self-plagiarism.
Within the broad subject area of your dissertation, chose a research focus, identify a research
gap, design a research question and perform a small scale primary data collection exercise,
such as three one-to-one interviews (a minimum of 20 minutes each), one focus group of one
hour (or longer), or one day of observation/participation. You may also include a small amount
of secondary data collection for context and background.
MN3124 Doing Qualitative Research 2: Analysing Qualitative Data
Module leader
Dr Fabian Frenzel
E-mail: ff48@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 329
Specialist route: Organisation
Prerequisites: You must have previously completed MN3123 Doing Qualitative Research 1:
Collecting Qualitative Data. MN3123 runs in the first half of term.
Aims: The aim of this module is to provide an understanding of qualitative data analysis in
theory and practice. It will provide you with guided study on how to approach, organise and
analyse the qualitative data that you have collected. It also focuses on how to theorise from
qualitative data and how to present and write up your findings in different formats. Approaches
to qualitative data analysis covered include: qualitative content analysis, narrative analysis,
grounded theory analysis, computer assisted qualitative data analysis and discourse and
visual analysis. This module also addresses the challenges and issues relating to the analysis
of data collected through different research approaches. A key aim of the module is to prepare
you for your dissertation work by enhancing your understanding of analysing data in a rigorous
and systematic way and by demonstrating how to convey this process in the writing up and
presentation of your work.
Intended Learning Outcomes







demonstrate an awareness of key qualitative data analytical approaches including:
o thematic and qualitative content analysis,
o template analysis,
o grounded theory analysis,
o discourse and visual analysis
o computer assisted qualitative data analysis (CAQDAS).
demonstrate a good grasp issues and challenges concerning the analysis of
qualitative data and find ways of addressing theme.
understand approaches to data analysis coming from the main qualitative research
traditions including:
o interviewing and focus groups,
o case study,
o ethnography,
o textual and visual approaches
create appropriate qualitative analytical frameworks and be able to identify and justify
specific choices taken.
be able to present and display data in different formats
be able to theorise from qualitative data findings and identify and present a research
contribution.
be able to craft, present and write up the qualitative research process in a systematic
and rigorous manner.
Assessment
A 2000 word assignment consisting of data analysis process (700 words), research findings
(1,000 words) and reflection (300 words).
MN3126 Cyber-Psychology at Work
Module leader
Dr John Cromby
E-mail: jjc31@le.ac.uk
Room: FJB 1.14
Specialist route: Organisation
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims: ‘Cyberpsychology’ is the study of the human mind and its behaviour in the context of
interaction with technology. The basic premise of cyberpsychology is that technology is an
extension of the human self beyond the bounds of the skin. It is a prosthesis or tool. But what
does it enable us to do? Many writers have commented on the nature of the tasks machines
carry out. Some have commented on the positive consequences, others on the negative
consequences, for the machine user. For example, the deskilling debate popularised in the
1970s by Harry Braverman argued that in Capitalist economies the extensive use of
production machinery in factories led to the subordination and deskilling of manual workers.
Braverman said that factory owners are obsessed with control over the production process
and hence will choose machines which offer the most control over workers. So, in this case,
the machine is used by one social group as a tool to dominate another. As this module will
show, many writers, including those who disagree fundamentally with Braverman’s thesis,
share his tendency to treat the machine as a passive receptacle of human desire or agency.
Ultimately, in this view, machines themselves do not actually do anything. But is this an
appropriate way to theorise modern technology? What do machines – as prosthetics - enable
us to do? And, more fundamentally, what do we do to it? These turn out to be complex
questions to answer because as we have developed technologies, they have provided a
medium through which we re-evaluate and re-define the world, ourselves, and our place in the
world.
Machines extend and intend the self; they enable the self to reach outward but also reach
inward. This is why machines have a history inseparable from the cultures they inhabit and represent. They are not simply passive receptacles of human agency but active media of cultural
representation. They are prosthetic extensions of the social world. The modern human was
created by technology just as much as modern technology was created by the human. As
Seltzer (1998) opines, it is not so much that the application of technology to human
organisation has led to a mechanisation of the human; rather humans have come to rely
increasingly on technology to understand themselves. The machine and the human have a
common cultural history. Erik Davis (1998) captures this well at the start of his fascinating
book on the relationship between machines and mysticism when he argues that “human
beings have been cyborgs since the year zero” (p. 10).
A cyborgian take on the history of Western culture might reveal how we came to organise and
know ourselves as inhabitants of a mathematised, mechanised world of our own making. In
this history, the human-technology relation is simultaneously one of prosthesis (i.e. technology
as an exteriorisation of the human body) and aesthesis (i.e. the human as an interiorisation of
technological modes of perceiving). A cyborgian history is also the history of how we learned
to organise, to order activity to assure that people and objects arrive at an appropriate place
at an appropriate time to undertake a particular activity. As Barbara Czarniawska (2000)
observes, this means starting – and sustaining - a complex process of persuading people and
objects to accept what a proper time and a proper space is, and how they should be described
or measured. Cyborgian history, then, is also about the organisation of time and space, and
cyberpsychology is about the ramifications and implications of these technically-mediated
organising processes for behaviour, identity, perception and cognition. This history informs
much of the content of this module, but with a particular focus on the world of work
organisations
The cyborg, then, is the ontological building block of cyberpsychology. The human subject of
psychology is no longer the skin-bound bearer of fixed identity, theoretically without race,
gender or creed, but a hybrid subject residing in the borderlands that comprise the world of
the social, the natural, and the technical. The cyborg is a particularly apt subject for the study
of organisational behaviour and cognition, for it is hard to conceive of any organisational
behaviour that is not bound up in a network of other humans and non-humans. Yet the cyborg
runs counter to the analytical tradition of the scientific enlightenment which is premised upon
divisions between people and things rather than their intermingling. The cyborg also runs
counter to the Enlightenment view of the individual exercising a personal, sovereign power
which makes them responsible as individuals for their engagement with the world.
Organisational psychology, as taught in all textbooks, is anchored in this contractual view supposedly free individuals agreeing a contract with whoever represents the organisation.
Individuals are conscious, intentional beings who accept the rules of conduct and the
intentions of the group they join. All agency originates in the purposiveness of the self-aware
subject. This module will encourage you to (i) critically re-assess your relationship to
technology, (ii) consider how agency may actually be inextricably shared between humans
and machines, and (iii) to embrace your status as a cyborg.
References
Czarniawska, B. (2000). A City Reframed: Managing Warsaw in the 1990s. Amsterdam:
Harwood Academic Publishers.
Davis, E. (1998). Techgnosis: Myth, Magic and Mysticism in the Age of Information. London:
Harmony Books.
Seltzer, M. (1998). Serial Killers. London: Routledge.
Intended Learning Outcomes



demonstrate a critically understanding of, and an ability to apply, cyberpsychological
theories of the relationship between technology and behaviour in organisational
contexts;
recognise how technologies mediate our relationship to the world and re-present
personal, social and organisational identities; and
demonstrate an ability to analysis and reflection upon the impact of technology on
everyday working life
Assessment
A written assessment in essay format not exceeding 3,000 words (excluding bibliography).
MN3133 The Management and Shaping of Innovation
Module leader
Dr Steve Conway
E-mail: sc573@le.ac.uk
Room: FJB 1.24
Specialist route: Organisation
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
What can we learn from prior cases of successful and failed innovation? In answering this
question, we will draw upon a wide array of concepts from the academic literature, and
illustrate these through a diverse range of case studies of innovation and innovative
organisations. The aim of the module is to encourage reflection on the multifaceted, varied,
and complex nature of innovation and innovative activity within and between organisations. In
doing so, we will provide a distinctive approach to the study of innovation through:

the breadth of the subject material. We will explore innovation from multiple levels
of analysis – the individual, the team, the organisation, the sector, the region, and the
nation-state;

dispelling the myth that innovation is solely about technology, products, and the
private sector. We will adopt a broad notion of innovation, incorporating products,
services, and processes etc. We will also view innovation as the ‘life-blood’ of
organisations across the private sector, public sector, and ‘third’ sector (including
charities and foundations, such as the National Trust in the UK, and pressure groups,
such as Médecins Sans Frontières);

the inter-disciplinary origin of the source material. We will draw upon literature
from across a variety of disciplines, including management, sociology, economics,
psychology, and geography;

adopting a network perspective in order to highlight the importance of
relationships between individuals and between organisations. This focus shifts
the emphasis away from the creativity of individuals and teams, and raises the profile
of ‘boundary-spanning’ social networks, sectoral networks, regional clusters, and thus
the ‘distributed’ and ‘systemic’ nature of innovation. In adopting this perspective, we
highlight the importance of recognizing that innovation and innovative capability may
be shaped by a wide range of stakeholders both within and beyond the boundaries of
the team and/or organisation;

emphasizing the iterative, emergent, and complex nature of the innovation
process, rather than one that is characterized by linearity, rationality, and
simplicity. We will view the innovation process as one that is inherently social,
political, and emotional, where the formal and planned is often less crucial than the
informal or serendipitous. From this orientation, the metaphor of a ‘journey’ is seen as
more potent for understanding the innovation process, than the notion of ‘stages’ that
can be methodically identified, planned, monitored, and signed-off; and finally

challenging the reader to reflect upon what might appear at first to be simple
and well understood notions, such as ‘novelty’ and ‘success’, thus highlighting the
importance of perspective.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module students will be able to:
1. demonstrate a nuanced understanding of notions such as 'novelty' and 'success', and
the distinction between different types of innovation, such as product, process, service,
and business model innovation, and component and architectural innovation;
2. demonstrate knowledge of a range of concepts relating to the patterns of innovation
and trajectories of technologies;
3. demonstrate knowledge of a range of concepts relating to the management of
innovative activity within organisations (covering organisational strategy, structure,
culture and processes).
4. highlight variations in innovative practice between different sectors, such as product
versus service sectors, private versus public sectors, and emerging versus mature
sectors.
Assessment
100% course work.
1 x essay (2,500 words) = 75% of mark
1 x group mini presentation (10-15 minutes) = 25% of mark (softcopy of slide set to be
submitted as part of the assessment following the presentation)
Term 2
MN3104 International Business
Module leader: TBD
E-mail:
Room:
Specialist route: Finance
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
This module is intended to provide an introduction to the field of international business. The
first part examines key economic, political, cultural, and regulatory factors that organizations
encounter when operating outside their home country. These include the basic elements of
the international political economy and international trade. The second part examines ways in
which firms develop their strategies to succeed in international business. Overall, the module
aims to highlight the point that there are no easy answers to many of the difficult issues that
accompany international business in practice. An important part of the course, therefore,
involves examining topics such as globalization, corporate social responsibility, institutions
such as the WTO and the spread of market capitalism around the globe from multiple
theoretical points of view and practical settings.
Intended Learning Outcomes
The module aims to provide participants with a clear conceptual and practical understanding
of:
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The fundamental economic, financial, and political factors affecting the international
expansion of the firm, as distinct from purely domestic factors.
The persistence of deep cross-national differences in the world that affect the strategy,
performance, and value of the multinational firm.
How sequence, speed, and mode of international expansion depend on the
characteristics of the industry, the firm, and the host country.
Models for organizing and managing a multinational network of subsidiaries, including
how to coordinate and to transfer useful knowledge across borders.
At the end of this module students should be able to:

recognise the large number of cultural, political, social, and economic factors relevant
to international business;
 apply concepts, theories, tool and frameworks of international business studies;
 know significant facts, events and developments relevant to international business and
managers who work in an international setting;
 understand the complexity that is involved when moving business outside the home
country
Assessment
The module is assessed by an individual essay (1,500 word limit).
MN3106 Consumer Culture: Globalisation, Materialism and Resistance
Module leader
Dr Ming Lim
E-mail: m.lim@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 529
Specialist route: Marketing
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims:
This module sets out to provide students with a critical introduction to the study of consumer
culture. In addition to introducing students to the key practices, processes and concepts
associated with the articulation of marketing and consumption across national and cultural
boundaries, focus is placed in this module on understanding the positive and negative social,
economic, political and cultural effects of these activities. As such, this is not a conventional
international marketing course asking, for instance, whether marketing communications
should be standardized or adapted when selling products or brands in culturally and
linguistically diverse markets in the pursuit of profit. This is not, in principle, a ‘how to do
international marketing’ module.
Instead, students are asked more searching social and ethical questions about the influence
of consumer culture in shaping contemporary way of life, how gender, tribal, racial and
posthuman identities are produced, constructed and performed, the power of multinational
companies, the relationship between global brands and local cultures, the relationship
between consumers and objects in diverse cultural milieux, the impact of political and
ideological change on consumption patterns, consumer resistance to Western brands and the
commodification of local culture and finally, the anti-globalization movement and the
possibilities of fair trade.
To equip students with the tools to engage in such critical work, the module introduces key
paradigms and theoretical frameworks from a range of disciplines (principally critical marketing
and consumer research, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, human geography and
philosophy). More specifically students are introduced to:
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Sociological and anthropological work on culture and consumption, and on material
culture;
From marketing and consumer research, and anthropology, ideas on global
homogenization, the Coca-Colonization paradigm, cultural hybridity and the
Creolization paradigm;
From sociology and cultural studies, three broad theoretical frameworks on
consumption, known as: the production of consumption perspective; consumption as
sociocultural differentiation; consumption as appropriation and resistance;
Sociological and anthropological ideas on the relationships between politics, ideology,
ethnicity and consumption;
From sociology and cultural geography, academic work that discusses alternative
exchange systems to those working with the principles and practices of global
capitalism.
Intended Learning Outcomes
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At the end of this module, students should be able to:
Explain, compare and contrast key theoretical frameworks on consumption (production
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of consumption, sociocultural differentiation, appropriation and resistance).
Explain the concept of culture industry within the context of materiality.
Outline and discuss competing definitions of the concept of culture, and indicate how
culture is both expressive and constitutive of consumption.
Explain how companies use cultural knowledge to construct brands.
Describe and evaluate the impact of global brands on local cultures using key concepts
such as Culture Industry, Coca-Colonization and McDonalization.
Describe and discuss the impact(s) of ethnicity, ideology and socioeconomic change
on consumption patterns.
Articulate and discuss the view that globalization is a continuation of the colonial
project involving forms of economic and cultural imperialism.
Describe the objectives and activities of the anti-globalization movement.
Explain the concept of resistance.
Outline and discuss alternatives forms of global economic exchange e.g. the fair trade
movement.
Assessment
The module is assessed on the basis of one 2,500 words essay (=100%).
MN3107 Corporate Finance
Module leader
Dr Brendan Lambe
E-mail: bl84@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 331A
Specialist route: Finance
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
Corporate finance is concerned with the investment, financing and dividend policy decisions
of corporations or businesses in general. The investment decision concerns the choice of
advantageous projects (productive assets, subsidiaries, etc.) with the goal of increasing the
value of the business. The financing decision involves consideration of the different sources
of capital available to an organisation and their costs. The dividend decision involves
comparison of the costs and benefits of distributing cash to the original providers of capital.
We will examine both the theory behind these decision making processes, as well as their
practical application.
This module aims to introduce students to the principles of corporate finance. More
specifically, it will look at both the theoretical and practical aspects of financing, investment
and dividend decisions. Students will be provided with a range of appropriate tools and
techniques that are used to enable managers to make sound financial decisions. The focus of
attention will be on the application of knowledge acquired and testing of theories and models
through case studies from the corporate world. Students are expected to read widely from
relevant texts and journals.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
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Critically examine the main sources of finance available to corporations
Critically discuss and apply the concepts of risk and return
Understand and apply the principles of portfolio theory and diversification
Assess and apply the capital budgeting techniques for projects’ evaluation purpose
Reflect on the theory and evidence of Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) and its
contribution to both academy and practice
Understand and apply the principles of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
Comprehend the concepts of capital structure
Critically examine the approaches on dividend policy
Evaluate the theory and evidence on mergers and acquisitions.
Assessment
This module is assessed through two components: an essay/project and a presentation. The
essay/project counts for 70% of the final grade and the presentation for the remaining 30%.
MN3109 Business Ethics
Module leader : TBD
E-mail:
Room:
Specialist route: Finance, Organisation, Marketing
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
The course covers a wide range of ethical theories, ranging from ethical theories in a narrow
sense, such as duty theory, virtue theory or utilitarianism to more pragmatic ethical
approaches as they can be found in the field of business studies (such as the corporate social
performance model or the stakeholder management approach). The course takes a
theoretical-analytical approach, linked to an institutional economics and question of
profitability, when analyzing the question of business ethics.
In general, the course is not interested and not intended to “teach” business ethics in a
behavioral, religious sense. Students will be encouraged to transfer and apply in each lecture
and the related seminars theoretical ideas to practical problems of management. Since there
are hardly any right and wrong answers in the field of business ethics, the course intends to
stimulate much discussion and student involvement in the lectures and seminars.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
 understand, apply and evaluate a range of ethical theories in relation to the business
context;
 understand the theoretical and practical differences between an economic approach to
business ethics and a behavioural approach to business ethics;
 analyze critically the principles and assumptions underpinning the free market system;
 evaluate ethical issues arising out of a broad range of environments (i.e. intra-corporate,
customer, inter-corporate, societal) within which businesses operate;
 reflect on the relationship between personal ethical perspectives and managerial
decision-making.
Assessment
The course will be assessed 100% by an examination.
MN3110 Managing Knowledge in Organisations
Module leader
TBD
Specialist route: Organisation
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
The aim of this module is to introduce students to key themes, issues and debates in the area
of managing knowledge and knowledge work in contemporary organisations. The module
focuses on the phenomenon of ‘knowledge management’ and the implications of managing
knowledge for innovation and organisational learning. Given the growth and prevalence of
global-team working, the ubiquity and seamlessness of technology across the workplace and
our personal environment, and the importance of innovation to sustainable economic growth,
topics covered are interesting and contemporary. The course takes an approach to managing
knowledge in organisations that is informed by the critical study of individual and social
behaviour in organisations. It emphasises the social and political aspects of knowledge
creation and sharing, directing attention to issues around (virtual) team-working, social
networks, and communities of practice.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
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Explain what is meant by knowledge management and why it is of importance to
organisations;
Understand the effects of changing economic and organisational contexts on
managing knowledge and knowledge work;
Appreciate the different conceptualisations of the nature, content, and location of
knowledge;
Identify the organisational facilitators and barriers to the sharing and creation of
knowledge (e.g. structure, culture, process, and workspace design);
Understand the impact of social and political processes on knowledge creation,
sharing and diffusion, and in particular, the role of social networks / informal
organisation;
Understand the role of ICT in managing knowledge, as well as its limitations;
Appreciate the interactions between knowledge and innovation processes; and
Identify strategic issues relating to knowledge management.
Assessment
The module is assessed through one coursework assignment (max 2,500 words).
MN3127 Organisations in Economic Context
Module leader
Dr Chris Grocott
E-mail: c.grocott@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 318
Specialist route: Finance, Organisation
Prerequisites: n/a
The day-to-day organisation of business and capitalism is conducted within the framework of
broader economic structures; organisations, trade unions, employees, state agencies, and so
on conduct their activities within this framework. This module examines the ideas that
underpin these structures. By doing so, you will understand in greater depth how ideas of
political economy affect key actors in the economy (principally capital, labour, and the state);
the interests (and interest groups) involved in formulating policy and strategy; and the methods
by which groups defend and advance their interests. We will examine the ideas of political
economists such as Keynes, Hayek, and Friedman; politicians such as Britain’s Margaret
Thatcher and Tony Blair, and the USA’s Ronald Regan; groups such as the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and Mont Pèlerin Society; and representatives of capital and labour such
as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and trade unions. In examining these various
individuals and groups we will assess how their ideas have come to shape organisations.
Whilst the module’s aim is focussed – to understand the link between ideas of political
economy and the reality which organisations operate within; the scope is broad in order to
allow you to draw upon your three years of study at Leicester.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
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Define the key economic and political-economic ideas (principally, laissez-faire,
Keynsianism, social democracy, and neoliberalism) that have shaped organisations
(such as corporations, trade unions, and the public sector) at both micro and macro
levels
Discuss the ways in which key economic and political-economic ideas have shaped
relationships between the state, employers and workers;
Demonstrate the ways in which agents, and groups of agents (such as the CBI, the
Mont Pelerin Society, or trade unions), have sought to promote and defend their
economic ideas and interests;
Analyse the changing effect on organisations of the interaction of economic ideas with
politics, society, and culture;
Assess the status of key economic ideas within organisations and contemporary
society.
Assessment
The module is assessed by a 2,000 word essay.
MN3130 Cultural Producers of Taste
Module leader
Dr Jennifer Smith Maguire
E-mail: jbs7@le.ac.uk
Room: FJB 020
Specialist route: Marketing
Prerequisites: n/a.
Aims
What is ‘good taste’? How is taste related to the creation of value and the construction of
markets? These are central questions for this module, which offers a critical view of marketing
as practice. We focus on cultural intermediaries as key taste makers and their mediated
constructions (e.g. advertising campaigns, brand identities, social media content). Lectures
provide students with a critical introduction to the study of cultural intermediaries, taste, value
and contemporary consumer markets. Lectures will bring together theoretical perspectives (in
particular, those associated with Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Callon, critical marketing and new
economic sociology) and contemporary case studies.
The module offers a useful bridge between theory and practice: we will examine a range of
examples of contemporary cultural goods (e.g. wine, beer, food, fashion); an array of issues
central to today’s marketplace (e.g. notions of luxury, aesthetics, authenticity and legitimacy);
and a number of cultural intermediary occupations that many of you are interested in pursuing
(including roles in advertising, branding and public relations).
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students should be able to:
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demonstrate knowledge of the major theoretical concepts associated with the study of
cultural intermediaries and the cultural production of taste;
discuss the historical, societal and cultural field context of cultural intermediaries;
identify the significant dimensions of cultural intermediary work;
assess similarities across promotional occupations with regard to the main concepts and
findings from cultural intermediary research;
explain the implications of cultural intermediaries for markets and for society.
Assessment
The module is assessed by exam.
MN3131 Ecology and Sustainability
Module leader
Dr. Maria Puig de la Bellacasa
E-mail: m.puig@le.ac.uk
Room: KEB 611
Specialist route: Organisation
Prerequisites: n/a
Aims
The aim of this module is to introduce fundamental issues, debates and theories in
environmental ecology and sustainability. Organizations face global and local environmental
challenges and have a key role to play in the realisation of an ecological future. In this module
we will unpack and analyse the range and importance of ecological issues across everyday
practices in organisations. We will look into the ways organisations are involved in identifying
and responding to ecological challenges and how they can contribute to more ecologically
sustainable futures.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
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Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary issues and key debates in environmental
ecology and sustainability;
Critically reflect upon the relevance for achieving sustainable organizations of debates,
theoretical frameworks and practices in environmental science, ecological ethics, and
political ecology;
Consider future global and local environmental challenges faced by organizations (e.g.
climate change, conservation, renewable energies);
Apply knowledge to examples and conduct a systematic analysis of selected
organizational and global ecological issues.
Assessment
The module is assessed by a 2,500 word essay.
BSc (HONS) ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE, FIRST YEAR CORE MODULES
MN1016 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this course students should be able to:
Discuss the different uses and users of financial statements;
Discuss and Prepare a basic set of financial statements;
Assess the relationship between a business entity's financial statements;
Analyse and interpret financial statements;
Critique the usefulness and limitations of financial statements
The module contributes to the development of the following skills:
quantitative data analysis and presentation
oral and written communication
critical evaluation of published financial information and literature
understanding of the nature of accounting information and its role in management
The in-class part of this module consists of 10 weekly two-hour lectures (weeks 2-11) and 8
weekly seminars (weeks 4-11). The outside-of-class part consists of reading, doing exercises
and working in informal study groups. Before each lecture you will need to read the relevant
material from the textbook (or from other sources, as specified) and, before each seminar, you
will need to do the specified exercises. I will point out the relevant reading and exercises in
the lectures. I highly recommend that you do part of your studies in groups of 2-4 students.
This is not a formal requirement of the module, but experience teaches that you will gain much
by discussing the material with other students.
No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed.
MN1018 MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Firm managers need specifically prepared information to be able to make decisions about their
businesses. There are particular tools and techniques which are used to prepare data about
the key issues of every business - costs, revenue, price, and profit - for the needs of
managerial decision-making. These tools, their critical evaluation as well as implementation
in practice are at the core of the module.
After completing this module, the students will be able:
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to recognize which information is needed for planning and controlling decisions
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to understand key management accounting concepts and to reflect on their strengths
and weaknesses (particularly, with regard to their practical implementation)
The in-class part of this module consists of 9 weekly two-hour lectures (weeks 14-23). The
outside-of-class part consists of reading, doing exercises and working in informal study
groups. Please have a look into the book chapter before the lecture and try to do some
exercises at the end of the chapter.
No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed.
MN1020 INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING THEORY
In order to become competent in the field of accounting and management it is important to
also understand how accounting theories aim to provide a coherent and systematic framework
for investigating, understanding and developing accounting practices and how to critically
evaluate accounting practices and theories.
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module students will have been introduced to:
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Different theories of financial accounting (normative, positive)
Developments in conceptual framework projects.
The growing relevance of social and environmental reporting (sustainability
accounting)
Critical perspectives on accounting
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
9) Describe and critically discuss different theories of financial accounting
10) Understand the history of and developments in the accounting profession and accounting
regulation
11) Understand a conceptual framework of accounting as normative accounting theory;
discuss its basic principles, elements, and underlying assumptions
12) Explain voluntary disclosure practices, including environmental and social reporting
initiatives
13) Have gained an insight into critical perspectives that challenge conventional opinions
about the role of accounting within society
Students are required to attend the seminars. Lectures will provide the starting point for your
own reading and learning. Attending lectures will need to be supplemented by a range of
reading and self-managed learning.
You are expected to spend at least 5 hours each week preparing for lectures and seminars.
Try to read all sources listed for lectures, and come to seminars prepared to discuss and learn.
MN1017 FOUNDATIONS OF ECONOMICS
This module aims to introduce you to a number of basic concepts drawn primarily from
microeconomics and to demonstrate how they might be used to inform managerial decision
making.
The module develops knowledge of concepts and frameworks for the analysis of managerial
decision making.
MODULE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
On completion of the module students will be able to:
• describe the economic influences on consumer and producer behaviour;
• analyse the behaviour of consumer demand and producer costs;
• understand the limitations on rational decision making through the frameworks of bounded
rationality and imperfect information;
• analyse and understand the problems that influence specific managerial decisions e.g. price
decisions, investment decisions;
• understand the problems of decision making under conditions of risk and uncertainty;
• describe and analyse the criteria used to judge economic performance.
MN1019 FOUNDATIONS OF FINANCE
This module introduces students to the fundamental concepts and models in financial theory.
After an introduction on what is a model and why is a model needed, we study some key
concepts in finance, such as efficiency, trends and cyclicality, and discuss critically the three
forms of market efficiency. Successively, we study interest rates, the impact of inflation on
interest rates, dividends, and illustrate the capital structure of a company. Then, we come to
the concept of present value of cash flows, and we study in detail the fundamental bond
valuation models discussing, at the same time, various applications through exercises and
practical examples. A similar study is performed in the case of the fundamental share valuation
models, namely, we first study the theoretical aspects of share valuation modelling and then
we consider relevant applications. Some of the fundamental techniques of capital budgeting
decision will be also studied from a foundational perspective, focusing on the major methods,
namely, net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) methods. Finally, we include
the impact of risk on capital budgeting decision. After reviewing some basic notions of statistics
and probability theory, we discuss the basic measures of risk, the mean-variance model and
conclude with an extensive study of the capital asset pricing (CAPM) model. Relevant
applications of this model will be also illustrated.
MODULE AIMS
At the end of the module students should be able to:
• understand what is a model and why financial modelling is important
• understand the significance of the key notions of efficiency, trends and cyclicality
• understand the different forms of market efficiency and analyse them critically
• understand how to derive and apply the fundamental bond valuation models
• understand how to derive and apply the fundamental share valuation models
• understand the relationship between the basic methods of capital budgeting decision,
namely, the net present value (NPV) and the internal rate of return (IRR) method
• understand the differences between time value and risk value of capital
• understand the fundamental properties of the capital asset pricing (CAPM) model
• understand the relationship between risk of a security and expected return on that security
School of Management
BSc Accounting and Finance
Second Year Core Modules
MN2134 CORPORATE FINANCE
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this module students should be able to:
1. Describe principles of corporate finance and discuss their validity;
2. Rationalize corporation’s investment decisions in the light of agency problems and
potential conflict of interest among corporations’ stakeholders;
3. Discuss the corporation’s choice of capital structure and its implications for value and
potentially for the society;
4. Discuss the relevance of the dividend policy and its implications for the value of the
firm;
5. Explain why mergers and acquisitions exist and critically discuss their welfare
consequences.
The module contributes to the development of the following skills:
1. Written communication;
2. Problem solving;
3. Numeracy.
MN2135 FOUNDATIONS OF FINANCIAL REPORTS AND ANALYSIS
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Discuss and apply the conceptual and regulatory frameworks for financial reporting
2. Prepare and present financial statements for a single entity which conform with
international accounting standards
3. Demonstrate and apply selected accounting standards and discuss their impact upon
modern business practice.
4. Develop knowledge and understanding of and appraise contemporary theories and
empirical evidence concerning financial reporting and the ability to evaluate such
theories and evidence.
5. Critically assess the adequacy of current International financial reporting
requirements for a greater understanding of company performance.
6. Analyse and interpret financial statements
MN2136 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this module successfully students will be able to:
1. Discuss the main types of governance and control mechanisms and practices in
corporations in USA, UK and various other European countries
2. Analyze, using detailed case studies of corporate governance failures, the challenges
that the field faces and how potential solutions may be developed and applied.
3. Explain recent corporate governance regulatory initiatives and their potential impact
on companies performance and the relations between stakeholders and managers.
The module contributes to the development of the following skills:
1. Written communication;
2. Problem solving;
3. Numeracy.
MN2138 ACCOUNTING, DECISION MAKING AND CONTROL
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this course students should be able to:
1. discuss the main uses of accounting for decision-making and control within
organisations;
2. explain the emergence and discuss the relative merits of alternative managerial
accounting techniques, in cost management and performance measurement
3. demonstrate key issues in performance measurement (such as deve;lopments and
debates about non-financial metrics);
4. discuss the main organizational (behavioral, social, technical and cultural) effects of
performance measurement design;
5. analyse strategic business problems and organisational issues and develop
accounting-based solutions;
6. explain how accounting problems apply to organisations and to global networks of
organisations beyond the single firm.
School of Management
BSc Accounting and Finance
Second Year Options Modules
MN2137 FINANCIAL MARKETS PRODUCTS: FUTURES AND FORWARDS
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Aims
This course teaches some of the mechanics of futures and forward financial products. We
study the distinguishing features of those financial products. Then, we consider how those
contracts are priced. We also consider how those instruments can be used in the management
of risk.
Objectives
At the end of the module students will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Analyse the features of important financial derivatives: futures and forwards
Discuss how those derivatives are priced and used
Identify the risks involved in the financial markets
Construct derivatives to hedge the financial risks
MN2139 ACCOUNTING THEORY
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Aims
In order to become competent in the field of accounting and management it is important to
also understand how accounting theories aim to provide a coherent and systematic framework
for investigating, understanding and developing accounting practices and how to critically
evaluate accounting practices and theories.
Module Objectives
At the end of this module students should have an understanding of:
1. Different theoretical perspectives on accounting
2. Developments and emerging issues in accounting research
3. Critical perspectives on accounting
This optional module focusses on an in-depth theoretical understanding of accounting
technologies and practices in organisation.
Intended Learning Outcomes
1.
2.
3.
4.
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
Understand the history of and developments in accounting theory
Describe and critically discuss different accounting theories
Explain theoretical perspectives on accounting technologies to manage and control
organisations
5. Have gained an insight into critical perspectives that challenge conventional opinions
about the role of accounting within society
MN2140 MACRO-FINANCE
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Aims
This module aims to introduce you to theories that explain business cycles and the
interactions between the real and financial sides of the economy. It will be largely based on a
simple three equation model that comprises IS curve (Investment and Savings), the Phillips
curve and the monetary rule, which is a simplified version of the New Keynesian model. The
module however explores the mainstream macroeconomic schools (models) – the RBC
(Real Business Cycle) and the New Keynesian schools, too. The two strands of schools offer
contrasting views regarding the drivers of business cycles – exogenous (i.e. supply-side) or
endogenous (i.e. demand side).
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course students should be able to:
1. Assess how macroeconomic concepts like inflation; interest rates and other concepts
play a role in financing decisions;
2. Explain various business cycle theories;
3. Assess the feasibility of various business cycle theories.
MN2141 ACCOUNTING FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this module successfully students will be able to:
1. Explain the accounting tools and techniques available to small and medium-size
commercial organisations and the role that these play in designing, setting up and
running such an enterprise.
2. Analyze, using examples of small and medium-size organisations, what are the
specific challenges that such organisations face when collecting, aggregating and
representing accounting information.
3. Discuss the implications of corporate governance and global accounting
regulatory/standard-setting initiatives for economies dominated by small and medium
sized enterprises.
Transferable skills: 1. Written communication; 2. Numeracy; 3.Problem solving; 4. Information
handling.
MN2142 PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this module we will:
1. Discuss the particular contexts and characteristics of managing public money;
2. Examine various forms and processes of public sector budgeting
3. Investigate the particular forms and roles of controlling income and expenditure,
costing and risk management in public sector organisations
4. Discuss the role of accounting in the procurement and provision of public services in
the context of contract management and public-private partnerships
5. Investigate forms of performance measurement and value for money auditing
6. To reflect on similarities and differences between the roles of accounting in the
private and public sector
Module aims
The module will introduce to you the roles of accounting in public sector organisations and
its particular social and institutional environments. We will pay special attention to
contemporary characteristics and challenges like performance measurement, value for
money auditing, contracting out, public-private partnerships and the impact of austerity. We
will explore how management of public money has both become similar and is still in many
ways different from managing private money. As we do so, you will develop an
understanding of the changing roles of accounting and finance professionals in public sector
organisations.